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Journalist Glenn Kelly tested four vacuum cleaners at home to see which tackled his busy household of two young children and an energetic Labradoodle. Here's what he found.
Let's be honest, no-one really likes reaching for the hoover. But everyone will agree they are one of life’s necessities.
The dog’s muddy paws have walked through the house again? Not to worry, I’ll grab the wet and dry hoover. Those lovely kids have broken a dry Weetabix biscuit lovingly over the tiles you say? No sweat, let me grab the hoover and get the place back to normal.
These mini accidents always seem to happen just minutes before either we are leaving the house or we have visitors arriving.
Therefore, power and speed have become the buzz words in the field of vacuum cleaners. And, as we become a nation of impatient dwellers, we need something that is easily cleaned afterwards and – if cordless – lasts a decent amount of time.
Luckily for you, if you are in the market for a new appliance, we have four of the best machines on offer below.
Shark HydroVac Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
€389.95, Arnotts.ie
Likes: Efficiency, suction power, quick-drying, easy to assemble and use, self-cleaning, good value.
Dislikes: Could be better on low-pile rugs.
Simply put, the best that I have tested.Not only is this a fantastic hoover, but, as the Hydro name suggests it mops at the same time. This will get all but the most extreme cleaning aficionados weak at the knees.
We have a relatively large-tiled hallway, kitchen and dining room area, but the entire thing is dealt with in a whizz-bang five-minute period of wonderful suction and mopping. And this shortened period is all the better - as any family with two young kids and a Labradoodle will know – as the machine will be required again within one hour, tops.
Crumbs, spillages and mess are no match for it and we now find ourselves introducing it to opened-mouthed neighbours who are soon clambering to get one of their own.
It is also easy to assemble straight out of the box and the battery is more than enough for a couple of thorough cleans. It even cleans itself on it’s dock afterwards! I think I’m in love.
Emptying the tank is a bit messy with solids and dirty water, but it is securely in place until you decide to empty with no spillages en-route, and it is a small price to pay. The only minor gripe is that it is advertised as being able to also clean low-pile rugs, but I found this wasn’t so successful, missing some spots of crumbs.
At €389.95, I feel that it is also exceptional value and if I were you I would take the plunge if finances allow.
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine
€899.95, Arnotts.ie
Likes: Superb suction, agile, easy-cleaned, excellent battery life, Dyson aftercare.
Dislikes: Expensive, submarine addition needs more work, on the heavy side.
As far as premium appeal goes, Dyson is still a winner, and the V15s Submarine is no different. With its futuristic looking dust container and the digital display to show you battery health and mode selector, this thing is the best looker on the market.
This model is essentially a V15 with a separate head fitting that also allows it to wash hard floors. So, in theory this should be the answer to all Dyson fans' prayers. With the standard detector head in place, the suction of the V15s is incredible. Dirt does not stand a chance, and with automatic floor-type detection, the movement from hard floors to carpets is effortless.
The vacuum comes with a number of fitments including the submarine as well as a pet-hair remover. The hoover twists and turns superbly and is quite effective at reaching along the skirting boards and into corners, something not all Dysons in the past managed so well. The battery is superb and it is easily possible to get a full hour of hoovering before needing to recharge.
When the cleaning is complete and it is time to try out the Submarine head, I found things to be not so great. Firstly, the head is a little fiddly to put together and it can be difficult to get it securely in place.
The Submarine relies on the roller mop to soak up any spillages and mop, and this is when it feels like the Dyson may be taking on too much. Anything other than the smallest of liquid spillages appeared to outwork our machine with the roller not having the capacity to soak the entire spill up.
I was also hoping to be able to lift small pieces of food up along with the liquid, but there is such a small opening between roller and the unit itself that this rarely happened and instead it created a line of dirty water from the roller head.
The emptying of the Submarine compartment certainly requires more work. The unit is not entirely sealed, so when you are detaching it from the shaft, it is almost impossible not to slosh some of the dirty contents over the side. Then you have the rather messy job of sorting the solid elements from the dirty water.
For a premium product such as this I am surprised Dyson let this feature go to market in this way. I have no doubt there will be another iteration that makes improvements on this product. But, for now it would be best viewed as a phenomenal suction hoover with the original fittings in place that can also mop up wet footprints and other small spillages, perfect for an Irish winter.
Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop
€469.95, Arnotts.ie
Likes: Excellent navigation, impressive suction, self-emptying, great value, quiet, edge cleaning.
Dislikes: Mopping for minor spillages, app not the best, can take quite a while to hoover,
Shark’s 2024 robotic hoover featuring 360-degree LiDAR sensors is right up with hoovers more than twice its price in the robotic category. Our kids decided to call the robot "Gary" and so that is how he will be known throughout this review.
On his first run, Gary maps out the house in a very impressive manner. The floorplan on the app shows how he has registered obstacles such as sofas and tables to ensure he knows how to approach these in future. I was impressed with the cleaning capabilities of the machine. It also features a blowing technology, that blasts dust and dirt from along the corners of the room and then sucks it up like it was never there.
Gary is also very quiet on the move and even our dog Mimi is not too perplexed by his movements back and forth, as long as he doesn’t try to steal her food. The mopping element works quite well but is only for the smaller side of spillages and footprints. However, at this price point it is very much an unexpected bonus.
The self-emptying technology makes it almost hands free for users. On the downside the app is a bit glitchy and it took me about 45 minutes to set up an internet connection with it. It also takes quite a long time to hoover so it is best if you are otherwise occupied.
So, it may not spell the end of the need for a manual hoover now and again but Shark have made an excellent robotic hoover that offers excellent cleaning ability at a fantastic price point, with some mopping capability thrown into the mix too.
Shark CarpetXpert Deep Carpet Cleaner with Built-In StainStriker
€249.95, Arnotts.ie
Likes: Powerhouse cleaner, plenty of accessories, easy to empty, excellent value
Dislikes: Bulky, needs water changed quite a lot
So, now that your hard floors are cleaned and mopped, your carpets now need the same treatment, and no better took for the job than the Shark CarpetXpert.
The cleaner may lack the finesse and styling of some of the above, but it isn’t half effective. Various stains around the house, including wine, make-up and food were all gone.
We have hired in professional carpet cleaners before and honestly, I don’t think we will need to again. Carpets look like new again and we couldn’t believe how the rooms were brought to life once more. Even the dry time was reasonable, within a few hours.
There are various attachments included for spot cleaning and a flexi-hose that allows easier use for stairs and sofas, so that overall bulkiness is not a deal breaker. It was also great for getting any pet smells off furniture with the starter pack of cleaning solution that comes included.
Two separate water tanks allows the dirty water to be stored in its own container and reduces mess, although this process has to be repeated quite frequently.
With the machine currently on offer at under €250, every larger house should have one of these. Even if it is only used every couple of months, within a year you would have paid off the machine when compared against the price of calling in the professionals.
You can follow Glenn Kelly on X (Twitter) @Glenn_Kelly83.
