How Often to Change Roomba Bag? A Complete Guide

If you’re wondering how often to change Roomba bag then this guide is for you!

Here we’re going to unwrap this topic and learn how fast Roomba’s bag gets full, how to know when it’s time to change it and how to do it correctly.

Make sure to read the entire guide so you can be prepared to work with your iRobot and never be concerned about functionality.

The Roomba’s dust bag can be emptied and reused as long as the bag remains strong and does not have any damage. However, users need to change the bag with a new one when there are noticeable openings and the dust and hair are leaking. 

Is Roomba’s Dust Bag Reusable?

The short answer is Yes, Roomba’s bags can be used more than once, in fact, you can use them as long as they last.

However, there comes a moment when the bag would not be usable anymore, especially when the body of the bag is torn apart or has holes.

Roomba’s bags can be emptied and used again without harming the iRobot.

Luckily, you don’t need to spend all your money and bags when you’re using your iRobot Roomba frequently and the only task would be to clean the bag.

Let’s learn more!

Can You Clean Roombas Dust Bag?

Besides emptying the bag, sometimes dust and hair could be stuck inside and it’s recommended to clear the bag internally every once in a while.

Sometimes Roomba owners use another vacuum cleaner to suck everything out of Roomba’s bag, to be reused.

You only need to turn the full bag upside down and shake, it until everything comes out!

However, you might want to take a peek inside to check whether everything came out and, if necessary, shake again to make sure that the bag is empty.

In addition, use another vacuum to reach inside and everything out to make the Roomba’s bag as new!

Tip: The better the bag is cleaned the more cleaning sessions it will last.

How Fast The Roomba’s Bags Get Full?

The time it takes for the iRobot Roomba’s bag to get full, depends on the frequency of the cleaning sessions and whether users have pets or not.

When Roomba is not that frequently used, the bags can last months, while for everyday usage, the time is shorter.

The best way to approximate how long it would take for Roomba’s bag to get full would be by measuring the cleaning sessions.

Let’s take a look at both cases, with and without pets:

• With many pets, the Roomba’s bag lasts up to 5-6 cleaning sessions!
• With only 1 pet, Roombas bags can last up to 7 cleaning sessions.
• Without pets, the Roomba’s bag lasts up to 10 cleaning sessions.

Keep in mind that during the pet’s shedding period, the cleaning sessions might be fewer in most scenarios.

In contrast, when there are no pets on the Roomba’s map, the robot’s bag will definitely last longer, also depending on how clean the floors are. 

How Often to Change Roomba Bag?

The answer to the question “how often” depends on how much you’re using the iRobot Roomba and how big the smart map is.

Another factor that should be taken under consideration is whether there are pets in the house or not since pet fur is what fills the Roomba’s bag. 

• The Roomba bag should be cleaned after 10 cycles!

Even when the indicator did not go ON, after the cleaning sessions, it’s recommended to empty the bag.

That might prevent a situation in which Roomba’s indicator goes off right before a cleaning session and you would need to empty the bag anyway.

Note: The iRobot Roomba’s bag can last more than 10 cycles but when the bag gets full mid-session, the robot will pause and return to the home base.

How To Know When a Roomba’s Bag Is Full?

The iRobot Roomba will definitely indicate to you when it’s time to clear the bag.

However, the different models of the robot have different indications, and some users simply look at the wrong place or do not know the indication signs. 

Let’s next learn how to know when Roomba’s bag is full on all modes:

• iRobot Roomba “I” series – the Clean button starts to shine in red.
• iRobot Roomba “e” series – the “bag-full” indicator can be found within the application.
• iRobot Roomba 700,800 & 900 series – the trashcan light will turn red.

Based on the model of your Roomba Robot, the above bullets will help you understand how to recognize when the cleaner’s bag is full.

Now that you know that the bag is reusable you’ll know when it’s time to clear the bag and later reuse it. 

In case the Roomba’s bag is no longer useable, let’s learn more about how much they cost:

How To Change an iRobot Roomba’s Bag?

In case you’ve just found out that the Roomba’s bag is no longer usable and you’ve acquired a replacement dust bag, the steps below would help you.

In addition, here you’ll learn how to do it correctly so you would no longer need to search online and just do it yourself in no time!

Here’s how to change Roomba’s bag:

1. Open the lid of the automatic dust disposer (base).
2. Grab the cardboard and pull up to take the full bag out.
3. Empty (clean) or throw the full bag in the trash can.
4. Insert the new or cleaned bag into the sliding rails.
5. Push down the cloth part of the bag to be able to close the lid.
6. Close the cover and make sure that it goes all the way down easily.
7. You’re ready to clean!

Before re-inserting the old (cleaned) bag, you need to make sure that there are no holes and that the bag is in a good condition.

Avoid using damaged bags to prevent the dust from falling inside the home base, forming even more trouble for you to clean!

In case the Roomba’s bag cannot be reused, let’s learn more about how much they cost:

How Much Does a Roomba’s Bag Cost?

Although Roomba’s bags are reusable after months of cleaning and emptying the cloth bags, they might tear apart and become no longer usable.

This is normal and every now and then you should purchase a replacement bag for your robot to continue operating normally.

There are many different types of Roomba-compatible dust bags that you can find online!

Their price varies from $9 to $30 a pack which could include 7 pieces to 10 pieces.

The target price that you should be looking for is $3 per bag, which we believe is not pricey considering that you can re-use this bag for a long time.

It’s always better to purchase a pack of several bags to be set up for at least a year or more!

We don’t recommend getting the cheapest possible option, since the quality is based on the price and for the normal operation of your iRobot Roomba, you would need something good. 

Let’s now recap what we’ve learned in this post:

Quick Recap:

Hence, you can clean and reuse a Roombas bag after 10 cycles (cleaning sessions) and replace the dust bag when the cloth body is torn apart or there are visible holes on its body. The Roomba-suitable dust bags are not expensive so you can always acquire a replacement pack that will last you a long time.

Final Thoughts:

Now that we know how often to change Roomba bag and how to do it properly, you no longer need to be concerned about the cleaner robot functionality.

You’re now ready to clean and reuse the dust bags as long as possible.

This will not only save you money but allow you to understand how much dust, hair, and debris is on your floor and how often to clean it.

We hope that this post was helpful and for more relevant guides, make sure to check our blog!