How to clean Roomba i7? (5 Steps with Pictures)

Although cleaning the Roomba i7 may seem like an easy task, you may encounter difficulties if you are unfamiliar with the correct procedure.

Many users on Irobot’s customer discussion forum have reported damaging their vacuum while attempting to clean it. Strange, right? This was likely due to not following the proper steps for cleaning the device.

Well, in this guide, I will outline how to clean your Roomba i7 in just 10-15 minutes without harming any of the fragile components or risking injury from the rotating brushes.

How to Clean Roomba i7?

In short: To clean Roomba i7, first, empty the dustbin. After then, clean all the sensors. If these sensors get dirty, they can affect the Roomba’s performance. Finally, clean the brushes and wheels.

Here are the detailed step-by-step instructions you have to follow:

Step 1: Tools you need

To begin the process, you will need the following things:

• A Phillips Screwdriver.
• A dry cleaning cloth.

Step 2. Clean the Home-Base

Firstly, clean the home base. This part is critical for charging the device, and if it becomes dirty, it may cause issues with the charging process.

It will also help to prevent errors like “Error 26“, “Charging Error 8” or “Error 34” in the future.

Here’s how:

• Grab the Home Base and first clean the Recon sensor.
• Then clean the IR window.
• Finally, clean the charging contacts.

Cleaning the charging contacts will ensure the Roomba can dock and charge correctly. If these contacts are left uncleaned, the vacuum may experience difficulties during the docking process.

Step 3. Remove all tangles and hairs

After cleaning the home base, head to the bottom of your Roomba. Clean out all the tangles and hair caught inside all the rollers and brushes.

☞ Clean the Side Brush

First, take out the side brush with a screwdriver. You will see a lot of hair caught up in the brush. Remove all the hairs and put the brush in place.

Removing the hair or tangles from the side brush will help you make your Roomba quieter and give you relief while cleaning.

☞ Clean the Caster wheel

After cleaning the hair and tangles from the side brush, check and clean the caster wheel. To lift the caster wheel out, grasp it firmly.

After you’ve lifted it out, push the wheels out and clean up any tangles. Once you have removed all the hairs and tangles, place the caster wheel back in.

☞ Clean the Roomba i7 Roller Brush

Here’s how to clean the roller:

1. Move on to the main brush. 
2. Pull it out and remove any hairs, tangles, or knots from it. 
3. Remove all the tangles and clean the debris from the brush compartment with a dry cloth. 
4. Once you have cleaned the main brush and its box, put the brushes back in and attach them firmly.

Be sure to clean all the visible sensors on the Roomba. If those sensors are left dirty, you will get a bin error.

Step 4. Empty the dustbin and air filter.

Next, empty the vacuum dustbin and clean the filter.

Depending on how frequently you use the cleaner and how much debris it gathers from your floors, the bin inside your Roomba may become quite full.

Follow the instructions below to unclog your Roomba’s dustbin securely and effectively.

☞ Clean the Filter

First, pull out the air filter. Sometimes, this air filter causes the most problems, including bin error.

If this air filter clogs up, it will restrict the airflow and sensors inside the Roomba. As a result, your Roomba will think the dustbin is full and gives you a bin error message.

Pro Tip: Wash the air filter instead of brushing it and let it dry completely before reinstalling. It will boost your robot’s cleaning performance as well as help you to get rid of bin errors.

☞ Wash the Dustbin

After cleaning the air filter, clean the dustbin. Emptying a Roomba dustbin is pretty easy. 

Here’s how:

• Press the bin release button and remove the dust bin from the robot.
• Then, open the bin door and dump the contents into the trash can.
• Wash the dustbin with warm water and let it dry completely.
• Finally, reattach your Roomba’s dustbin. Make sure it clicks back into place securely.

From the below link, you can read our complete guide to know more about emptying Roomba’s bin.

Step 5. Clean the wheels 

Cleaning the wheel is the final step in this cleaning guide. Simply take a dry cloth and remove the dirt and debris from it.

Then roll the wheels and remove all the hairs and tangles. If you want to know more about cleaning the wheel, click this link.

how to clean the Roomba i7 full bin sensor?

One of this tutorial’s most essential parts is cleaning the bin sensor. Even if you have emptied the dustbin, your Roomba will give you a “bin error” message when you start your Roomba again.

This is because the bin inside the dustbin is dirty. So to prevent this issue, you have to clean this bin sensor.

The sensor in the bin is located at the end of the pointer in the upper right-hand corner of the first picture.

Here’s how:

1. Firstly, make sure that your Roomba is turned off.
2. Once it is turned off, open up the dustbin.
3. Locate the Full Bin Sensor. (As shown in the picture) It is a small silver cylinder located near the hinge on the right side of the dustbin.
4. Use a microfiber cloth to clean around the sensor. Be careful not to damage the sensor.

Once the sensor is clean, put the dustbin back on the Roomba and turn it on.