If you have a cat, odds are your cat tracks litter around the litter box. In some cases, the litter may get far from where it was. But unless you want to sweep or vacuum each day, you may want a robot vacuum, like a Roomba.
Roombas are good for cat litter because they’re smart enough to find the litter and clean it up. These vacuums also have enough power to clean all of the litter, so you won’t need to do a second run with a regular vacuum. And because they’re so small, they can clean right next to the litter box.
Roombas are surprisingly good for cat litter, and they can clean it up more easily than you could by sweeping or using a regular vacuum.
Whether you just need help picking up litter or want to clean your whole home, you can find a Roomba that works for you. Then, you won’t have to worry about vacuuming or sweeping again.
Why Roombas Are Good for Cat Litter
The basic features of a Roomba are similar to those of other robot vacuums. Roombas are small, circular vacuums that can clean up dirt and dust from your floors.
However, there are quite a few specifics that you may not find on other vacuums.
If you’re trying to find the right robot vacuum for you and you have cat litter, you want a durable model that picks up the litter.
A Roomba can be expensive, but if you can’t or don’t want to spend the time vacuuming, it’s one of your best options.
Here are a few Roomba features that make it an excellent option for cleaning cat litter:
Multiple Brushes
Many robot vacuums only have one brush, which might be enough to catch smaller particles.
But the Roomba series vacuums have two brushes, which make it easier for them to pick up larger clumps of dust and cat litter.
One brush can loosen and lift the dust off the floor, and the second brush helps suction the dust-up to the suction channel within the vacuum.
The two brushes are more efficient than a vacuum with one brush.
You don’t need more than two brushes, but having more than one can help pick up more.
Then, you shouldn’t have to worry about stepping in loose cat litter.
Picks Up Various Debris
Because the Roombas all have multiple brushes, they can tackle almost anything you would want to vacuum.
So not only can you use it to pick up cat litter, but it can also vacuum dirt and small pieces of debris.
If your cat toys have cotton insides, the vacuum can clean those if your cat ends up tearing a toy to pieces.
A Roomba can also pick up cat fur, which can be especially useful if you or a friend has a slight allergy.
While your cat’s food scraps are probably too big for the Roomba, it can work with a lot of debris. A
s long as you pick up larger items from your floor, you can let the robot work its magic while you focus on other tasks.
Works on Different Surfaces
Most homes have a combination of carpeting and hardwood surfaces. Some houses and apartments also have tiled areas.
Luckily, the Roomba can handle all of those spots, so you don’t have to clean different rooms independently.
As long as you don’t have multiple levels in your home, you can let the Roomba clean everything at once. However, it can’t go up or down the stairs.
So if you have one litter box upstairs and another in the basement, you’ll need a Roomba for each level.
Still, once you get your Roomba, you can set it up to work through an entire floor.
Whether your litter box is on carpet or wood, your vacuum can clean up loose litter that falls out of the box.
Cleans All Areas
Another reason to consider a Roomba for cat litter and other types of dirt is that the vacuum can clean almost anywhere.
Except for stairs, you can have your Roomba go from room to room and through hallways.
The vacuum can easily clean areas in the middle of a room or hallway, and it can focus on common spots that get a lot of traffic and dust.
One of the more unique abilities of the Roomba is that it can clean along the walls.
Odds are your cat’s litter box isn’t in the middle of the room, so litter is probably near the side or a corner.
The Roomba series vacuums have a brush that can sweep up dust from the edge of a room easily.
Good Roombas for Cat Litter
While all Roombas are good at cleaning up cat litter, some models are better than others. The Roomba line of vacuums has many options, and it can get overwhelming.
Of course, the more expensive models will have more features. But if your main use for your Roomba is to pick up cat litter, you won’t need much.
Roomba 650
The iRobot Roomba 650 uses a variety of sensors to learn the layout of your space. It can then use that information to clean as much as it can.
You can schedule it to clean up to seven times each week, and you can also turn it on if you want it to clean right then.
This model uses a 3-Stage Cleaning System to loosen up dirt and suck it up into the vacuum.
After it finishes a cleaning session, it will return to the dock to charge. The 650 is 3.6 inches tall, so it can fit under furniture, and it can clean right next to your litter box.
As it cleans, it will adapt to the different types of flooring you may have.
It can pick up everything from dust to cereal, so it shouldn’t have a problem picking up cat litter. The vacuum will also pick up your cat hair, which is an added benefit.
Roomba 880
Another great model to consider for cleaning up cat litter is the iRobot Roomba 880.
It can navigate through multiple rooms to clean the entire level of your home, but it will do so in groups of three rooms.
The vacuum uses different sensors to navigate around, and it will use three stages to clean up.
It will find dirt, loosen it, then vacuum it up into the device. This model has tangle-free extractors, which can keep dirt and hair from clogging up.
It also has a high-efficiency filter, which can trap smaller dirt and dust particles, such as individual cat hairs.
The 880 has more power compared to the 650, so it’s great for larger homes.
Roomba 980
The iRobot Roomba 980 has even more air power than the other models, so it can perform better on carpets. It has a navigation system so that it can map out your house and remember where to clean.
This model can help clean up dirt and debris that you might not see, but it can also suck up larger particles, such as litter.
It has rubber brushes that maintain contact with the floor so that the vacuum won’t miss anything while it cleans.
You can run it for up to two hours at a time, and it will return to the charging station until you want to use it again.
You can also connect it to your iOS or Android device to control and schedule the vacuum even when you aren’t home.
Conclusion
The Roombas 650, 880 and 980 are excellent for picking up loose cat litter.
If you want to keep your house clean, you can also use the vacuums for general cleaning, and they can pick up cat fur.
Consider these models when shopping for a Roomba as a cat owner.
