You are very happy when you first receive your robot vacuum cleaner, thinking, "Oh boy, finally I don't have to sweep the floor anymore!".

Getting the robot up and running to clean your house is easy. For the first few days, you will monitor and also take a peek at the robot to verify if the robot really does it job and clean every corner of your house. Feeling satisfied, you set up automated cleaning on a regular basis.

Now life is even better you think. Total hands-off approach. "Woohooo! Sweeping out of my life!". And then you totally forget about the robot literally.

Most of the time our customers doesn't even clear out the dust bin regularly unless the robot gives some error or notifies them via app that the dust bin is full. HAHA. *I'm sure many of you have experienced it before*

Although there are another group of owners (OCD, clean freaks, health conscious) that are the champion. They clear out the dust bin and change the filters regularly. *big clap for them*

To be honest, owning a robot vacuum is like owning a car. The robot vacuum is doing hard work sucking up all the unseen bacteria, microorganism, mold, spores, fungi, dust, allergens, and more.

Your robot does it every single day or every time it runs on the interval you set up. All it expects is a little help from you to clear the dust bin and also replace the filter regularly.

Why Do We Need to Replace the Filter Regularly?

1. Extend Robot Vacuum Lifespan

I bet this is the main priority for everyone. You have invested in a robot vacuum to reduce the workload on house chores. And you do expect it to run for as long as possible to justify your investment.

You might ask, how does a filter replacement help with it?
Oh it sure does.

Every robot vacuum is equipped with a suction motor that generates suction power in order to suck up all the dirt/allergens I mentioned earlier. The air sucked will then pass through the filter, which then traps the dirt/allergens. The remaining air will be released out back to your home. This is how robot vacuum works in general layman terms.

Air in. Air out.

After many cycles of cleaning, the dirt and allergens will build up within the filter and clog the filter over time.

When the filter is clogged, the suction motor will have to exert even more power in order to reach the optimal cleaning performance. When the motor is working under stress for long period of time, the rate of wear and tear of the motor will definitely increase. And soon, you will experience poorer suction power and be wondering why is your robot vacuum not working as great as before.

This would be one of the reason.

2. Maximum Cleaning Performance

Just imagine yourself as a super heavy duty smoker for example sake, are you able to take in big deep breathe multiple times? I'm pretty sure you can't. Even if you could, you might be gasping for air or face some difficulties breathing. Why? Because your lungs are clogged with tar and/or nicotine.

For you to be able to take in big breathe multiple times, you would need a new pair of lungs or you wished you had never smoke.

The analogy above is the same for a robot vacuum. When you replace your robot filter, it's like giving your robot vacuum a new pair of lungs to breathe. Your robot will be very happy and can take in more deep breathes over and over again.

3. Family Hygiene

Even if you think that you're fine with the dirt and allergens kept on the filter, I sincerely do wish you to reconsider again especially if you have a family (which most of you are).

Not everyone else have the same immunity that you have. Some might be more prone to sickness or contracting allergies from dirt. And if you have babies or young kids, the consequences of falling sick might be more severe.

I'm gonna be real honest here. The filter will be the dirtiest, most polluted thing in a robot vacuum.

4. Better Health

Have you noticed that sometimes when the robot vacuum is running, you smell a weird funky smell coming from it?

This is the result of not clearing out the dust bin and filter regularly. Your robot has been picking up all sorts of rubbish, dirts, foods, snacks, and some even pet poo. Your dust bin definitely has to be cleaned, and filter must be replaced.

Do you know that bacteria thrives on the filter and can multiply as long as it's given the right environment namely water and food.

Does a HEPA filter provide the proper conditions for mold or bacteria to grow? The answer is yes. In a humid environment, it is possible for a HEPA filter to retain enough moisture to enable bacteria or mold to grow. A HEPA filter that is otherwise exposed to water, such as the condensate from an air conditioner, can provide the necessary moisture for microorganisms to grow.

https://molekule.science/can-bacteria-and-mold-grow-on-hepa-filters/

And the risk is greatest, when molds/fungi grow on the sides of the filter.
Why do I say so?

This is because the molds/fungi that grow on the sides of the filters are not trapped by the filter. It will reside on the plastic holder that contains the filter. The mold/fungi is now free to move.

Do you remember I mentioned about air in and air out?

Now when you run your robot vacuum, the air intake will take the free mold/fungi and bring it out again into your home. This process is called "reentrainment".

Doesn't sounds so good now, isn't it?

5. Insignificant Cost

While it may seem that we are trying to sell you more filters (*which is true*) by asking you to replace your filters regularly, we are more concerned about you having the best experience with the robot vacuum itself. When you feel good about something, you tend to talk or share more about it, yes? *hint hint*

It's true. Don't laugh. XD

Let me break it down for you.

Generally, an average quality filter will cost roughly around RM20 to RM40, while a HEPA filter will cost around RM30 to RM60.

The recommended replacement interval is every 3 months. This is how we design our Care Plans, according to the filter lifespan.

On average, the monthly maintenance cost of the filter will be around RM10 to RM20 per month. I think this amount is pretty insignificant considering how many hours of work the robot vacuum saves for us, and also the benefit of having a cleaner air at home.

Should I Change Filter Earlier Than 3 Months?

The 3 months period is a general recommendation for a typical household. There are a few scenarios that would justify earlier filter replacement such as:

• Multiple furry pets at home
• Pets that are heavy shedders
• Living near highways, construction, or industrial area
• Family members who are allergic to dust or sinusitis

Another Question that many customers tend to ask:
If I don't regularly use my robot vacuum, can I change it after X amount of months?

Technically you could and you would save some bucks, but I wouldn't recommend it as bacteria, molds will build up over time. Personally, I think the negative impacts on our health and also the well-being of our family members is the utmost importance and must be prioritized.

Before I end, I would like to clarify that the filter context mentioned above refers to both normal filter and HEPA Filter. Do note that HEPA filter performance outshines the performance of a normal filter. You should expect to replace the normal filter even more regularly than a proper HEPA Filter.

Reference:
https://molekule.science/can-bacteria-and-mold-grow-on-hepa-filters/
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.510.2719&rep=rep1&type=pdf