Full disclosure: I received the Z60 as part of the Get and Create promotion. I will provide honest feedback and opinions both good and bad.
I have been running the Z60 for about 3 weeks. I typically run it about 5 days / week. When it runs, I always have it vacuum and mop. The base unit sits in a corner of the dining room and typically I am not there when it finishes the clean and returns to the base. A few days ago, I was in the room when it finished and performed its dust bin emptying and mop cleaning. Boy, did it smell bad when it was emptying the dust bin. I was surprised how bad it smelled - very dirty and I'm sure some pet odors as I have 2 dogs. I decided to do the monthly maintenance a little early.
I completed the monthly maintenance for the first time. I was following along with the manual - step by step and it took 45 minutes to complete. I expect it will take less time as I get more familiar with the process. This was the first time cleaning, so reading each direction; figuring out how to remove parts; going to get replacement parts and then finding some other items to use to clean - for example Q-tips, added to the time spent.
Based on the smell that came out of the machine when it was emptying I fully expected to find a very dirty machine. I was actually amazed at how little dirt, hair and fur was actually still in the robot. The majority of the dirt made it into the dust bag. The first photo shows the underside of the robot before I started cleaning.
The washboard was pretty dirty, but it rinsed off easily. The dust bag was not completely full, but I would say at least 3/4. It definitely is picking up a lot when vacuuming. There was no hair tangled around the side brush or main brush at all. The main brush was dusty, but a slightly damp paper towel cleaned it right up. Under the main brush was some fur and dust, but again, a damp paper towel took care of that.
The filter in the dust box was very dirty. Since it has to be completely dry before returning to the Z60, I got a new filter to install. I rinsed the dirty filter and it cleaned up really well. I will let it completely dry and then put it back in my supplies for next month. My intent is to rotate these 2 filters monthly so that one can be washed and thoroughly dried before re-using the following month.
The used water box on the robot was pretty dirty and took a small brush to get it cleaned. The spot that surprised me with probably the most dirt was when I removed the fluffing roller. It's a little skinny bar that I guess fluffs the roller. There was some hair wrapped around the end and underneath was pretty dirty. I found that a Q-tip worked the best for getting the dirt out of that area.
The mop roller was completely dry, but it smelled really bad. In the first photo, you can see some dark stripes on the roller mop - not sure if that is dirt or what. It definitely was not going back on the robot. I put a clean mop roller on and will try to wash this one by hand to see if I can get the smell out and be able to re-use it. I would have expected it to be used longer than 3 weeks. As a side note, I don't have the robot clean up spills or any messes. It is basically just mopping paw prints off the floor, maybe some dried coffee stains, and just general dusty dirt.
Overall, the maintenance is very easy. The instructions are clear and I would estimate maybe 30 minutes once a month for the maintenance.
The parts that I replaced:
1. Dust bag
2. Dust bin filter (the used filter was washed and will be used next month)
3. Roller mop
Notes:
1. I will be cleaning the dirty water bin that is on the robot more frequently - probably twice a month instead of just during the monthly maintenance. It was pretty dirty and cleaning it more often may make it easier to just rinse out.
2. I was unable to figure out how to get the mop cover off. That probably isn't something you need to take off monthly, but would be nice to do occasionally just to make sure there is no trapped dirt under it. I'll figure that out for the next month.
3. I was unable to determine where the smell came from. Very possibly the mop when it was spinning/cleaning or maybe from the dust bag. I didn't notice a smell from the dust bag, but the roller mop I could smell as soon as I took it off.
I was always hesitant to get a robot vacuum. I assumed it would save me time vacuuming and mopping but the time spent maintaining would actually take longer. I was definitely wrong! The maintenance is not hard at all and after doing it a few times, I will be more familiar with exactly what needs to be done.
I'm very pleased with the performance of the Z60 and how easy it is to maintain.
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