Whether or not you have a crippling fear of our future robot overlords eventually taking over, I think we can all agree that robot vacuums are pretty dope at taking on the world’s least favourite house chore. However, welcoming your first robot into your home might require a few changes. We’ll tell you why and how you can accommodate the needs of your first robot-kid.

A robot-friendly home

At this point, you might have noticed one thing, robots are pretty smart but have loads of blind spots too. To get the most out of them, you would have to consider making some changes around the house. Here are some:

Step 1: Clear the Dock

Just as important as the robot vacuum is its dock. It serves as both a recharging station and a landmark. Think of it as a robo-bed. Just as you would keep the path to your bed clear, you should keep a clear path for your robo-friend. Depending on which model you have, you’ll need anywhere between 1.5 to 3 feet of space on either side of the dock.

Step 2: Tidy the Room

If you’ve ever stepped on Legos, you’ll understand how robot vacuums feel about small, hard, and sharp objects. These guys are good at one thing: busting dust. Not picking up after you. Also, think about cutting down on cord clutter. String and cords get tangled up worse than last night’s takeaway plastic bag in their roller. Removing these from a robot vacuums innards is worse that heart surgery. Tidying up after yourself is the best way for you and your robot to remain besties for a very long time to come.

Step 3: Water hazards

Water and electronics are mortal enemies. So too is your robot vacuum. Set up a no-go barriers around your bathrooms, pet drinking bowls, or any other water container by laying down magnetic tape, virtual wall devices, or with an accompanying app. 

Step 4: Mats and Rugs

What feels great for you might isn’t so for your robot vacuum. Plush rugs and mats are hazards for them. At best, light mats get stuck under them necessitating a rescue. At worst, the tassels mess up the inside of the vacuum bits (refer to “Tidy the Room”). You’ll either have to rethink your interior design or set up no-go zones for these parts of the house.

Step 5: Furnitures 

Plan your built-in carpentry or furniture with: a) little to no space underneath, so you can ignore cleaning the undersides altogether, or b) raised up enough for your little robo-vacuum to get in without bumping into anything. No need to bend down and reach into the deep dark depths of the undersides of your furniture. That is, unless you LIKE exploring the unknown personally. 

Now that you know how to help out these little robot cleaning buddies, you should be ready to bring home your first robo-bundle of joy. If nothing else, when the robot revolution comes, your robot vacuum can vouch for your hospitality and good treatment of it.