The key facts

  • In a home with pets, it is recommended to run the robot vacuum every day
  • The brush and sensors need regular cleaning: fur wraps around bearings and axles, and dirty sensors interfere with navigation
  • Water bowls should be lifted off the floor during cleaning, and the area around the litter box should be blocked with a virtual no-go zone

Recommendations for pet owners

Owners of cats and dogs should run their robot vacuum daily, regularly clean its brushes and sensors, and set up no-go zones around pet bowls and toys in advance. This was stated by Evgeny Mosunov, marketing specialist for the robot vacuum category at Anker, in an interview with Gazeta.Ru.

Brushes, dustbin and sensors

According to the expert, you should not rely entirely on the anti-tangle brush feature: hair and fur gradually wrap around not only the roller but also the bearings and metal axles at its edges. Therefore, at least once a week the device should be turned over, the brush checked and debris removed — this reduces the load on the motor and helps preserve battery life. He explains the daily runs by the fact that a robot is designed primarily to maintain cleanliness and copes more effectively with regular cleaning than with a large accumulation of fur and dirty paw prints after walks.

Dustbin and navigation

With a large amount of fur, the dustbin can fill up after just one cleaning cycle: this restricts airflow, causing the robot to pick up debris less effectively and leave fur on carpets. Under such conditions, it is advisable to empty the dustbin daily, even if the app has not yet reported that it is full. The sensors — the camera, infrared sensors and laser module — also need to be wiped regularly: dogs sniff the body and cats rub against it, leaving marks and fur. Dirty sensors interfere with navigation — the robot detects obstacles worse, may move in circles, bump into furniture or stop for no apparent reason.

Zones around bowls and the litter box

Mosunov advised paying special attention to the areas around food and water bowls: if the robot bumps into a bowl and spills water, attempting to pick up the liquid could damage the device. It is easier to lift the bowls off the floor during cleaning and to block the space around the litter box with a virtual no-go zone in the mobile app. Thanks to the self-emptying function, in his opinion, the vacuum can operate autonomously for more than a week, sparing the user extra hassle. Earlier, the outlet notes, Russians were told how to properly care for carpets.