Do Robot Vacuums Scratch Furniture?

Although robot vacuums bring convenience into our homes and live by semi-autonomously cleaning for us, accidents such as scratching furniture may still occur. After all, robot vacuums are still machines that can commit mistakes as they have no sense of mind. So, can a robot vacuum damage furniture? If you’re not entirely sure how robot vacuums work and their basic operating instructions, then yes a robot vacuum can damage furniture to a certain extent.

How exactly and to what extent can a robot vacuum damage furniture? We aim to answer these and more in this article.

How Do Robot Vacuums Damage Furniture?

Robot vacuums causing dents and bumping into furniture are not exactly new occurrences. Since a robot vacuum cleaner is programmed to keep floors clean and navigate a room on its own, it can get stuck on different types of furniture. When it gets stuck in between furniture or furniture legs, then the constant impact from the bumper can cause scratches. With enough force, the furniture itself can get damaged.

Older models of robot vacuums may experience getting stuck between or under furniture more often than new robot vacuum models due to the lack of advanced laser mapping and sensor technology used. While you can make use of a virtual barrier to protect furniture, consider going for a robot vacuum cleaner with advanced laser mapping.

Laser mapping means you won’t need a virtual barrier since the robot vacuum won’t need to hit the furniture to know that it shouldn’t head in that direction thus, preventing any damage.

A robot vacuum cleaner can also cause damage to furniture depending on how worn out or dirty its wheels are. If the robot vacuum’s wheels are already full of hair, and debris, or get caught up in a piece of string, then it may start to navigate poorly and collide with furniture or objects in the house, potentially causing damage.

If you are one to have hardwood flooring, wood furniture, or painted wallpaper at home, then you will also need to monitor the push water of your robot vacuum cleaner. Other models of robot vacuums are hybrid meaning they can mop the floor while cleaning. If you own such a model, then make sure that the water being sprayed or used is still clean otherwise the paint and floor can be damaged by dirty water.

Do Robot Vacuum Cleaners Scuff Walls?

A robot vacuum can scuff walls if it gets stuck between the wall and furniture. This may happen if the layout of the cleaning area is not conducive to the model of your robot vacuum so make sure that there is ample space for it to navigate freely.

Robot vacuums with side-mounted brushes can also potentially scuff a wall if these are not soft enough. The brush can also rub away paint or varnish so make sure that the robot vacuum model you are buying is the right one for the type of walls, floors, and furniture you have at home.

Does A Robot Vacuum Cleaner Scuff Baseboards?

If your robot vacuum’s brush spins fast enough and its bristles are too hard for your flooring, then it can scuff baseboards, especially if they are made out of wood. If the brush guard is also not installed correctly, then the robot vacuum may also cause scratches and scuffs.

To prevent this from happening, see if you can lower the speed brush of your robot vacuum. It may not be noticeable, but if you check over a year from now the spots that your robot vacuum has been cleaning, there may already be some scuffs and scratches from the brush.

Final Note

While having a robot vacuum to clean the home allows us to experience a whole new level of convenience and ease thanks to semi-autonomous functions and features, we will still need to monitor it from time to time. Potential accidents such as scratching and damaging furniture may occur if we are not too careful and if we end up choosing the wrong mode or model of a robot vacuum for our requirements.

With that said, you should do the proper research when choosing the best robot vacuum for you to avoid any new furniture from getting damaged and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I keep my Roomba from damaging my furniture?

You can keep your Roomba vacuums from damaging furniture in various ways and methods. To avoid your Roomba or robot vacuums from bumping into furniture, you can see to it that it has properly mapped out your home and the layout of the cleaning areas.

For added security on top of laser and virtual mapping, you can place physical boundaries and virtual barriers around the home and on furniture, you would like your Roomba vacuum to avoid. This way, your Roomba will surely determine which areas and places it should not head towards. 

Another way to protect your furniture from getting damaged is by placing soft bumpers around your robot vacuum. By doing so, any possible bumps that can occur will not have too much force. Not only will this protect your furniture, but it will also help protect your Roomba or vacuum from getting damaged.

Lastly, you can also take preventive measures by manually mounting and protecting your furniture. You can do so by mounting the table legs, furniture, or other objects with risers so it will be out of the way for when the Roomba is on the job. Do also keep an eye out for any potential hazards such as cords and wires. If the Roomba gets tangled up in such, then it can potentially get stuck on these and keep bumping into the wall, or furniture, or stay in the same spot, leading to scuffing the floor.