My robot vacuum eats cables and leaves dust behind
23.10.2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Ramon Schneider
Much ado about nothing: My robot vacuum is now making loud noises but isn't cleaning properly anymore. Why it no longer meets my needs and what its successor must do better.
I notice how thoroughly my robot vacuum works primarily by looking at my partner's socks. The dust it leaves behind on the floor collects on them. I don't notice it as much because I mostly move around the apartment in a wheelchair.
Our collaboration had started off well, though. I christened the little guy "Dusty McDustface" in the app, and he was supposed to take over a chore I've never been able to stand.
I just wanted to vacuum less
I hate vacuuming. In a wheelchair, it's an extra hassle for me. The prospect of sending someone else to do the cleaning while I play on the PlayStation was therefore quite tempting. I was quickly sold on the idea of a robot vacuum.
The price was a different story. My budget was small, and I thought it was unnecessary to spend a lot of money on such a device. The robot was supposed to drive through the apartment and pick up the dirt. From my perspective at the time, it didn't need to be an expensive model for that.
And so, in August 2024, "Dusty McDustface" moved in with me. An entry-level model that I was initially satisfied with. It vacuumed okay, and most importantly, it meant I had to do it less often myself. That alone was an improvement for me.
I usually send Dusty through my 2.5-room apartment twice a week. It's 50 square meters and has stone floors throughout. I don't have any carpets. From my perspective, they would be more of an obstacle than a decoration.
My apartment is growing on the map
When it comes to mapping, however, Dusty has a slightly different idea of my apartment than I do. For him, the rooms apparently don't end at the floor-to-ceiling windows. He sometimes draws them far beyond their actual boundaries, as if things just continue outside. On his map, my 50 square meters get a fairly generous extension.
When vacuuming, he drives his paths back and forth and reacts to larger obstacles like a chair or a cardboard box. I have to think for myself when it comes to cables. I move them out of the way or protect them with no-go zones in the app.
Dusty once showed me what else can happen with my smartphone charging cable. He sucked it up and hung himself on it. It looks quite entertaining in the photo. However, my cable didn't survive the encounter.
I can't just let him loose in the apartment without any preparation. I've come to terms with that. I gave up much faster on another feature.
A wet cloth on its rear
Dusty was also supposed to help me with mopping. I tried that exactly once. I stick a wet cloth to its rear, which it then drags across the floor. That sounds about as effective as it was in reality.
After the failed premiere, I saw no reason to send it out with that again. The wet rag might have increased the humidity, but otherwise, it felt like it changed very little in my apartment. So Dusty remained responsible for vacuuming, and I continued to take care of the stains myself.
Autumn rides along with me
And yet, I would have liked to leave the mopping to Dusty. Because at my place, it rarely stays at just a bit of dust.
Imagine rolling directly into your apartment from outside on a bicycle. Whatever sticks to the tires along the way comes with you. It's similar for me with my wheelchair.
Currently, there is also a large construction site in front of my apartment. That causes additional dirt that I bring in via the wheels. When it rains, they leave visible tracks across the stone floor. In winter, when the roads are salted, that is even more noticeable.
I wipe such dirt away by hand with a cloth. For stubborn spots, I have a small steam cleaner. It gets the floor clean, but I have to do the work myself again.
I've cleaned my robot vacuum in between, but without a fixed rhythm. About a year ago, it also got new brushes and a new filter. It feels like it has been vacuuming worse and worse for half a year. It continues to do its rounds, but for my taste, it makes more noise than it does cleaning. At the beginning, I thought it vacuumed okay. Now it's just not enough anymore.
What the new one needs to do better
That's why Dusty is now getting a successor on trial. During my search, I asked my colleague Lorenz Keller for advice. He usually tests robot vacuums for us. The "Dreame Aqua20 Pro Ultra Roller X Complete" was actually supposed to do its rounds with him. Now he has left the test device to me.
With this, I'm moving from an entry-level model directly to the premium class. As far as I remember, Dusty cost around 300 francs. The Aqua20 currently costs a little more than 1000 francs. Over the next few weeks, I want to find out how much of my floor cleaning I can actually leave to it.
In any case, I expect it to vacuum more thoroughly. After its round, the dust should be gone from the stone floor. But I'm even more interested in whether it wipes away the tracks of my wheels. That is exactly where it could save me the tedious follow-up work.
I also wish for more reliability in terms of orientation: no more apartment maps with extensions into the garden, no more tangled cables. It should recognize heavily soiled areas itself and clean them more thoroughly.
When I bought Dusty, I was happy to have to vacuum less at all. I didn't see the benefit of a more expensive model back then. Today, I know exactly what additional work I would like to hand off. Whether the Aqua20 can manage that and whether such an upgrade is worth it for me will be shown by the upcoming test. Follow me as an author if you don't want to miss the test report.
In any case, my partner's socks will have a say in the conclusion.
How much cleaning do you still do yourself despite having a robot vacuum? Tell me in the comments.
Header image: Ramon Schneider
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