Maximize your Roomba's battery life

Replacing your Roomba's battery is a task that can cost you almost $100. You can avoid that or at least delay it by maximizing the one that came with your robot. To show you a few tips I'm using the 700 Series Roomba, but these tips apply to almost all models. For starters each time your Roomba cleans up, things like dust, hair, and fur get caught in its brushes. The poor guy has to work harder and your battery drains like that. So at least once a week remove the brushes and get them cleaned. For the Roomba's nickel-based batteries, it's best to keep the unit charging whenever you're not using it. But don't leave it in there for days at a time. Give your Roomba lots of play time to keep its battery healthy. This tip goes for your Roomba, your phone, and even your computer. Always keep it in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and with plenty of ventilation. If you're going away on vacation put your Roomba in what I like to call vacation mode. That means charging the battery completely then removing it. To do that just flip it over, unscrew the battery door, and lift. When you get back, recharge the Roomba to full and then run it until it dies. Then go back to your regular routine. Eventually you will have to replace your Roomba's battery, but with all these tips you should be able to put off that expense for a while. If you have any questions along the way, hit me up on Twitter and check out howto.cnet.com for the written guide to this tutorial. For CNET.com I'm Sharon Vaknin.