How to Clean a Roomba’s Side Wheels

Roomba is a robot vacuum cleaner that is an optimal product to carry out home cleaning procedures. It is a fact that even a cleaning tool needs timely maintenance and cleaning for its longevity.

Roomba robot cleaners have three wheels, out of which one is the caster wheel, while the other two are side wheels. Cleaning the components, especially wheels, is essential to ensure the maintenance of the overall machine.

Also, this automation machine can keep your carpets and floors clean. And while doing so, the wheels accumulate a lot of dust and dirt.

How to Clean a Roomba’s Side Wheels

Roomba robot vacuum can last for around 5 to 8 years, with optimal performance, only if you can maintain its usefulness. So, it is not a surprise for you to witness a quick accumulation of debris and dust within the wheel compartment of the Roomba’s side wheels.

So, you will need some professional guidance in order to learn how to clean a Roomba’s side wheels. And this guide is here to educate you about the right tools and steps for effectively carrying out the side wheels’ cleaning procedure.

The 4 steps on clean a Roomba’s side wheels are the following:

• Gather All the Tools That You Might Need in the Process
• Remove the Side Brush & Bottom Cover
• Clean The Wheels Thoroughly
• Take Off the Wheel Module and Clean It

Step 1: Gather All the Tools That You Might Need in the Process

The first step for cleaning the Roomba’s side wheels is gathering all the tools you will need for the process. Here is the list of things that you need to acquire in order to clean the side wheels of your Roomba robot vacuum cleaner:

1. A Philips screwdriver
2. Rubber Gloves
3. Microfiber Towel
4. Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
5. Alcohol Wipes (optional)
6. Compressed Air Cans (optional)

When you have them all, you can move ahead with the correct cleaning technique.

Step 2: Remove the Side Brush & Bottom Cover

Before you commence with this step, you should make sure to place a white towel underneath the cleaning table. It will prevent the hard surface of your cleaning table from scratching the exterior surface of the robot.

1. Flip your Roomba robot upside down.
2. Loosen the screw attached to the side brush by using a Philips screwdriver.
3. After loosening and removing the screw, you will be able to remove the side brush easily.
4. When the side brush is out, you have to loosen the other four screws holding the bottom of the robot vacuum.
5. Take off the bottom cover, and then you will see the interior of the Roomba robot vacuum.

Step 3: Clean the Wheels Thoroughly

1. You will need a dry microfiber cloth for this purpose.
2. Wipe the wheels and the visible areas by slowly rotating them. 
3. If you want intense cleaning, then dip the cloth in isopropyl alcohol solution, or use alcohol wipes for the purpose.
4. Gently scrub and clean the nooks of your wheel module, as the alcohol wipes will evaporate quickly.
5. You can also use a handheld vacuum cleaner or a stick vacuum cleaner to speed up the dust and dirt cleaning process.

Check whether there is any debris underneath the side wheel compartment or around the wheels. You can just give a gentle push to the wheels to check around them. If there is debris stuck within the wheels, then you need to move onto the next step.

If not, then you can just place the wheel module back to its place and re-assemble the back cover.

Step 4: Take Off the Wheel Module and Clean It

1. You will see three more screws that are holding the wheel module at the place.
2. Loosen them, and remove the wheel module from its compartment.
3. You do not have to remove the screws from their threads, but just loosen them enough to pull off the wheel module easily.
4. After taking off the wheels, you need to inspect them thoroughly.
5. Use your hands or some thin tools to take off the debris.
6. Do not use any water or alcohol solution for removing debris, as there are metals & electrical components present within. This, in turn, will corrode the wheels.
7. After removing the debris, you can then use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe the wheels inside-out.
8. When you find the wheels clean and ready to function, re-assemble them back, in the reverse order of this step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use the Same Method for Cleaning the Caster Wheels?

Yes, you can use the same method for cleaning the caster wheels. In fact, you just need to remove the wheel from its base and then use a microfiber cloth for cleaning the compartment. Next, remove any debris from the wheel surface to release the tension upon it.

Now, you will get a clean and seamlessly operating Roomba robot vacuum.

Are Robot Vacuums Worth All the Fuss?

Robot vacuums are pretty much an example of how life is inching towards adapting to complete automation. With Robot vacuums such as Roomba, people do not need to vacuum clean their home or specific room manually.

These vacuums are incredibly efficient and easy to use! In fact, a robot vacuum will save you a lot of time in the process of keeping your house clean.

Conclusion

Getting a robot vacuum for your residence or office space is an expensive decision. Therefore, the concern for maintaining it should also be a priority. You cannot even make your investment last if you are not looking after the minimal cleaning requirements of the robot vacuum.

Furthermore, you will eventually put too much pressure on the robot’s mechanism without timely cleaning of the wheels. As a result, it will break down earlier than its time span.