For anyone who own a swimming pool, a robot pool cleaner is one of the most popular, efficient tools to help keep their swimming pools clean without lifting a finger. Robotic pool cleaners (also called pool robots) are the modern pool cleaners that both scrub and vacuum the entire pool (including the side walls) and even filter water, an excellent upgrade from a manual vacuum cleaner for pool or conventional skimmer. Yet most of those who own a pool still wonder about the same — is a robot pool cleaner a full substitute of brushing the pool?

What Does a Robotic Pool Cleaner Really Do?

A robotic pool cleaner is designed to navigate across your pool floor (and walls) to scrub dirt and algae, sucking debris into an internal filter. These robots operate independently, meaning they don’t require assistance from your pool pump or filter system. Robotic pool vacuum cleaners offer superior coverage and are more energy efficient compared to older pool vacuum cleaners that plug into the skimmer.

Top brands like Beatbot also developed smart navigation models that are years ahead the competition, such as the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro and the Beatbot iSkim Ultra, capable of mapping your pool and never missing a spot. These swimming pool robot cleaners scale walls, brush steps, and capture fine dirt, algae and debris.

But even with these sophisticated features, robotic cleaners are not infallible. Some regions may be missed by a pool vacuum robot, which include sharp corners, tight crevices, and tricky steps. That’s where manual brushing still holds a place.

Why Brushing Still Matters

Although your robot pool cleaner performs most of the task, brushing helps to delicately loosen stubborn dirt, calcium deposits, and algae build-up that even the best wall climbing pool cleaner may not fully scrub off. This is particularly true with textured pool surfaces in which algae may grip firmly.

If you’ve had to acid wash the walls of a pool to get rid of staining, you understand that brushing is a key part of keeping surfaces clean afterward. Brushing also helps spread chemicals more evenly, a key consideration after treating for algae blooms or stains.

Do Pool Robots Pick Up Algae?

One recurring question is will a pool robot remove algae? To the question of whether you should be worried: it depends on the type and severity of the algae. Light green algae can be scrubbed and vacuumed out with a robotic pool cleaner, especially the high-end robotic pool cleaners like maytronics pool cleaner or Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra. But in some cases, when the algae is thick or even is black algae, brushing is needed which will break the bond between algae and surface and allowing the pool vacuum for algae to suck it up.

For extreme algae issues, you may even potentially have to drain an inground pool without a pump to completely eliminate the contamination environment and gain a fresh start with a deep clean.

How Often Should You Brush with a Robotic Pool Cleaner?

Even if your swimming pool robot cleaner does daily cleanings, brushing at least once a week (or more frequently, if you see algae spots forming) aids in keeping the water clear and surface healthy. Brushing should focus on:

Steps and corners

The waterline tile (where oils and dirt accumulate)

Paraphrase: Areas around pool lights and ladders

Brushing is also necessary after storms, heavy use of your pool or if adding chemicals such as calcium remover or clarifiers.

Pool Booster Pump or Robotic Pool Cleaner

Robotic cleaners can be confusing to some clients, as people can also think of a pool cleaning system with a pool booster pump as being considered a robotic cleaner. Booster pumps drive pressure-side vacuums, which also depend on the pool’s circulation system. A robot pool cleaner, by contrast, is entirely self-contained, employing its own power source and filtration. This makes robotic cleaners more efficient and user-friendly.

Does a Robot Pool Cleaner Brushing Be Done At All?

The honest answer is no. Robot pool cleaners cut the need for brushing dramatically, but not entirely. Not even the most advanced pool cleaner robot can scour every square inch with the same degree of pressure as a manual brush gets into small areas. Routine brushing, in conjunction with the such cool means of a pool robotic pool cleaner, offer you the cleanest, healthiest pool.

Tools like Beatbot AquaSense 2 and Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra let you automate day-to-day cleaning, while occasional brushing will help get your pool looking its best. This combination of tech and tender loving care keeps your pool charming throughout the season.