Robot vacuums are handy and practical: With the right maintenance and care , they save you precious time, they’re easy to store and charge, and they’re much more practical than big push vacuums for people with limited storage space. For as great as they are, though, there are some flaws with robot vacuums too. For instance, they can really struggle to move from room to room if they encounter saddles or ridges in the doorway. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for this.

Some folks recommend using rubber mats to connect your rooms so the vacuum can easily get across doorways. Per the Daily Mail , one Australian woman in the private Mums Who Clean Facebook group swears by her rubber mat, which she bought for around $24. You can grab your own version for about $31 at the Home Depot . Rubber Waterstop

Lay it smoothly across the doorway before powering on your vacuum so the device can glide over any saddle or ridge in the flooring and make it into the adjoining room without you having to pick it up and place it there—or come rescue it when it gets stuck.

For maximum cleaning from your little robot, you should be sure there is nothing on the floor it could accidentally suck up, such as nails, paper clips, or paper scraps—it’s not equipped for that. If it uses an optical sensor, try to schedule floor cleanings for times when there is light in the rooms you want done. Be extra careful it doesn’t suck up any water or liquid, either, so if it’s heading for a damp bathroom or you dropped some ice on the kitchen floor earlier, intervene before it encounters anything wet. Also, be sure to roll up your fringed rugs before a session—don’t even try to risk that one.

Water-Swellable Waterstop Here are some general guidelines for what shouldn’t be vacuumed that apply to robot vacuums too.