How to Attach a Swiffer Pad to a Roomba

Hard flooring can be tough to get clean with a standard Roomba.

With the ability to sense stairs and other drops, turn around when running into a wall and get out of tight corners with ease, Roombas can be programmed to vacuum where and when you want. And while they work well on hard surfaces such as tile, wood and linoleum flooring, they lack the dusting power found in Procter & Gamble’s Swiffer pads. Though dusting robots such as the Mint do exist, as do hard floor cleaning pads designed for Roombas, attaching a Swiffer pad to your Roomba is a simple and inexpensive task that will leave your floors cleaner.

1. Remove the Swiffer pad from its handle by pulling the two pieces in opposite directions.

2. Flip the Roomba robot upside down and lay it on its top so that the wheels are exposed.

3. Identify the dust receptacle on the underside of the Roomba. It is a clear plastic container located opposite the Roomba’s third wheel.

4. Cut two strips of duct tape approximately 2 inches in length and tape them to each end of the Swiffer pad.

5. Lay the Swiffer pad on top of the Roomba’s dust receptacle, tape-side down, and affix the tape to the body of the Roomba.

6. Turn the Roomba back to its proper orientation with the wheels on the ground and set it in an area with hard floors. Press the button in the center of the Roomba to activate its cleaning function. Now the Roomba will continue to vacuum while the Swiffer pad will pick up the loose dust left behind.

Tip

Most Roomba models come with “invisible walls” that can be set up to prevent the Roomba from entering certain areas. Set up an “invisible wall” at the edge of your hard flooring to ensure that the Roomba does not venture out onto carpet, where the friction may cause the Swiffer pad to be accidentally removed. When you remove the Roomba’s dust receptacle to empty it, you can simply remove the tape from the Swiffer and dispose of it as well.