Robot Vacuum: 7 Essential First Steps
- Got a new robot vacuum but not quite sure where to start?
- Let's say you've unboxed the bot, attached any side sweepers or mop pads that need to be attached, downloaded the app and connected yoru robot vacuum up to...
- Once you've connected your robot vacuum up to its companion app,you'll typically be prompted to do a 'mapping run'.
Got a new robot vacuum but not quite sure where to start? I can help. I’ve tested many of the best robot vacuums on the market – and some of the worst – so I’ve done more than my fair share of setting up and using robovacs.
Let’s say you’ve unboxed the bot, attached any side sweepers or mop pads that need to be attached, downloaded the app and connected yoru robot vacuum up to it. What now? Here are seven things to do to get started with your new automated home helper…
1. Do a mapping run (but tidy up first)
Once you’ve connected your robot vacuum up to its companion app,you’ll typically be prompted to do a ’mapping run’. During this, the robot won’t do any cleaning, but it’ll explore its new surroundings and create a map. It’ll do this by popping into each room, wandering about a bit, and then leaving.
To get your home ready for this, you want to open all the doors and tidy away any clutter on the floors. In fact, I tend to try and lift up anything that’s not going to be a permanent fixture – so I’ll pop dining chairs onto the table, for instance.
It is possible to skip this step and just launch straight in, asking the robovac to clean and map as it goes, but opting to map first means the bot can be more efficient when it comes to vacuuming. Plus, it typically won’t take long at all – less than 10 minutes.
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3. Launch a whole-floor vacuum
At this point, I tend to just crack on with a whole-floor clean. I send the robot vacuum off to vacuum everywhere, using its default settings.Everything will be off the floor from the mapping run, so it should be able to achieve a nice, thorough clean.
During this run, I will be able to identify any problem areas where the robot might get stuck or lost, or any places where it can’t currently reach. I can then make adjustments where possible to solve the problems.
I can also get an idea of the robot vacuum’s navigation capabilities. More advanced robot vacuums will learn as they go, so even if the navigation is a little dodgy at this point, it’ll get smarter the more you use it. Typically, I find moast robot vacuums these days do a good job of finding their way about, though.
It is possible for a robot vacuum to clean at night. Almost all modern robot vacuums use LiDAR as their primary navigation technology, and this doesn’t rely on the space being lit (many bots supplement this with headlamps to allow their object-detecting cameras to work in a dark room, too). If your bedrooms are near the areas being vacuumed, you might want to avoid this option, because the noise of cleaning may disturb your sleep.
The Q Revo MaxV isn’t just a vacuum; it’s a complete floor cleaning system. it includes the robot itself,a docking station that automatically empties the dustbin,washes and dries the mop,and refills the water tank,and a set of accessories. The robot boasts a powerful 8,000Pa of suction, a reactive 3D LiDAR scanner for navigation, and a new VibraRise 3.0 mopping system.
I’ve been testing the Q Revo MaxV for a couple of weeks, and I’m impressed. The navigation is excellent. It quickly and accurately mapped my entire home, including furniture and obstacles. It even mapped other floors in my home. I’ll then just carry the robot up to do a clean every now and then – it’s still less effort than going around with a stick vacuum.