Are Roomba Bags Reusable?

A white roomba i7 on wood floorA white roomba i7 on wood floor

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If you own a Roomba vacuum cleaner, you know that this robot vacuum can do it all when it comes to cleaning the floors in your home. It can even empty itself. Since one of its best features is self-cleaning, you may wonder if Roomba bags are reusable.

The Roomba is a time-saving vacuum cleaner packed with smart features. But such technology doesn’t come cheap. If you’re looking to save money where you can, reusable bags might be an option. 

Reusing Roomba Bags: Four Things You Need to Know

There are several versions of the Roomba on the market today. All of them use high-capacity collection bags. Here are four things you need to know about Roomba cleaning bags.

Are Roomba i7 Plus Bags Reusable?

The Roomba i7 is one of the most popular robot vacuums today. This Roomba can clean your entire home and empty itself when needed.

You can reuse Roomba i7 bags by emptying the dirt and debris collected in the bag. Although it is not recommended, you can use another vacuum. Attach the long nozzle or crevice tool to suck out the contents so that you can reuse the bag.

The Dyson V8 is a good option for cleaning out reusable Roomba bags.

How Long Do Roomba Bags Last?

Roomba bags have a large capacity, and they can hold more dirt and debris than they would appear. 

A single Roomba bag should last you around 10 to 30 cycles before it needs to be cleaned or replaced. 

Put another way, according to iRobot, one Roomba bag can hold 60 days’ worth of dirt, dust, and debris.

This means that you won’t be spending all your money on replacement bags if you use the Roomba often.

How Much Does Roomba Bags Cost?

Taken at face value, Roomba bags are relatively inexpensive. They are frequently sold in multi-packs, which lowers the per-bag cost even further. This typically works out to several dollars per bag. 

Depending on the frequency of use, annual Roomba bag costs can hover around $30 to $40.

Another factor affecting bag cost is the size of the coverage area your robot vacuum needs to clean. The more space it needs to clean, the more often you’ll buy more bags.

Are All Roomba Bags the Same?

For the most part, Roomba bags are fairly similar. 

In theory, all bags should work with the various Roomba models, including the popular I and J series.

There will be variances in materials used and structure. For instance, this reusable Roomba bag features a zipper closure for easier emptying of collected dirt and debris.

Should You Reuse Your Roomba Bags?

It might seem like a silly question, but people want to save as much money as they can. Even though Roomba bags are affordable, saving a few bucks each month can add up over the life of a Roomba robot vacuum.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether to reuse or replace the bags:

  • The type of dirt you vacuum. For instance, is it common dust and dirt or mud that has been tracked in during the rainy season?
  • How often do you clean the bags? The more often you try to clean them, the better the chance you may damage them while emptying them.
  • How often do you use the vacuum? 
  • Cleaning the filter is also important, affecting the Roomba vacuum’s performance.
  • Do you have a vacuum cleaner that will not damage the bags? You want to use a vacuum equipped with a narrow hose attachment to get inside the Roomba bag. Try not to use a vacuum that is too powerful. It may tear the bag.

Roomba bags are fairly durable, but eventually, they will wear out. If you use a vacuum cleaner to clean them for reuse, you should be careful not to damage the material and seams.

Reasons Not To Reuse Roomba Bags

Although cost and waste reduction are good reasons to reuse Roomba bags, there are also valid reasons not to do this. These include:

  • Vacuuming Roomba bags full of dust and dirt can be messy, creating more work for yourself and your robot vacuum.
  • Typical Roomba bags are not intended for reuse. Cleaning them out by vacuuming or other means may damage them and negatively affect their performance.
  • Aside from holding dirt and debris, Roomba bags also serve as filters. Collected dust can clog the pores in the bag material and cause false “bag full” errors on the Clean Base.

How to Replace Roomba Bags

Replacing the dust collection bag for your Roomba vacuum is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to replace the Roomba bag in your Clean Base automatic dirt disposal canister:

A solid red light on your Roomba vacuum base indicates that the dust bag is full.

  1. Open the lid of the Roomba vacuum base canister.
  2. Firmly grasp the plastic card-shaped dust bag handle.
  3. Pull the handle of the Roomba bag straight up and let it slide out of its guide rails.
  4. As the bag is removed, the handle will automatically seal the opening to keep collected dirt inside.
  5. Place a new Roomba bag inside the base by sliding the plastic card inside the guide rails.
  6. Press down firmly and close the canister lid.

If the replacement bag is improperly inserted or the canister lid is not firmly closed, your Roomba vacuum may not empty its bin.

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