Robot vacuum cleaners are nothing short of revolutionary when it comes to completing the vital task of keeping your home clean. The iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners maintain your home in pristine condition by intelligently navigating through areas where dirt, dust, and debris have gotten a little too comfortable.
Roomba’s AeroVac bin technology allows the Roomba to vacuum more dirt and debris with each cleaning, but the dustbins will need to be emptied eventually. Stop wondering how to empty Roomba 960 or whichever model you have. There are different steps for different models and I’ll cover the various models here.
If you’re lazy at times, like me, you might want to get a Roomba i7+ or Roomba s9+ because they self empty into their Clean Base Unit. The unit holds up to 30 dustbins worth, which will allow you to have an almost completely automated robot vacuum.
All Roomba Models Dustbin Sizes Chart
I wasn’t able to find a handy chart of all the dustbin sizes of different Roomba models, so I made one myself. Here you go:
| Roomba Model | Dustbin Size in milliliters (mL) |
|---|---|
| Roomba 614 | 300 mL |
| Roomba 670 | 600 mL |
| Roomba 671 | 350 mL |
| Roomba 675 | 350 mL |
| Roomba 690 | 300 mL |
| Roomba E5 (5150) | 500 mL |
| Roomba 805 | 600 mL |
| Roomba 890 | 300 mL |
| Roomba 960 | 600 mL |
| Roomba 980 | 600 mL |
| Roomba 985 | 600 mL |
| Roomba i7 | 300 mL |
| Roomba i7+ | 300 mL (Self-Emptying into Clean Base Unit) |
| Roomba s9 | 400 mL |
| Roomba s9+ | 400 mL (Self-Emptying into Clean Base Unit) |
How to Empty Roomba 600 Series Dustbins:
All Roomba 600 series vacuum cleaners’ dust bins are emptied in the same way. There’s no need to clean the dustbin and filter with any liquids. Roomba models include the Roomba 614, 670, 671, 675, and 690.
All you need to do is:
- Press the tab with the circular indent on the edge of the vacuum
- Pull the dustbin out
- Look for the door at the mouth of the dustbin
- Open it by clicking open the little yellow latch on the edge
- Dispose of the contents of the dustbin into the trash can
- Give it extra, firm taps to dislodge as much debris as possible
- Do the same to the filter which you will find within the dustbin
- Reinstall the filter
- Close the door
- Put the dustbin back into the Roomba
- Let your Roomba continue working its magic.
How to Empty Roomba 800 and 900 Series Dustbin:
To empty the dustbins of all models of the Roomba 800 and 900 series vacuum cleaners, see the steps below. These steps are for Roomba models including the Roomba 805, 890, 960, 980, and 985.
- Press the tab on the edge of the vacuum to pull the dustbin out
- Open the door of the dustbin by pulling the top of the door towards the ground
- Tap and shake the bin to dislodge the debris into the trash can
- Make sure that the inside of the dustbin door is wiped free from dust
- To clean the Roomba filter, open the top of the dustbin
- Inside you’ll find a tab sticking out from the edge
- Pull the tab
- Subject your filter to the same treatment as the dustbin and tap it firmly into the trash can
- Reinstall the filter into the dustbin and make sure the tab is facing upwards
- Close the latch at the top
- Close the door on the side
- Put the bin back into the vacuum.
For these series of vacuum cleaners, you should also wipe the sensors at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner. Use a slightly damp melamine foam (e.g Magic Eraser) to clear dust off the Roomba. These sensors can be found at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner (in the space where the dustbin usually is), and on the outside and inside the dustbin door.
How to Empty Roomba E5 and i7 Dustbin
The Roomba E5 (5150) and Roomba i7 dust bins are emptied the same way.
