How to turn on the robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi without wet cleaning: all ways for different models

Xiaomi vacuum cleaners have long been indispensable cleaning assistants, but wet-treated combined modes are not always required, such as carpets, parquets or quick dust cleaning, dry cleaning is enough. However, the interface of the Mi Home or Xiaomi Home application is not always intuitive: somewhere the option is hidden in the depth of the menu, and in some models it needs to be activated through a voice assistant or physical buttons.

In this article, we will explore all possible ways to run a robot vacuum cleaner without wet cleaning, from the basic Mi Robot Vacuum models to the flagship DreameBot X30 Ultra. We will focus on the nuances of the firmware 2023-2026, where the logic of control changed after the updates. If your vacuum cleaner stubbornly turns on water despite the settings, here you will find a solution.

Why does Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaner automatically turn on wet cleaning?

The reason lies in the smart cleaning algorithms that Xiaomi has integrated into recent generations of devices. By default, many models (Viomi V3, Dreame D9, Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro) try to combine dry and wet cleaning for “optimal results.”

• 🔹 Preset scenarios in the app (e.g., Deep Cleaning mode automatically activates the mop).
• 🔹 Moisture sensors in a water tank – if installed, the robot thinks it needs to wash the floor.
• 🔹 Firmware updates, where Xiaomi has forced to add “smart hints” (for example, in versions after the release of the new product). 3.5.8_0040 Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P).

In addition, in models with automatic mop lifting (for example, DreameBot L10s Ultra), the robot can independently decide when to lower the mop - even if you choose to dry cleaning, this behavior can be turned off, but not in all firmware.

⚠️ Note: In Xiaomi robots with a system LDS 2.0 (laser rangefinder) when selecting a cleaning zone through a map in the application, the mode settings are sometimes reset!

Method 1: Disable wet cleaning through the Mi Home/Xiaomi Home app

The most obvious, but not always working method. The interface of the application has changed several times, so the instructions depend on the version of the software of your vacuum cleaner:

1. Open Mi Home or Xiaomi Home and select your robot vacuum cleaner.
2. Go to Cleaning → Cleaning Settings (or Cleaning Settings in English).
3. Find the option: 📌 «Cleaning mode» → Choose only the vacuum cleaner (Vacuum only). 📌 «Wet cleaning» → Move the slider to the off position.. 📌 «Washing intensity» → Set 0% (in some models, this is equivalent to turning off).

Save the settings and start cleaning with the Start button.

If the option is not available, then your model does not support the complete disabling of the mop through the application, in which case try alternative methods from the following sections.

Make sure the water tank is empty and removed from the vacuum cleaner|

Close the lid of the mop compartment (in some models, the sensor blocks the launch)|

Update the firmware to the latest version (see "Updates" section)|

Check if the Deep Cleaning mode is activated on the schedule-->

Method 2: Physically shutting down the water tank

If the software method didn't work, you can go mechanically, and most of Xiaomi's robot vacuum cleaners can't turn on wet cleaning if:

• 💧 Water tank empty (liquid level sensor blocks function).
• 🔌 The tank is completely removed from the body (in some models this turns off the pump).
• 🔄 Mope cloth not fitted to holder.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the vacuum cleaner with the Power button on the case.
2. Remove the water tank (usually it is attached to the latches behind).
3. Make sure there's no rag in the mop bay.
4. Turn on the vacuum cleaner and start cleaning through the app or button on the case.

⚠️ Important: In models with electronic pump control (e.g. DreameBot) Z10 Pro) simple removal of the tank may not work - you will need to disable the sensor of the presence of the tank through the engineering menu (see Method 4).

Method 3: Voice commands to turn off wet cleaning

Xiaomi’s Alice-enabled, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa robot vacuum cleaners allow voice control, which is especially handy if the app interface doesn’t offer the option of turning off the mop.

Supported teams (in Russian and English):

• 🎤 «OK, Google, set the vacuum cleaner mode only. (Hey Google, set) [robot name] to vacuum only).
• 🎤 «Alice, turn on dry cleaning on Xiaomi».
• 🎤 «Alexa, turn off mopping mode for [device name]».

If the voice assistant answers that “team is not supported,” check:

• 🔹 Is the vacuum cleaner connected to the same account as the speaker/smartphone.
• 🔹 Is the robot software updated (in older versions, voice control is limited).
• 🔹 Is the option Voice control enabled in the vacuum cleaner settings in the application.

Through the Mi Home| app

Voice (Alice/Google/Alexa) |

With buttons on the case |

Through third-party systems (Home Assistant, Yandex IoT)|-->

Method 4: Engineering menu and hidden settings

For advanced users who are ready to dive into service settings, there is a way to turn off wet cleaning at the firmware level, which works for models on the Viomi and Dreame platform, where standard options are blocked.

Instructions for entering the engineering menu:

1. Turn off the vacuum cleaner.
2. Press the Home and Spot buttons for 5 seconds at the same time until the voice message sounds or the indicator flashes.
3. Release the buttons and the robot will make sound and go into diagnostic mode.
4. Press the Spot button 3 times in a row, then 1 time Home.This will open the Mop Settings menu.
5. Use the buttons to navigate and turn off the Auto Mop Enable (OFF) setting.
6. Save the settings with a long press home.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect actions in the engineering menu can lead to resetting or damage to the firmware.

💡

Before entering the engineering menu, take a picture of the current vacuum cleaner settings in the application, which will help restore them in the event of a failure.

Method 5: Resetting settings to factory

If none of these methods worked, the last resort is factory reset, which will remove all stored maps, schedules and cleaning profiles, but return the vacuum cleaner to a default state where wet cleaning is turned off by default.

How to reset your settings:

1. Turn on the vacuum cleaner.
2. Press the Power button for 10 seconds until the sound sounds (in some models you need to hold Home + Spot).
3. After reset, connect the vacuum cleaner again in the Mi Home app.
4. When you first set up, select Only vacuum cleaner mode.

⚠️ Important: Once reset, the robot will require re-attachment to Wi-Fi and retraining the map of the room. LDS-Lidar (e.g. Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro) can take up to 30 minutes to complete.

💡

Resetting settings is the only way to return efficiency if the vacuum cleaner “hangs” in wet cleaning mode after updating the firmware.

Firmware update: why does dry cleaning not work after the update?

Many users are faced with the fact that after automatic firmware updates, the robot vacuum cleaner begins to ignore the settings and turns on the mop against choice, this is due to Xiaomi’s policy, which in new versions of the software forcibly activates “smart” modes.

How to check and update the firmware:

1. Open the Mi Home app → select a vacuum cleaner → Settings → About the device.
2. Check the current version of the firmware (for example, 3.5.8_0040).
3. If an update is available, click Update and wait until it is completed (don’t interrupt the process!).

If the dry cleaning options are gone after the update:

• 🔹 Try to roll back to the previous version (instructions in spoiler below).
• 🔹 Write in support of Xiaomi with the model and firmware version – sometimes they return the old settings on request.

FAQ: Frequent questions about dry cleaning in Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners