How To Prevent Roomba from Getting Stuck? [Tips & Tricks]

Roomba vacs are all about vacuum cleaning your house with minimal supervision. These robot vacuums can post things on their own. But if they begin to get stuck, you will have to supervise them.

And that's the last thing you want! Because it fails the entire robotic, self-handling purpose of this whole process.

That's why you need to know how to prevent Roomba from getting stuck.

But how should it be done? Does it need a repair or reprogramming of some sort? Well, we are going to discuss everything in this guide, so keep reading.

How Do You Stop a Roomba Vacuum Cleaner From Getting Stuck?

Before we know how to prevent Roomba from getting stuck, we need to understand why it is getting stuck.

Well, these Roomba robot vacuums have special sensors in them. These sensors are there to guide the robot vacuum cleaner across your home for the cleaning process.

However, you will still notice that a vast majority of robot vacuums tend to bash around your walls. Or sometimes they even get stuck somewhere under the furniture. This situation can certainly make you angry and confused.

You have paid for this robot vacuum to do its job, and it's not doing it right. So, what could be the reason behind that? Well, your robot vacuum keeps getting stuck because it might have your home base's wrong placement. It takes all its instructions from the home base. This home base guides the robot vacuum cleaner around the house.

If the home base has blockages, then the robot vacuum will have difficulty finding its way. These obstacles may include any cables within its path. In addition, there might be some toys or that very comfy rug of yours. Carpets with fibers will cause Roomba brushes to stick as well.

Some recent models of Roomba vacuum cleaners come with different sensors. You can place these sensors around the house to prevent them from getting stuck. However, these sensors need to be in strategic locations. Otherwise, your Roomba is not going to find its way.

These sensors rely on optical understanding for your robot vacuum to get around. Therefore, there needs to be enough ambient light in your home for your Roomba to find its way. If that doesn't happen, then it will get stuck and will shut itself down.

So, how to prevent Roomba from getting stuck somewhere in the house? Well, here are some steps that you need to follow:

Preparing your home for your Roomba

It means that you need to get rid of those obstacles in its cleaning path. There might be cables or wires in their way, and take out those toys as well. Remove those hanging cords in your living room. You should also remove your moveable furniture if you want your Roomba to clean under it.

Its sensors will tackle most of the obstacles. But it will have some difficulties in navigating through some blockages and tiny hazards. For instance, your high-fiber carpet is not going to help in this situation. Therefore, you need to place your sensors strategically. It will make the robot vacuum cleaner keep moving without getting in contact with the carpet.

Turning the light on

A Roomba vacuum cleaner does have sensors, but they don't work well in dark rooms. With dim light, your Roomba won't be able to find its way to perform its cleaning job. So it will get stuck as the sensors won't be able to guide it. Therefore, you need to turn the lights on. These robot vacuums are very much like humans, so they need to see where their path is.

Placing the docks in the correct position

Your Roomba's docks have an integral role in the overall functioning of this robot vacuum cleaner. This dock emits infrared rays to guide the Roomba in all corners. Hence, you need to place it in the correct position.

The vacuum cleaner needs to find its way back to its base to recharge itself. If it has difficulties in finding its way back, then it will get stuck. Therefore, double-check to place the dock in a location where there is plenty of room.

You can move the dock's location as your Roomba moves. But the cleaner will not stray too far from its base if there are not many obstacles around.

Resetting before the use

You can reset your Roomba vacuum cleaner if it keeps getting stuck. Then, check if it does the same thing again. You will only have to press and hold that clean button for about 10 seconds. After that, you will see "r 5 p" on its display where the main menu is.

It will turn off, and you will hear a beep which is the reset confirmation. The next step is to turn your Roomba on and see if it gets stuck again while running. But keep in mind that resetting means that all the previous settings are gone now.

Contacting support

If you have gone through all the steps above and keep getting stuck, contact the support staff. Maybe there is something wrong with the cleaner and not your house. Keep in mind not to open it up even if you have plenty of DIY experience.

Avoid Wet Floor Cleaning

You need to make sure that your Roomba doesn't get in contact with water on the floor. Unfortunately, a vast majority of people don't know this. Electronics and water are not good friends. Your Roomba will get damaged if it gets in touch with water, and any replacement will be costly.

How To Keep Robot Vacuum From Getting Stuck Under Furniture?

Your robot vacuum stuck under the furniture is a peculiar predicament. It's pretty tough to remove the cleaner from this position. Things will get tough if it goes too far. But don't worry, there are different ways to prevent this from happening.

Furniture risers can come in pretty handy when you use them to prevent your Roomba from getting under. Doing this will allow the cleaner to get out from that area as soon as it gets stuck.

Your next option here is to go for new furniture and possibly choose the elevated one. It might not be the best option, but it still is a way to get the job done.

Let's have a look at some of the other methods one-by-one.

Stop your Roomba from getting under the couch

Using pool noodles
If you have those extra pool noodles, then you can use them in this scenario. You need to cut them as per the length of your couch. If your sofa is long, you can glue them and slot them within the gap right between the couch base and the floor. You can get these pool noodles from your local outdoor store. That is only going to work for the couches that are not too far above the ground.

Using 3M command hooks
You can install a couple of 3M hooks right on the top plate of your Roomba robotic cleaner. The side of the hook needs to point backward on both sides. And that's all you need to do. Your iRobot Roomba will get stuck no more.

These 3M hooks have a quick-release mechanism. Using them backward might make them pop off upon a strong impact. Just use some super glue between the hook at the base plate. You can stop this quick release from happening if you mount the hook forward.

Stop your Roomba from getting the bed

Installing bumper extenders
You can install these little rubber feet on your Roomba's bumper. Most iRobot Roomba models feature a protruding knob on the top plate. And this is where you need to attach the rubber feet. It will make sure that the vacuum doesn't go under the bed and can come out quickly. This rubber bumper will tell your Roomba not to go under the bed.

Using furniture risers
It is probably the best and the easiest option for you to go for. You can buy these risers from your local store or online. You can choose how high your furniture can be from the ground. The increments can be 3-inch, 5-inch, or 8-inch. Once you install these risers, they can comfortably support a weight of 1300 lbs. Therefore, your robotic cleaner is not going to get stuck under the bed anymore.

Stop your Roomba from getting under the dining table

If your robot vacuum keeps getting stuck under your dining table, then it might have gotten confused. For example, if your dining table has five chairs, there are 24 legs along with the tables. Your Roomba robotic vacuum will try to maneuver through these legs, and this is where it might get stuck. It might not also do a good cleaning job here.

It will spend more time avoiding bumping into the legs. Next, you can get those chairs out of the equation and place them on the dining table. You will prevent your robotic cleaner from getting stuck under the dining table by making this little effort.

What Does Roomba Do When It Gets Stuck?

So, what does it do when it gets stuck somewhere? Does the robotic vacuum continue to run, and eventually, the battery dies down or shuts itself off? There are a few things here that you need to know:

Clean or avoid obstacles

These robotic cleaners are designed to clean their path. When they have obstacles in their ways, they will try to avoid them. When they are avoiding these obstacles, they are not cleaning. It is not that your robot vacuum can avoid obstacles and do the cleaning at the same time. That's the reason you will find some spots near the edges of the walls or furniture that it left.

So, when it does get stuck, it is not going to do any cleaning. It means that when it goes under your furniture and finds a tight spot there for a cleaning, it will continue its job. But on its way back out, it won't be able to find its way. There is no sensor to guide it. Therefore, it won't be able to find its way out of this scenario.

So, what does it do when it has nowhere to go?

The previous models had no automatic shut-off features. Therefore, whenever a robot vacuum got stuck, it continued to run and eventually ran out of juice. Hence, you had to get under the furniture and reach out to it. And that would only be possible if it wasn't far from your arm's stretch. Otherwise, you had to move the furniture altogether.

The recent models are coming with an automatic shut-off feature. So, your Roomba will not run out of juice but will automatically shut itself off when it gets stuck. And it will beep a few times to alert you that it's stuck and needs your help.

But if you are not around, then it will shut down automatically. But the result is still the same. You have to get under the furniture and reach it out or move your furniture. So, your options are pretty much limited here once it gets stuck. So, you can place those sensors along with your cleaner’s base strategically.

Preventing it from getting stuck

When you are around, it is better to supervise your Roomba a little bit. The newer models come with different sensors that you can place and vacuum to avoid specific paths. If it still gets stuck somewhere, it will sound an alarm for a few minutes.

You can hear that alarm and leave whatever you're doing to help your vacuum out. You can use some of the tricks that we have mentioned above to prevent it from getting stuck. Placing its base in an open area will also help. But the best way to approach this is to clear its path for an optimal cleaning output.

Your robot vacuum will move around pretty comfortably when it has a clear path, and it won't get stuck. You can make your vacuum avoid furniture that you can't move. Or there are areas that you can't alter, as your carpets, by placing those sensors and the home base. Unfortunately, the fibrous rugs are not suitable for the brushes of your Roomba.

You will significantly improve its overall cleaning performance. Roomba doesn't have much to avoid and can focus on the cleaning job entirely. So basically, by clearing its path out, you will improve its cleaning output as well.

Will Roomba Shut Off If It Gets Stuck?

As we have mentioned above, there are two things that your Roomba will do when it gets stuck. First, the older models couldn't shut themselves off, and there were no money alarm systems they had either. But with Roomba upgrades, they now come with alarms and an automatic shut-off feature.

In the past, these Roomba robotic cleaners would continue to run if they got stuck. But, eventually, they would run out of their batteries. Some of them even required replacing the batteries entirely, which was pretty costly.

But with new features, your Roomba cleaners got smarter. But they still tend to get stuck now and then. However, now they can sound an alarm off. This alarm allows you to know in an instant that your Roomba is stuck, and you should rush to its aid.

But what if you are not at home? In such a scenario, your Roomba will again sound an alarm for a few minutes. But if it doesn't get any help from you, then it will automatically shut down.

It will save you from any hefty battery replacement cost. However, the problem is still there. And for that, you have to clear its path so your Roomba can effectively do its job.

Wrap-up

Roomba vacuum cleaners are pretty handy. They can clean your house without your involvement. So, they can save time and get the job done for you. They can even do their job when you are not home. But they do tend to get stuck at times. But how to prevent Roomba from getting stuck?

For that, the best practice is to clear their path and remove any obstacles. That will allow them to focus on the cleaning job and emphasize less on avoiding obstacles.