A robot vacuum needs its bin emptied after every run, its filter and brushes cleaned once a week (twice with pets), and its sensors, charging contacts, and side brush wiped once a month. Replace the filter every two months and the main brushes every 6 to 12 months. A self-emptying dock saves you the bin, not the rest.
Those numbers come from iRobot's care schedule for the Roomba i Series, and Roborock's maintenance guide gives the same 6 to 12 months for rollers and every 2 months for filters. Your app usually tracks part life too, so use its alerts once you've set the habit.
The checklist#
| When |
Job |
| After every run |
Empty the bin (or check the dock bag) |
| Weekly, twice weekly with pets |
Tap out the filter, clear hair from the main brushes |
| Every 2 weeks |
Clean the front caster wheel |
| Monthly |
Wipe cliff sensors and charging contacts, clean the side brush |
| Every 2 months |
Replace the filter |
| Every 6 to 12 months |
Replace the main brushes |
| Every 12 months |
Replace the front caster wheel |
| When bristles bend or splay |
Replace the side brush |
The caster and replacement intervals are iRobot's for the i Series. If your robot is a different model, the manual will have its own table, but the jobs are the same.
After every run: the bin#
Empty it even if it doesn't look full. Roborock's advice is to empty it whether or not it's full. If you have a self-emptying dock, check the bag every few weeks and replace it when the app or dock says it's full. A full dock bag or a clogged evacuation port means the robot comes home with a full bin and carries on cleaning with no suction.
Weekly: filter and brushes#
Turn the robot off and flip it onto a towel so the small parts don't roll away.
- Pull out the filter and tap it against the inside of the trash can. Many robot filters aren't washable. iRobot's Roomba 600 care guide says its filters are not designed to be washed at all. Only rinse a filter your manual calls washable, and dry it completely before refitting.
- Lift out the main brushes or rollers. Pull hair off the bristles and, more importantly, out of the end caps. Hair packs into the bearings at each end and makes the brush drag.
- Check the brush housing for string, rubber bands, or a sock corner. Any of these can trigger a brush error.
The bin itself can usually be rinsed. Take the filter out first, rinse the bin, and let it dry fully before it goes back.
Monthly: sensors, contacts, wheels#
Robots find their way with sensors you can't see unless you turn them over. Dirty cliff sensors can throw cliff errors on a flat floor, or make the robot stop and back away from nothing.
- Wipe the cliff sensors on the underside with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Don't use water or cleaning spray.
- Wipe the charging contacts on the robot and the dock with a dry cloth. If the robot keeps failing to charge, this is the first thing to check.
- Pull out the front caster wheel and clear hair from its axle. Spin it by hand; it should turn freely.
- Remove the side brush (usually one small screw), untangle the hair, and refit it.
- On some models, the bin has its own full-bin sensors inside. iRobot's guide to the 800 and 900 series bin shows them and says to wipe them with a clean, dry microfiber or soft cotton cloth. Wiping only the outside of the robot misses these.
If it also mops#
Mopping robots add a water tank and pads, and those smell fast if you ignore them.
- Empty and rinse the water tank after each mopping session and leave it open to dry.
- Wash microfiber mop pads after every use or two, the same way as any microfiber mop head: warm, no softener, air dry.
- Docks that wash the pads have a dirty-water tank and a tray. Empty the dirty-water tank after each run, and scrub the tray weekly. When a dock smells, the tray is the usual culprit.
- Put only water and the cleaning solution your manual approves in the clean-water tank.
Signs your robot vacuum needs cleaning#
- The robot leaves visible lines of dirt or misses edges: check the side brush and main brushes.
- It gets stuck, spins, or reports cliff errors on flat floor: clean the sensors and wheels.
- It won't dock or charge: wipe the charging contacts and check the dock isn't blocked.
- Suction sounds normal but it isn't picking up: the filter is clogged or the bin is seated wrong.
- It's slower, louder, or a wheel squeaks: hair in the wheel axles or caster.
Robot vacuum maintenance with pets#
iRobot doubles the filter and brush cleaning for homes with pets, and that's the realistic minimum during shedding season. Run the robot around the pet's bed often and expect to clear the brushes after every couple of runs. Washing the dog bed on schedule cuts down how much hair the robot has to deal with.
A robot doesn't replace a proper vacuum for stairs, upholstery, and deep carpet cleaning, and that machine has its own routine: see how to clean a vacuum cleaner. Setting weekly and monthly ChoreLists.com reminders for the brush and sensor checks is easier than waiting for the robot to complain.