The safest cleaning method starts with the exact instructions, not with the product already sitting beside the sink. Soft fabric, moving joins, camera lenses and charging contacts need different treatment.
This guide helps you make a routine around the maker's directions. It cannot replace them.
Stop before adding liquid
Switch the robot off and disconnect it from charging. Let it cool if it has just been used. Remove loose accessories only when the instructions say they are designed to come off.
Never assume a soft outer layer is machine washable or that a hard shell is waterproof. Seams, speaker holes, sensors and moving joints can let moisture reach electronics.
Find the care instructions
Look in the supplied manual, official support material or the maker's app. Check that the instructions match the exact model rather than a similar-looking product.
Record:
- parts that can be removed;
- surfaces that may be wiped;
- products or solvents that must not be used;
- whether a cover can be washed and at what setting;
- how to clean lenses and sensors;
- how long parts must dry before reassembly;
- any care required for charging contacts or wheels.
If instructions are missing, contact the maker before improvising with liquid.
Soft companion pets
Begin with dry care: remove loose dust with a clean, soft brush or cloth. Work gently around seams, sensor areas and moving parts. Do not pull fur away from a joint to reach deeper into the mechanism.
For marks, follow the maker's spot-cleaning directions precisely. Put cleaning product on the cloth only if instructed; pouring or spraying directly onto the companion can drive moisture beneath the surface.
A removable outer cover should be washed only when the instructions identify it as removable and washable. Similar products can have very different construction.
Hard-shell robots and coding kits
Use a dry microfibre cloth for ordinary dust. Pay attention to vents, joints and exposed connectors without pushing debris further inside. A soft brush can help around edges when approved by the instructions.
Keep liquids away from circuit boards, ports and battery areas. On a buildable kit, check fasteners during cleaning but do not tighten or lubricate parts unless the maintenance guide calls for it.
Reassemble removable panels and accessories carefully. A trapped cable or misplaced part can turn cleaning into a mechanical fault.
Cameras, lenses and sensors
A smeared lens can make an image look like a connection problem. Use the lens method specified by the maker, usually with a clean material intended for delicate optical surfaces. Avoid ordinary household spray.
Do not scratch, cover or polish away sensor windows. Check that no fibres remain across the lens before switching the robot on.
For a roaming pet camera, remove hair from wheels or tracks as directed. Switch it off first and keep fingers away from a mechanism that could move.
Charging contacts and docks
Unplug the dock before cleaning it. Dust around, rather than inside, power connectors. Follow the instructions for any contact cleaning and allow every part to dry fully before reconnecting power.
If a contact is discoloured, damaged, hot or loose, stop using it and seek the appropriate support. Cleaning is not a repair.
Our charging and battery guide covers everyday placement and handover questions.
Make a care-home cleaning plan
Shared settings need a written routine that fits local infection-control practice and the device instructions. If the approved cleaning method cannot meet the setting's requirements, the robot may not be suitable for shared use.
Record who cleans it, after which kinds of use, where it dries and how staff identify a fault. Do not pass a soft companion from person to person while it is awaiting cleaning.
The care-home planning guide covers ownership, storage and resident choice alongside cleaning.
A simple household schedule
After messy or outdoor contact
Switch off, inspect and follow the maker's immediate-cleaning method. Check wheels, feet and seams before placing the robot on furniture.
Weekly or regular use check
Remove dust, look for trapped hair, inspect cables and confirm sensors are clear. The interval should reflect how and where the robot is used.
Before storage
Clean and dry it, follow the battery guidance, place accessories together and protect it from crushing or damp. Do not seal a still-damp fabric companion in a box.
Before giving or selling
Clean removable surfaces, gather instructions and accessories, and complete the appropriate account and data reset separately. Cleaning the shell does not erase recordings or account links.
Know when to stop
Pause use when you notice damaged fabric exposing a mechanism, a swollen or leaking battery, cracked housing near electronics, a damaged cable, unusual heat or a smell from the device. Keep it away from children and animals while seeking maker or retailer guidance.
Do not open a sealed electronic section unless the product instructions specifically provide a user maintenance process.
Keep the routine proportionate
A robot that requires more specialist upkeep than the household can provide is a poor match, however appealing it looks. Add cleaning to the robot-pet buying checklist before purchase, then keep the exact instructions with the device. A five-minute routine written down is far more useful than good intentions nobody owns.