Can Robot Vacuums Go Over Rugs And Carpets?

Robotic vacuum cleaners have transformed the way we clean our houses into an efficient and hands-free experience. However, people raised concerns about their ability of cleaning different types of floor surfaces, especially delicate rugs. Carpet and rugs tend to trap dirt and dust, but some materials are so fine and vulnerable to damage from vacuuming. The following will discuss how robot vacuums handle various carpet materials, and how to properly set up your smart vacuum cleaners when cleaning rugs.

Do Robot Vacuums Work on Carpets

Yes, robot vacuums work well on carpets and rugs, especially those equipped with powerful suction and carpet cleaning modes. These vacuums work well on different types of carpets and efficiently tackle dust and debris embedded between carpet fibres. Furthermore, robot vacuums with mopping capabilities offer thorough deep cleaning to guarantee spotless floors.
Yet, a common concern is their ability to identify dark rugs. Models with optical cameras can mistake dark rugs for cliffs and not go over them. Another concern is that the brushes may tangle with fringes or get stuck on high-pile rugs. While these issues usually occur with older models, thanks to improved sensors and algorithms, modern robotic vacuum cleaners can better recognise and adapt to various rug types. 

Among the many robot vacuums designed specifically for carpets on the market, the cleaning performance Iargely depends on the type of carpet being cleaned.

Wool Rug

Wool rugs, such as kilim, Persian, and Oriental rugs, are known for their durability and intricate designs, making them suitable for self-cleaning vacuums. Choose a model with strong suction power and rotating brushes, ideally equipped with advanced sensors and the ability to climb high piles.

Silk Rug

Silk rugs require careful cleaning due to their delicate fibres. Use soft bristle brushes and adjust the vacuum to lower suction when cleaning silk rugs. Set virtual barriers to provide an extra layer of protection against any accidental damage from strong suction.

Cotton Rug

Commonly found in kitchens and entryways, cotton rugs can be easily cleaned by smart vacuums with strong suction and rotating brushes. As low-pile rugs, they are ideal for robot floor cleaners.

Hair-On-Hide Rug

Hair-on-hide rugs, including cowhide and sheepskin, require special care due to their unique texture. To avoid damage, adjust the settings to gentle suction and no-brush modes, or set virtual barriers and clean them separately.

Natural Fibre Rug

Sisal, jute, and seagrass are common examples of natural fibre rugs. They are eco-friendly and durable, and even though their surfaces may be slightly uneven, most automatic vacuums can handle them without issue.

Synthetic Fibre

Synthetic fibre rugs, often found in wall-to-wall carpeting, require powerful suction and rotating brushes to effectively remove dirt and debris. Robot vacuums with these features can efficiently clean synthetic fibre rugs.

Can Robot Vacuums Go Over Rugs?

Yes, robot vacuums can go over rugs, as long as the carpet height falls within their climbing capabilities. That being said, their performance may vary based on factors like rug material, pile height, and suction power – for optimal results, find a robot vacuum that is suited to your rug's specific needs.

Carpet Type

Robot vacuums perform differently on various carpet types. Low-pile carpets like cotton rugs are usually easier for vacuums to navigate, while high-pile or shag carpets may pose challenges. Check the suction power and mobility, especially a robot vacuum's ability to handle high threshold, of a robot vacuum to make sure it can handle the specific carpet type in your home. With the ECOVACS HOME app, you can choose between multiple cleaning methods dedicated to carpets, depending on the carpet type:

• Auto-Lifting: suitable for short-haired carpet
• Bypass Carpets: suitable for ultra long haired carpet
• No Lifting: suitable for mat that can be mopped

This allows you to customize ideal cleaning settings and protect your delicate rugs.

Rug Colour

Surprisingly, the colour of your rug can affect a robot vacuum's performance. Some models use infrared sensors that may misinterpret darker colours as edges or obstacles and stay away from it instead of cleaning. If you have dark rugs, look for vacuums with advanced navigation and object recognition technology to avoid such issues. With TrueDetect 3D 3.0, DEEBOT X5 PRO OMNI integrate ultrasonic sensors with structured light to optimize carpet avoidance, ensuring more accurate identification and navigation around carpets.

