While robot vacuums offer a convenient way to maintain your floors, neglecting to clean your device can result in a less effective machine that won’t work as well.

The first step to cleaning your robot vacuum is to turn it off and empty the dustbin into the trash. Afterward, you’ll need to remove and clean the filter.

Each vacuum is different, and some filters may not be able to be washed with water. Take an old toothbrush or paintbrush to remove the dust for these types of filters.

Use a dry microfiber cloth to clean the bin of any dirt on the sides. If the bin’s filthy, wash it with hot water and dish soap — make sure it’s completely dry before reassembly.

Remove the roller brushes from the bottom of the device and cut through any hair or fabric wrapped around the brush with scissors.

Some of these brushes also have caps on the side that you can remove, allowing you to pull out dirt and debris inside the brush.

Wipe the brush down to remove any dust. The side brushes might only need to be wiped off, but remove and clean the brushes with a tweezer if there’s visible debris.

You must clean your robot vacuum’s sensors, wheels,

and charging ports occasionally; however, this often just requires you to wipe these areas with a microfiber cloth.

If these areas still look dirty after wiping them down, slightly dampen the cloth

and try cleaning

them again. You can remove small objects from your wheels with tweezers.

Robot vacuums with a mopping feature will also need to have their pads washed with hot water and soap or in the washing machine if it’s safe for your pads to go inside.