Are Robot Vacuums Good For Hardwood Floors?

There’s no denying that hardwood floors look amazing. However, they’re also expensive to install, and maintaining them can be troublesome to say the least. When you use a mop and a bucket of water, you risk water damage. Using certain vacuums or harsh brooms ruin the finish by scraping the surface. However, there are easier ways to address this problem, and the solution could be robot vacuum cleaners.

Vacuum cleaners make it so much easier to clean your floors in a huge way, but you need to be careful with the vacuum you choose for your hardwood floor. In terms of lowest risk to damage your floors, robot vacuums are among the best options you can use. There are reasons behind choosing a robot vacuum that make them a solid choice, and we’ll cover that in this article – along with the advantages and disadvantages of robot vacuums for hardwood floors.

First of all, Do You Truly Need a Robot Vacuum?

You shouldn’t think of buying a robot vacuum cleaner if you don’t need one. Regardless of the advancements in technology, traditional upright vacuums will clean much better than just about every current automated option available. Additionally, they give you the option of using extra attachments to clean the tight spaces, corners, and under furniture that a robot vacuum cleaner would likely not be able to clean. Standard upright vacuum cleaners are also great when you want to clean up bigger messes as well.

However, one of the major disadvantages of upright vacuums is their weight. They are quite heavy to carry around, and they can be a hassle to set up and use when you’re busy and trying to do other things or when you’re pressed for time.

In addition, robot vacuums are great when you’re running a busy home, or you can’t spend time on the weekends tidying up your home because you are constantly at work/busy with life. They can also help immensely in a home that has pets, since pet fur, dander, and litter can be annoying to deal with on a regular basis, regardless of the surface you’re dealing with.

The more you spend on the vacuum though, the more maintenance it’ll need (just like any other appliance), so ask yourself how much you want to spend before buying a robot vacuum. Some models can cost more than $500, while others are surprisingly affordable at under $200.

Here are some other factors to keep in mind…

The Size of Your Home

If you live in an apartment, buying a robot vacuum is likely not a smart investment, compared to someone who lives in a 2000 square-foot home. Many robot cleaners will clean your home for an average of one and a half hours, which roughly corresponds to 500 square feet if it’s cleaning thoroughly and efficiently. Of course, there are several robot vacuums that have bigger dustbins and batteries, which allows them to clean much more in one cleaning cycle.

It’s also important to keep your furniture in mind, especially in terms of its size and the height it sits off the ground. Unless you plan to get down on your hands and knees and clean the area yourself, you’ll need to be aware that there will be spots that the robot vacuum simply won’t be able to clean. The vacuum needs to fit beneath the furniture to clean the spaces under them, so if the robot vacuum doesn’t fit or is too tall, you’ll have to find another way to clean that space.

Have Carpets?

Not all robot vacuums are the same, and not all of them will work well on the same surfaces – some will work better on carpets, while others work better on hardwood floors.

In case you happen to have both, you can get an all-surface vacuum cleaner. These are usually good for gathering clumps of hair, dust bunnies and clumps, as well as small particles that are super dense such as crumbs, chips, and even small seeds. There are also others that can vacuum and mop the floor, while others perform poorly at either function.

There are additionally others that only mop and are good at it, while others are only for tile and hardwood floors. Therefore, the choice you make must fit well for the surface you want to clean and maintain.

Using Apps, Schedules, and More

Many robot vacuums nowadays will have the ability to map your home and the areas that need to be cleaned, as well as having the ability to schedule the device to clean at specific times or days of the week. This is extremely handy if you’re busy or not at home often. You’ll be able to come home after a long week of work and have your house vacuumed and clean, which is something that no other type of vacuum other than robot vacuums can offer.

These apps make it very easy to setup and schedule your robot vacuum. They’ll work with Android, iOS, Google Home, Alexa, and more. You’ll be able to view your robot’s map of your home, make adjustments if need be, and much more (depending on the model/brand you go with).

Another great feature is that if you don’t care about using apps at all, you can still setup scheduling and the other features that these cleaners have to offer, (also depends on the model) so having the option is always appreciated from a consumer standpoint.

Final Thoughts

Getting a robot vacuum cleaner is a solid choice in today’s world, but you need to make sure you’re ready for it and that you choose a model that is a good fit for your household floors.

Robot vacuums can be a great choice for your hardwood floor, but make sure to take some of these other factors into consideration when you’re looking for a robot vacuum for your hardwood floors.