So you’ve finally splurged on a robot vacuum, but you’ve realised that your new toy requires a bit of maintenance.

From automatically emptying it to protecting it from scratches, we’ve collected a few essential accessories that will help you get the most out of your robot vacuum cleaner.

If you own an Ecovacs DEEBOT N8 robot vacuum cleaner, you’ve probably worked out by now how inconvenient, and dusty, it can be when it’s time to empty it.

The good news is that you don’t have to empty it yourself like a plebeian. Just grab a compatible Ecovacs auto-empty station, pick up a couple of disposable dust bags and say sayonara to drippy noses and messy clean-ups.

Where to buy: Amazon ($399) | eBay ($399) | Ecovacs ($249.99)

While it’s good practice to clean out your robot vacuum’s brushes and filter every one to three months, you will need to replace them at least every six months. This is to ensure you enjoy optimal cleaning results, especially if you need to vacuum regularly thanks to pet hair or allergies.

Where to buy: Amazon ($30) | Catch ($39.99) | eBay ($15.95)

If you have an iRobot vacuum cleaner, it always helps to have a bunch of accessories in case its side brushes break or fall off. Since any robovac’s side brushes are a crucial part that helps it find its way around your home, you can never have too many back-ups at your disposal.

This Amazon kit comes with eight side brushes and eight disposable dust bags, so you’ll never be in short supply. However, a cheaper option is eBay’s iRobot replacement kit which features eight dust bags but only six side brushes.

Where to buy: Amazon ($54.99) | Catch ($40.70) | eBay ($46.98)

Go from weekly empties to bi-monthly ones with this Roborock S7 auto-emptying dock. When your smart vacuum has finished its clean, it’ll navigate back towards its charging dock, where its emptying station will suck out all the dirt and dust its collected.

This dock also features Intelligent Dust Collection, meaning your robot vacuum will never empty itself if there’s no dustbin attached, and you can control how much it empties from the app. But our favourite thing about this auto-emptying station is the fact that it can be used bagged or bagless, eliminating the additional costs associated with buying extra dust bags.

Where to buy: Amazon ($549) | Catch ($489) | eBay ($599)

These Roborock sets come with all the bits and bobs you could ever need for about a year.

Not only will you receive two main cleaning brushes, four new filters and extra side brushes, but the Amazon kit comes with four bonus mopping pads and extra cleaning tools.

Where to buy: Amazon ($69) | Catch ($42.99) | eBay ($23.51)

If you happen to own an iRobot robovac, one of the key accessories you’ll need is this virtual wall barrier. This is especially useful if you own one of the older models that doesn’t allow you to set no-go zones.

Simply place a iRobot virtual wall barrier in front of the room you want it to avoid and it will project an invisible wall to prevent your Roomba from crossing into forbidden territory. It even has a Halo Mode, which is designed to protect household objects such as expensive vases or even your pet’s food bowls from collisions.

Where to buy: Amazon ($79.59) | Catch ($69.95) | eBay ($69.95)

Obviously, if you don’t have a compatible Roborock vacuum, that virtual wall barrier is pretty useless. Thankfully, another trick you can employ is some magnetic boundary tape. Just a short clipping of this tape across any doorway will set a clear no-go zone for your robot vacuum to avoid.

You can even tape some on the ground around any precious objects to prevent your robovac from knocking anything over or scratching itself.

Where to buy: Amazon ($41.22) | Catch ($49.57) | eBay ($17.88)

One of the funnest parts about owning a robot vacuum is naming one. From Optimus Grime to R2-D2, everyone loves to inject some of their personality into their new robot servant.

But if you want to take it a step further, you’ll need to grab one of these adorable animal-themed covers from Etsy, which will help protect your robovac from dust and accidental bumps. This brand is compatible with Eufy, Roborocks, iRobot’s Roombas and Ecovacs’ DEEBOT models.

Attachable bumpers are a complete game-changer. When we recently pitted two Ecovacs robot vacuums against each other, we discovered that the two managed to sustain scratch marks on their respective sensors after bumping into elevated floor tiles and steps.

So, if you’re worried about your robovac getting damaged, it’s a good idea to stick some handy protective bumpers onto it to prevent any future collisions.

Isabella Noyes is an E-Commerce Writer at Pedestrian Group, working across PEDESTRIAN.TV, VICE Australia, Refinery29 Australia, Business Insider Australia, Gizmodo Australia, Lifehacker Australia and Kotaku Australia.

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