My robot vacuum started acting drunk. It would spin in circles, bump into the same wall six times, and then stop in the middle of the floor beeping pathetically. I was about to throw it in the trash and buy a new one.

Then I Googled “robot vacuum spinning in circles” and discovered that I had never — not once in eighteen months — cleaned the sensors. Or the brush bearings. Or the filter. I was basically asking it to vacuum while wearing a blindfold and breathing through a clogged snorkel.

Clean the Sensors Every Week

Your robot navigates using cliff sensors and optical sensors on the bottom and front. When these get coated in dust, the robot cannot see where it is going. Wipe them with a dry microfiber cloth weekly. Do not use liquid cleaner — it leaves streaks that confuse the sensors even more.

Hair Wrapped Around the Brush Is a Silent Killer

Flip the robot over. Remove the main brush and use the included cleaning tool or scissors to cut away wrapped hair from the brush roller and the end bearings. Hair buildup creates friction, which burns out the motor over time. I pulled enough hair out of mine to make a small wig.

Also check the side spinning brush. Hair wraps around the base and eventually stops it from spinning at all.

Filters Need Replacing

The HEPA filter catches fine dust — and eventually clogs. Tap it out over a trash can weekly, and replace it every two to three months. A clogged filter reduces suction by half or more. Your robot will run longer and pick up less. Replacement filters are cheap — $10-15 for a pack of three on Amazon.

Empty the Bin After Every Run

This one is obvious but easy to skip. A full bin means no more dirt gets picked up. The robot just pushes debris around the floor. I empty mine every other day. Takes ten seconds.