Robot Reviews

Daily or after a whole house run (Note: use manual Phillips screwdriver not electric as the screws can quickly become stripped where they enter the plastic) You will quickly find out where dirt collects in your own environment so some of the steps may not be necessary and you can skip them.

• 1. Remove bin and dump out - remove hair from bin teeth - tap dust off of filter. Use air compressor or canned air to clean both chambers and filter. Make sure to snap filter holder back into place tightly - it's hinged on one end but the other can stick out and seem closed when it isn't.
• 2. Remove both brushes and use air compressor/canned air to clean out wheel wells, behind plastic flap, in 4 openings for bumper front sensors and surface of brush deck
• 3. Grasp the caster wheel by its outer walls using finger tips, and pull normal to Roomba's base. The entire caster assembly should pull free from the robot. If the wheel pulls out of the fork, then repeat the grasp & pull operaton on the wheel-fork. If not already loose, push on the wheel at a zone that is inside the wheel-fork until it separates from its fork, Use a couple puffs of air and a brush to clean out the caster-wheel's chassis socket (sensor optics are in that pocket), if needed. Remove hair (if any) from chrome wheel axle ends and slide out axle (it may help to push in on on end of the axel until the end is flush with the wheel's side, then use something like a small screwdriver to force it in a few more millimeters to get the other end protruding far enough to pull it out with finger tips) and remove dirt from ithe  central detent grrove. Push the axel back into the wheel until you sense its detent has engaged. Push the wheel-fork down into its chassis socket, and finally snap the wheel-axel back into it wheel-fork clips.
• 4. Remove spinning side brush and remove any debris from under it. Replace by lining up the hex plastic and then use thumbs to snap tightly back into place. (On some models, it is necessary to R&R (remove and replace) a shaft end screw, along with brush R&R).
• 5. Clean bristle brush by removing yellow ends (Caps, is the iRobot name) and yellow bearings. Remove hair and dirt from under bearing with tweezer and brush and in it's hole with straightened paper clip if necessary. Use yellow tool that came with your robot to remove hair on brush and then use seam ripper (sewing store), dog comb or air to finish cleaning bristles. Make sure to replace yellow end caps correctly lining up their V notch with mating projections on the brush core.
• 6. Clean flexible brush by removing end bearing and removing hair and dirt under it, using seam ripper to cut hair wrapped around middle and ends. Replace the debris bin and main brushes.

IF YOU HAVE LONG HAIRED PETS OR HAVE A DIRTY OR EXTREME ENVIRONMENT

NOTE: This is an unauthorized procedure by IRobot and they could void your warranty. That being said, a majority of us on this board routinely do this to keep hair out and regrease. It has worked well for those of us who do it. If you use a CHM (Cleaning Head Module) which has properly fitted sealed ball-bearings the following procedure need only be done when re-lubrication is needed. You will have to determine how many cleaning hours may be permitted before a re-lube is done. Do that by inspecting the lubrication state after, say, 50 hrs, and if OK do nothing until another 50 hours of operation, etc. Choose your own cumulative hours, less than 50 or more.

HERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THIS PROCEDURE AND WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF IT GETS VERY BADLY CLOGGED: (I don't think this happened in a week however unless he NEVER cleaned before)

Check or clean as per the following monthly. Once you have seen the results you can adjust this schedule as needed:

NOTE: Once you disassemble below the "Module" level, screws are not "captive" and will fall out, so have a container handy to protect them (they can not be replaced by your local hardware store) while cleaning. Work on a towel or mat to protect Roomba and keep the parts together. Also take care removing screws from plastic as they can strip out. Actually, more care is required when replacing a screw into its existing plastic screw threads. The beat approach is to resist turning a screw clockwise as you insert it. Instead, rotate it backwards (as if loosening) a fraction (or more) of a turn until you sense the screw tip click into alignment with the existing thread; then, reverse the driver to clockwise and run the screw in. Generally, these screws can be threaded back into place by just spinning the dirver's shank between finger tips!

• 1. Loosen 4 large Phillips (#2 driver) captive-screws in the bottom plate.
• 2. Remove side brush screw, the brush, two main brushes, the dirt bin, and set all aside.
• 3. Remove bottom plate and set aside.
• 4. Loosen 4 captive-screws found around the blue Cleaning Head Module (CHM)
• 5. Carefully pull straight up on the blue CHM frame and it, plus the red (or GRN or BLK) Brush Deck, will come out together. (screws should remain with the CHM). NOTE: There is a small printed circuit board Card Edge Connector at bottom of frame that needs protection from careless handling.
• 6. Orient the CHM so that its motor is up and visible so you can use air or tweezers and tools to clean out fuzz from around the brush motor and possibly off the shaft of it. (Some versions will have a poly-foam seal around that short motor shaft).
• 7. Again re-orient the CHM with open side, where the bristle-brush fits, toward you, The CHM's rear side is now nearest you, and its right side, Roomba's right, is where the target brushes end gears are encased. See the Brush Deck's R & L trailing arms projecting towards you, Disengage both arms' pivot pins from the blue frame by prying first at one arm, then the other) between the arm & frame and by carefully flexing both parts apart several millimeters. The pivot-pins will slide out of the blue casting, thus releasing the Brush Deck. (Note: The Brush Deck and CHM Frame (blue) stay tethered together by front end electrical wires and by the Load Accommodation lifting cable during these steps.)
• 8. With attention on (Roomba's) right side of the Brush Deck, move the blue frame aside to permit removal of all (6) small screws (using #1 Phillips driver) that hold the gear-box cover plate in place. Carefully place screws aside for reassembly.
• 9. Remove outer red (BLK, or GRN) plate to expose gears being careful not to drop the white gears (that may have come away with the cover plate). They will be greasy.
• 10. Remove carefully any gears that have debris but especially the two larger gears that the brushes fit into. Clean with tweezers or brush to remove hair and debris. Re-grease with lithium (auto store) grease (if it's dry) and replace. Do not over apply new grease, since excess grease will be forced out of the box as Roomba roams your house!  If you use a tweezers, you can get several cleanings before regreasing. Frequently, it is reasonable to redistribute unused grease found "parked" short distances from the gears -- slather some of it on shafts (axis pins which some gears rotate about) gear teeth, and two hubs where they pass through the case wall into the brushes area.
• 11. Reassemble side plate with six screws, fit the frame around the Brush Deck, then pop the Deck's pivot-pins back into the side walls of the blue frame, carefully.
• 12. Carefully reassemble blue frame into Roomba by lining up its captive-screws with chassis holes, and making sure the chassis indentation (electrical connector) under the in-going CHM accepts the circuit board connector. The CHM will slide in easily if the screw holes are aligned. Engage and tighten the 4 captive-screws.
• 13: Replace bottom plate, engage and tighten its four captive-screws and you are done.

Once you have seen it and done it, the daily routine takes about 5 minutes and the longer one takes about 15 or less.