- On the back of the robots, there is a release button with a little trash can icon
- Take the dustbin out
- You’ll find another button with a trash can icon that will release the dustbin door
- Take the dustbin out to a trash can
- Shake and tap the dustbin firmly into the trash to dislodge debris inside it
- Press the button on the opposite side of the open door button to take out the filter and shake it out too into the trash can
- Put the filter back
- You can optionally rinse out the inside of the dustbin with warm water by hand (it’s not dishwasher safe)
- Make sure the filter doesn’t come into contact with any liquid.
- Let the dustbin completely dry
- Reinstall the bin back into the vacuum cleaner.
How to Empty the Roomba s9 Series Dustbin
The Roomba s9 model is washable and there’re two main steps to the process: cleaning the washable bin and cleaning the bin.
- On the top of the vacuum cleaner, there’s a lid which you lift to gain access to the dustbin
- There will be a handle on the side which you pull up to remove the dust bin
- Lift open the filter door at the top of the dustbin
- Take out the filter
- If the filter is dirty due to dust and allergens, empty that out into a trash can
- Press the gray release button and take out the dustbin
- Empty the contents of the dust bin into the trash
- Give an additional tap or two and shake firmly to empty everything
- While all the doors of the dustbin are open, rinse it out with warm water
- Set it upright to air dry and allow to completely dry
- While the bin is drying, use damp melamine foam to wipe the interior of the vacuum to remove any dust stuck to the sensors or elsewhere
- Once the bin has completely dried
- Close the dust bin lid at the bottom
- Reinstall the filter
- Close the filter lid
- Place the dustbin into the vacuum
- Close the lid
- Make sure every door and lid snaps back into place
Roomba i7+ and s9+: They Self Empty
The Roomba i7+ and Roomba s9+ models don’t need as frequent, regular dustbin emptying as the other models do.
They come with a Clean Base Unit that they’ll automatically self-empty into for up to 30 dustbins worth. But you will need to empty the Clean Base’s bin too every once in a while. Depending on how often you run Roomba, it could range from 2 weeks to 2 months.
If your Roomba cleans carpet regularly, that will also potentially increase the amount of debris like carpet fuzz.
- Once the cleaning base’s bin is full
- Lift the lid of the cleaning base
- Pull out the bag by a plastic tab that you’ll find on the inside edge
- Discard the used bag
- Replace it with a new one
- Slide the plastic tab back with the help of the guide rails
- Close the Clean Base lid
You can also use the iRobot Home app and tell your Roomba to empty into the Clean Base Unit. In the app, there’s an Empty Bin button to click on. If it’s not working, double-check your WiFi, App, or Alexa connections.
If you want to save a little money, you can also reuse the Clean Base bags. Here’s a video of someone emptying and reusing their i7+ bags.
Emptying Roomba Dustbin Final Thoughts
Each Roomba vacuum cleaner’s dust bin is emptied and cleaned in a variety of ways. No matter the Roomba model you have, be sure to maintain the vacuum to keep your Roomba cleaning well.
If you run into any issues, you can try a number of different methods, including Roomba resets. Sometimes a deep clean of the Roomba will even be needed.
For other Roomba articles you might be interested in:
Roomba Dustbin FAQs
How Often Do You Need To Empty The Dustbin?
It’s recommended that the dustbins of Roomba 400 – 900 series vacuum cleaners are emptied after each use. Essentially when the Roomba runs out of battery, empty the dustbin. How often you run your Roomba vacuum is up to you. However, it also depends on other factors, such as how many pets or children you have. Or how much dust generally collects in your home. So, some circumstances may require more frequent dustbin emptying.
What If My Dustbin Or Filter Breaks?
No need to worry! Replacements for Roomba dustbins and filters are readily available on Amazon.
Is Emptying the Dustbin The Only Maintenance Roomba Robot Vacuums Need?
The brushes, charging contacts, cliff and floor tracking and full bin sensors, front-wheel, side wheels, side brushes, and iAdapt navigation camera sensors need to be maintained at various frequencies to optimize the Roomba vacuum cleaner function.
