This unexpected benefit of owning a robot vacuum has fixed one of my worst housekeeping habits – and my floors have never been so tidy

When I first started testing a robot vacuum cleaner, I was excited about automating floor cleaning. Never did I think that introducing one to my home would finally help me kick my persistent floor clutter problem.

Having to keep the floors clear so the robot can navigate without interruption or blockages has meant my floors have never been clearer. It's put a permanent stop to one of my worst habits – letting floor clutter build up.

It turns out that having one of the best robot vacuum cleaners means you are forced to pick up after yourself, and the effect on my floors has been instantly noticeable.

The unexpected benefit of owning a robot vacuum

For context, I am a bit of a pile fiend, and while I have been slowly improving this bad habit, things still accumulate from time to time on my floors, often near where they need to be, but not quite ‘home’.

After choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, however, I am forced to pick these piles up and put them away regularly, lest the vacuum we have affectionately come to call 'Stephen' risks getting stuck or blocked.

Take our shoes, for example. They tend to gather near the door when I toe them off in a rush to get into the house, sitting close by my entryway storage but not quite in it.

Or my freshly cleaned laundry – the basket full of clothes usually piles up next to my dresser for a few days before I finally fold everything and put it away.

The Minimalist’s No Pile rule has started to help me tackle them, but they would still build up through the week. Now, however, I am forced to follow through with daily tasks to keep the mess at bay if not for my own well-being, the vacuum’s ease of navigation.

I may not have the most futuristic robot vacuum yet, which can cool and purify the air in your home and help with home deliveries, but the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot + Autowash Vacuum, available at Amazon, I am in the process of reviewing needs a tidy home to clean up properly. It comes with built-in obstacle detection to stop it from sucking up charging cables or bashing into large piles, but this will mean that a section of the floor is skipped, and my home will not be as clean.

Before running the mapping sequences for the first time on both floors of my home, for instance, I was forced to tidy up the whole house in less than four hours, leaving the space neater than it had been in weeks. As maintenance, I now have to follow a series of tidying tips before I leave the house such as picking up the edges of throw blankets, putting footstools and side tables back in their proper places, or moving laundry piles so that ‘Stephen the Roomba’ can get on with his chores when we are out running errands.

Just a week into testing and I am still getting used to my robot vacuum, but our in-house vacuum expert and home tech editor Dan Fauzi assures me that the benefits don’t stop there.

They explain, ‘After testing 15 of the world's best robot vacuums, I can safely say that they can be a game-changing addition for light household cleaning and floor maintenance. Many of the top robot vacuums use smart technology to map out your homes and establish the optimal cleaning routine for you, monitoring particle pickup for a thoroughly clean floor.

'To see results, however, you need to be smart when picking a model and ensure that it suits your lifestyle and flooring types.'

Meet the expert

Dan Fauzi

Dan is the home tech editor for Homes & Gardens, covering and testing everything from floorcare and cleaning products to air purifiers, sound, and smart homes. They've always been passionate about the latest tech but their writing on home products started back in 2021 on brands including BBC Science Focus, YourHomeStyle, and Gardens Illustrated.

FAQs

Do robot vacuums work well in cluttered houses?

Robot vacuums can often work well in cluttered homes, with many up-to-date models featuring advanced obstacle detection and slimmer profiles to fit into smaller gaps.

That being said, a cluttered floor will make it harder for the vacuum to reach all areas, reducing the overall cleanliness of your space. For the best results, ensure the vacuum has a clear path and any smaller or delicate items are picked up to avoid damage.

Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved has tested five robot vacuums. She says, 'It's worth knowing that whilst many of the best robot vacuums have AI to help them identify the usual spots where your charging cables live, and object avoidance technology to steer clear of them, they can still end up with charging cables sucked into their brushrolls. It's a nuisance more than anything. Keeping your floors clear will ensure smoother automated robot vacuum cleaning runs.'

I am still putting together my full review and will continue to test out my Roomba model for another couple of weeks before I confirm my full verdict, but as it stands the answer to the age-old question ‘are robot vacuums really worth it?’ is a resounding yes!