Do Robot Vacuums Work For Garages?
2023-10-26
Garages are an oft-forgotten frontier of household cleaning, a liminal space between the indoors and outdoors where cobwebs, clutter and remnants of the outside tracked in by cars accumulate. But the age of robotic helpers is upon us, and they’ve come to rescue garages from the clutches of disarray. I’m talking about robot vacuums, those tireless machines with the ability to navigate labyrinthine garage layouts and leave them spotless. In this article, we’ll delve into the features of garage-cleaning robots, exploring the features that make them successful.
Can Robot Vacuum Cleaners Be Used In Garages?
Yes, while not specifically designed for this purpose, robotic vacuums can be used to clean garage floors. Smart vacuums are equipped to deal with hard surfaces across the board , and garages are typically paved with concrete or other hard materials like rubber, PVC or tiles (depending on usage).
Compared to a leaf blower or shop vacuum, garage vacuum robots have the upper hand in hands-free operation, smart obstacle navigation and the ability to simultaneously vacuum and mop, among other features.
Best DEEBOT Robot Vacuums For Garages
DEEBOT T20 OMNI
One of the best robot vacuums for garage floors from ECOVACS, the all-new premium DEEBOT T20 OMNI robot vacuum and mop efficiently handles dust, dirt and oil, adapting to potential obstacles to deliver an exceptional cleaning experience in garages. The robot garage floor cleaner’s new hot water mop washing dissolves dirt and oil with131°F water, for hands-free mopping with less odour and bacterial growth. Featuring artificial intelligence-powered anti-collision and smart navigation, the Quick Mapping feature (which can be activated by saying “OK YIKO” to wake the YIKO virtual assistant or via the ECOVACS HOME App ) allows the smart device to map the entire garage in minutes.
DEEBOT X1 OMNI
The DEEBOT X1 OMNI offers a nearly hands-free cleaning experience. Let the device do the dirty work for you while all that is required of the user is emptying the dust bin and dirty water tank , plus refilling the clean water tank, every few weeks or months. While this garage cleaning robot is not equipped with particular anti-scratch features, one of the core technologies of the DEEBOT X1 OMNI is its intelligent obstacle avoidance. Using AI and 3D structured light sensors, the smart vacuum plots the most efficient and safest path through your garage. For extra safety, users can set virtual walls or restricted areas using the intuitive ECOVACS HOME app. This model comes in sleek black or modern white colours.
DEEBOT X1 TURBO
Another fantastic robot vacuum for garages from ECOVACS is the DEEBOT X1 TURBO. This smart vacuum and mop is especially suitable for garage floors that require frequent mopping, as it features mop washing and automatic water refill. The cutting-edge automatic washing and drying of mop cloths offers a more hygienic and environmentally-friendly mopping experience (that is, mopping cloths can be used for longer without the need for replacement). The user can fill the charging dock’s 4L clean water tank just once for weeks of mopping sessions without manual refilling.
Understanding Limitations Of Cleaning Robots For Garages
Because they are particularly designed for cleaning indoor living spaces, garage floor cleaners face a set of challenges, including navigating spaces typically crowded with miscellaneousforgotten boxes, tools and sports equipment; uneven and rough surfaces; exposure to outdoor elements like pebbles, leaves and mud (or maybe even the occasional litter box!); potential oil spills and messes from car repairs and home DIY projects; limited lighting; and temperature extremes which can affect battery life. To help the devices do their best, we will next go through practical tips to optimise the performance of robot vacuum cleaners for garages.
How To Optimise Robot Vacuums For Garage Floors
Remove damaging obstacles
The first optimisation has to do with removing factors that could hinder the smart vacuum cleaner’s performance. Garage cleaning robots have no issue handling sawdust, leaves and dry dirt . They can however be damaged by certain materials such as oil, water, mud, small pieces of metal like screws or large wood chips. Although DEEBOT smart vacuums utilise advanced obstacle detection sensors to detect debris down to 2mm across (certain models can even do this in the dark), an important best practice for using robot vacuums in garages is to remove obstacles that could damage the device’s internal parts or get stuck in the suction vent.
Set up virtual boundaries
Many automatic vacuums offer a boundary feature where users can set invisible ‘walls’ or no-go zones that the robot cannot cross. (This is generally done using tape or in DEEBOTs’ case, with virtual boundaries on the mobile app.) In a garage setting, this can be helpful for avoiding sensitive areas like shelves holding fragile objects. Users can also set personalised cleaning modes by zone (e.g., vacuum-only, vacuum-mop, higher suction power, etc.); for instance, setting stronger suction around a workstation.
Pre-schedule cleaning
Set a schedule for the garage vacuum robot to clean on certain days at certain times. Unlike indoor spaces, where users frequent the space more and can see if something has dirtied, garages go long periods of time, sometimes days or weeks, without eyes being laid on them. Smart vacuums can automatically hoover up the daily accumulated dust, debris and micro-particles on pre-sets days, maintaining purer air1and less settled dust.
Position docking station
Consider placing another docking station inside the garage. This will limit the need for the user to carry the robotic floor cleaner in and out for every cleaning session (especially if the garage is only accessible via stairs). For example, DEEBOT robot garage vacuums have intelligent charging wherein they return to the base station to charge when they fall low on battery during a task. Automation, arguably the most important part of auto vacuums, is greatly reduced if the robot vacuum in the garage can’t independently access its charging dock. 
Secure loose objects and cables
The next way to optimise robotic vacuums for garage floors is to wrap up loose cables and move obstacles away from the walls. This will not only allow the smart home devices to better reach wall edges and corners , but consolidating potential obstacles will potentially help them clean faster as they can then spend less time analysing objects and changing their paths.
Maintain the robot vacuum
Finally, a bit of maintenance of your garage robot vacuum cleaner will keep it working better for longer. Wipe the front sensors with a dry, clean cloth every few weeks or months (depending on how dirty your garages get), clean the brushes with a toothbrush or water if the material allows, and empty the base station’s dustbin regularly. Note that the vacuum’s brushes may wear out faster if used frequently on concrete floors.
FAQ
Do robot vacuums work on concrete floors?
Yes, robotic vacuum cleaners can be used to clean concrete floors. With high-tech navigation, obstacle avoidance features and anti-drop sensors, smart vacuums can effectively clean concrete surfaces without being damaged or scratching the ground.
Do robot vacuums clean the dirt and grease left behind by car tires?
Dual robot vacuum and mops can clean the dirt and grease tracked in by car tires. In particular, newer models of DEEBOT smart vacuums are equipped with a maximum suction power of 6,000Pa and automatic hot water washing and hot air drying of the mopping pads, to break up and flush away grease.
How can I prevent my robot vacuum from getting stuck in the garage?
Garage floors are usually made of wear-resistant materials such as concrete or tile to withstand the weight of vehicles and the wear and tear of tracked-in materials like gravel. Prevent your robotic vacuum cleaner for garage floors from getting stuck on the floor or under obstacles by erecting virtual boundaries around areas with objects the robot vacuum could snag on. With DEEBOTs, users can also indicate the location of potentially troublesome obstacles to the robot on the smartphone app.
Disclaimer(s):
- Purer air: ECOVACS’ DEEBOT robotic vacuum filters have a 99.99% antibacterial effect on common bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus). Test data from a third-party authoritative laboratory.
