Q: Can I use a irobot to clean my laminate floor? If not what is the best way to clean them?
A: Tough question, and technically the answer here is yes and no. Before we get going, I do want to say that these little guys are pretty cool. The Roomba, being the most well known of the iRobot line is quite the little invention and a few folks around the office here love theirs.
Now let’s dig into the question. iRobot specifically states their scooba (the floor washing version) is safe for sealed wood floors. Scooba uses a special cleaning solution made by Clorox, which gives me a small amount of concern because I can’t tell you if it would cause streaking or a dull residue over the finish of most wood floors. The other thing to pay attention here is that it suggests that any floor which you normally mop, a scooba will work for. With hardwood, you don’t do traditional mopping, but think more like a swiffer here, very little liquid, just a light mist, then follow up with a micro fiber mop. Technically iRobot states that it is safe for sealed floors, which all prefinished floors are, but I would be cautious because I’m not sure how much liquid it uses and if too much gets into the seams it can spell disaster.
I think you would be a bit better off with something like the Roomba, using it solely to replace sweeping, then follow up with a proper hard surface floor cleaner like BonaKemi or one suggested by the floor’s manufacturer and a microfiber mop.
Typically when cleaning wood or laminate floors you will want to regularly sweep the floor, or vacuum if your vacuum has an attachment without the beater bar, then follow up with a proper laminate floor cleaner and a microfiber mop. With the cleaner, less is more, use only enough to lightly mist a small area then follow up with the microfiber mop. Once done its a good idea to over the floor with a terrycloth towel or similar, on the end of your mop pole to pull up all remaining moisture, just to make sure it gets fully dry.
