STACK #262 August 2026

TECH FEATURE

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Today’s robot and cordless stick vacuums can better clean your floors, and a few simple habits can help them do it more effectively. Here are some easy ways to get the most from your vacuum cleaner. Words Bec Summer VACUUM SMARTER top tips for cleaner floors

Put those attachments to work

Five minutes of monthly maintenance Even self-emptying vacuums benefit from a little care. Once a month, clean or replace filters if required, remove any tangled hair from the brush roll, wipe robot sensors and cameras, and check wheels and brushes for trapped debris. Keeping your vacuum clean helps maintain suction, improves navigation, and can extend its lifespan. Most stick vacuums include accessories that rarely leave the box. A crevice tool is perfect for skirting boards and tight corners, a dusting brush works brilliantly on blinds and shelves, while a mini motorised tool is ideal for mattresses, pet beds, and upholstered furniture. Using the right attachment can often make cleaning faster and more effective.

Schedule cleaning while you’re out

Five-minute prep, better results

One of the biggest advantages of a robot vacuum is that it doesn’t need you to be home. Use the companion app to schedule cleaning while you’re at work, doing the school run, or walking the dog. You’ll come home to freshly cleaned floors without

While many robot vacuums are equipped with obstacle avoidance tech, they can often work best when they’re given a clear and direct path. Before sending it off to clean, pick up charging cables, move pet bowls, lift lightweight mats, and open internal doors. Tucking dining chairs beneath the table also helps the robot reach more of the floor in a single pass. Spending just a few minutes preparing a room can deliver a noticeably better clean. Maximum suction isn’t always the best choice. Many modern cordless stick and robot vacuums can automatically detect different floor types and adjust suction power to suit. Auto mode can improve battery life, reduce noise, and still deliver excellent cleaning performance, reserving maximum power only for tougher messes. Don’t leave Auto mode switched off

needing to vacuum or work around a robot vac.

Clean little and often A big clean once a week isn’t always the most effective approach. Robot vacuums are designed to maintain your floors, so consider running them every day or every second day. Regular cleaning prevents dust, pet hair, and crumbs from building up, making it easier for the vacuum to stay on top of the mess. High-traffic areas like kitchens, hallways, and entryways often benefit from more frequent cleaning than spare rooms or guest bedrooms.

The first clean can take longer because your new robot vacuum is creating a map of your home. Once it’s finished, take a few minutes in the companion app to name rooms, create no-go zones and set cleaning schedules for different areas. Your robot can clean more efficiently in future. Mapping is one of the biggest advantages of robot vacuums, but many users never move beyond the default settings. Let your robot vacuum learn your home

Your robot handles the routine. You handle the rest.

For many households, robot vacuums now take care of the everyday cleaning, running automatically to collect dust, crumbs, and pet hair before they build up. That leaves the cordless stick vacuum for stairs, upholstery, quick spills, and the areas a robot vacuum can’t easily reach. Instead of replacing each other, the two work best as a team.

28 AUGUST 2026

jbhifi.com.au