Robot vacuum and mop: mopping and vacuuming at the same time

When you vacuum a floor, you will sometimes encounter a stain in some places. There is then no other option than to remove the stains after vacuuming with a damp cloth or to mop the entire floor. But, if you have a robot vacuum cleaner to vacuum the floor, you will of course not see these stains.

Fortunately, there are more and more robot vacuum cleaners with a mop. These mop vacuums can vacuum and mop at the same time, so you can clean the floor in one go. In this article I'll tell you everything you need to know about a robot vacuum cleaner with a mopping function!

Why a robot vacuum and mop?

When you vacuum your house, fine dust will be spread. If you have dark hard floors in the house on which fine dust is clearly visible, a robot vacuum cleaner with a mopping function is very interesting. This type of mop vacuum is able to remove this visible layer of dust from your floor.

If you have dark hard floors in the house on which fine dust is clearly visible, a robot vacuum cleaner with a mopping function is very interesting.

Tthis type of vacuum cleaner is not only interesting for visible fine dust. Even if you quickly see stains on the floor (as in the image above), it can be interesting to consider a robot vacuum cleaner and mop.

This is how a robot vacuum cleaner with a mop works

But, how does such a robot vacuum cleaner with mop actually work? This is actually very simple: the robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with a water reservoir that you can fill with water and a suitable cleaning agent.

A mopping pad can be found at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner, which you can replace if it is dirty. In many cases, it is attached to the bottom of the robot vacuum cleaner with velcro.

You can often decide for yourself whether the robot vacuum cleaner should mop while vacuuming. With many robot vacuum cleaners you can indicate this via the app with which you operate the robot vacuum cleaner. You often also have the choice to:

• Whether or not to mop the robot vacuum late
• Adjust the amount of water
• Places where they should and should not mop

The last setting is especially important: you don't want a carpeted bedroom to be mopped. Recently, there are also robot vacuum cleaners that can even lift their mops to avoid touching the carpet while still vacuuming it. Discover the best robot vacuums for carpets here and see how these models are designed to provide effective carpet cleaning while maintaining the option to lift the mop attachment.

Fortunately, there are also robot vacuums that recognize soft floor types and do not mop them automatically. A robot vacuum that I recommend is the Roborock S6 MaxV. I have tested this extensively; the review coming soon!

Alternative: mopping robot

In addition to a robot vacuum cleaner and mop, there are also special mopping robots. These robots can't vacuum and are really made for mopping the floor thoroughly. Compared to a robot vacuum cleaner, they have a number of interesting advantages:

• A larger water reservoir
• Scrubs the floor (actual mopping motions)
• Is often also better suited for cleaning agents

A good choice for a mopping robot is this Braava JET M6 from iRobot. Recently, the news also came out that cleaning brand Bona has started a partnership with iRobot. Bona has developed a special mopping pad and cleaning agent for this mopping robot.

Robot vacuum cleaner mopping robot combi

Did you know that there are also robot vacuum cleaners that can work together with mopping robots. These mopping robots are not capable of vacuuming, but are really only intended for thorough scrubbing of the floor.

A brand that offers good opportunities for this is iRobot. The robot vacuum cleaners (Roomba's) can be combined with mopping robots (Braava's). Is the iRobot robot vacuum done mopping? Then the mop robot goes after it.

Conclusion: what should you choose?

It is of course the big question whether it is smart in your case to opt for a robot vacuum cleaner and mop. And if so, which of the two options is best for you. Are you going for a robot vacuum cleaner with a mopping function or a combination with a mopping robot?

Below I help you on your way in making a choice.

Choose a robot vacuum cleaner with a mopping function when:

• You often have hard, dark floors in your home where fine dust is clearly visible
• When you want to vacuum and mop at the same time
• You occasionally encounter smaller stains on the floor

Choose a mopping robot when:

• You want to vacuum yourself, but only want to automate the mopping
• Really want to get the floor scrubbed (not just wiped)
• You already have a robot vacuum cleaner (without mopping function)

Not sure if a robot vacuum cleaner with a mopping function is for you? Then you can also take a look at my Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua review. That is a stick vacuum with a mopping option.