Rug Pile

The height of the rug pile can decide if a robot vacuum can clean over it, as high-pile rugs may catch vacuum brushes or reduce suction effectiveness. To ensure thorough cleaning, select a vacuum with the ability to go over high threshold. DEEBOT T30 Family features Carpet Prioritized Cleaning to minimize potential cross-contamination: Previously, the robot would simply lift the mop when passing over carpets, risking dirt pickup and carpet contamination; now, the new models detect and clean carpets first before moving to other areas, ensuring the mop remains as clean as possible on the carpet and significantly reducing the chance of carrying dirt onto the carpet.

Among other models, DEEBOT X5 Pro Omni can elevate its mop heads by up to 15mm¹ when going over rugs; this feature works best on rugs with a pile height of less than 10mm.

Suction Power

One of the cleaning challenges for a carpet is that dirt and debris are embedded deep within the fibres, especially on thicker rugs. In this case, you need a robot vacuum with higher suction power to pull them out efficiently. Robot vacuum cleaners usually have 3,500-5,000Pa suction, and you may need a higher suction range if you have many carpets and thick rugs at home. DEEBOT T30 Family boasts 11,000Pa suction² and a straight-through duct design to prevent vacuum loss. As a result, it achieves 99.4% Large Particle Carpet Cleaning Efficiency on maximum settings³, meaning its cleaning performance on carpet is even better than on hard floors (91.9%).

Thresholds

Thresholds between rooms or areas can be a hurdle for some robot vacuums. Most can handle heights up to 20 mm, and DEEBOT X5 Family can further climb up to 22mm⁴, but performance varies. If your home has higher thresholds, look for models with sophisticated climbing capabilities for seamless movement throughout your home.

How To Choose a Robot Vacuum for Carpets

When choosing an automatic vacuum cleaner for rugs and carpets, consider a strong suction for deep cleaning, rotating brushes to lift dirt from fibres, the virtual barrier function to avoid accidental damage, low-light performance for detecting dark rugs and auto lift-mopping feature to keep carpets dry during cleaning.

Strong Suction

Strong suction power allows robot floor cleaners to effectively pick up dust and debris stuck between carpet piles for a thorough clean. For reference, suction power is typically expressed in Pa (pascals), and our DEEBOT X5 Family boasts up to 12,800 Pa⁵, leaving no dirt or debris behind, even deep within carpets.

Rotating Brushes

Rotating brushes can agitate and lift dirt from rug fibres for a deep clean. Main brushes are usually made of rubber-like material, while those with bristles or nylon fibres may easily get tangled with pet hair or carpet fibres. DEEBOT X5 Family is equipped with a 200mm extended main brush that covers more area in a single pass, improving cleaning efficiency by 19%⁶.

Set Virtual Barriers

Cleaning carpets and rugs daily isn't necessary; typically, once a week is sufficient. On days when rug cleaning isn't needed, it's wise to use virtual barriers and no-go zone feature on your smart vacuum cleaners to prevent any accidental damage. You can do this on our ECOVACS HOME App, where you can also select between four cleaning preferences: Vacuum only, Mopping, Vacuum and Mop, or Mop after vacuuming, to suit any scenario.

Low-Light Performances

Most automatic vacuum cleaners with laser sensors do not require full light when cleaning, however, those with advanced sensors can accurately detect dark surfaces, including dark-coloured rugs, even in low-light conditions. Keep the sensors clean for optimal performance. DEEBOT T30 Family's TrueDetect 3D 3.0 technology uses structured light technology and 3D imaging algorithms to scan 3D objects in real-time, providing high-precision resolution and depth information up to the millimeter level, for enhanced strategic obstacle avoidance.

Auto Lift-Mopping

Most carpets are prone to water damage, therefore it is not recommended to mop over rugs. Premier DEEBOT models like the DEEBOT X5 Family offer auto lift-mopping, which automatically lifts the mop up to 15mm from the ground while vacuuming carpets and rugs to keep them dry and prevent contamination, and then returns to mopping hard floors.

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