For a modern person, with his fast pace of life, it is important to spend as little time as possible on solving economic issues. And at the same time get fast and high-quality results. This also applies to home cleaning.
Cleaning the house is a familiar and uncomplicated process. But, like other household routines, keeping the house clean and tidy takes a lot of time and effort. Modern cleaning equipment allows you to minimize the time spent on cleaning. Let's take, for example, a washing vacuum cleaner.
A washing vacuum cleaner is a universal vacuum cleaner that can be used for traditional dry cleaning and wet cleaning. With its help you can not only remove dust (vacuum), but also wash floors and other surfaces in the house. You can safely say goodbye to your mop, broom and rags. A modern washing vacuum cleaner will completely replace both this primitive hand-held equipment and a regular vacuum cleaner.
How does a washing vacuum cleaner work?
The washing vacuum cleaner has two special reservoirs for liquid. One tank is filled with clean water or water with added detergent. Water from this reservoir is supplied under pressure through a hose and pipe to the nozzle and falls on the surface to be treated. Water is not only supplied, but immediately removed. The vacuum cleaner sucks up dirty water from the surface and sends it to a second reservoir - a container for waste liquid. The characteristics, subtleties of the device and functionality of different models may vary. But the operating principle of all washing vacuum cleaners is the same.
Rating of washing vacuum cleaners
- The best seller is undoubtedly Thomas TWIN TT Aquafilter . It is quite powerful, suitable for all types of floor coverings and, moreover, has a high-quality and reliable filtration system. Cons - it is quite large and heavy, and also requires careful washing after each use.
- It turns out that the cheapest model on the market is Zelmer ZVC752ZK . It is certainly distinguished by its affordability, effectiveness in different areas of cleaning, simple design and ease of cleaning. At the same time, it is quite noisy, equipped with a small container and does not have a power regulator.
- Karcher SE 4002, without any doubt, is highly reliable. Vacuum cleaners from this manufacturer have always been distinguished by proven quality and high-quality assembly. It also comes complete with a large number of brushes and attachments, has high suction power, and is easy to use. The downside is the lack of ability to adjust the power and the automatic cord rewind function.
- XRobot XR-210 is rightfully worth mentioning in the rating . It has a huge number of advantages - silent operation, excellent performance, and copes excellently with animal hair. On top of everything else, it works without your help and is equipped with an ultraviolet lamp to disinfect surfaces. Disadvantages - unfortunately, expensive in price and small volume of the dust collection container. It should be noted that the number of service centers is limited.
- XRobot FOX cleaner AIR model also received a large number of positive reviews for its various functions. Of these, the air ionization mode, remote control, and overcoming obstacles up to 3 cm in height should be noted. One of the downsides is that the robot does not allow the carpet pile to exceed 3 cm. You also need to avoid getting small parts into it. It follows from this that this model is not very suitable for a home where small children live.
To summarize, we would like to note that the choice of technology should be approached wisely and slowly. An important point to pay attention to is the availability of service centers in your city.
What can be cleaned and washed with a washing vacuum cleaner?
The washing vacuum cleaner can be used to clean hard and soft surfaces. With its help you can wash floors covered with ceramic tiles, moisture-resistant laminate, and linoleum. Moreover, you can wash not only horizontal surfaces, but also vertical ones (walls tiled or covered with a moisture-resistant coating, mirrors, glass surfaces). A washing vacuum cleaner can easily clean carpets and rugs with different pile heights. A washing vacuum cleaner will also come to the rescue if you need to quickly clean up liquid spilled on the floor.
Important details. Washing vacuum cleaners are not recommended for washing natural parquet boards. She is too sensitive to moisture. Carpets and rugs should be allowed to dry after any wet treatment.
If you need to do regular dry cleaning (vacuuming), simply do not fill the reservoir with water. And the device will operate in normal vacuum cleaner mode.
Features and types of washing vacuum cleaners
Let's first figure out what a washing vacuum cleaner is. Outwardly, it looks like a regular vacuum cleaner, only larger in size. But its main difference is the presence of two built-in reservoirs: for clean and dirty water.
Instead of the usual brush, at the end of the tube there is a nozzle that supplies moisture to the floor, spraying it in small jets under pressure, and then draws it back into the tank with the waste liquid.
This system allows for very effective cleaning of smooth surfaces: linoleum, tiles, moisture-resistant laminate. You won't achieve such a shine by hand or with a mop. Another technique will help refresh the color and remove all the dirt that collects on the fibers of the carpet or rug. Thanks to a special attachment, the device can be used to tidy upholstery of upholstered furniture and mattresses.
On those surfaces where wet cleaning is allowed, the use of such a technique has the best effect: all stains are removed well, there are no streaks, the floors dry instantly, because all excess moisture from them is sucked back into the device.
But you need to keep in mind that you cannot use the equipment for laminate, parquet and natural wood. Water penetrates into the pores and crevices between the boards and leads to damage to the material.
Disappointment comes not only from the prohibition on contact with certain types of materials, but also from the rather large size and weight, as well as the need to thoroughly wash all internal parts after each session.
How do you know if it’s worth buying such an assistant? To do this, you need to take a critical look at your home and pay attention to the following factors:
- The area of your house is quite large;
- there are carpets, tiles and linoleum;
- cats or dogs with long hair live with you.
If at least one match is found, the answer is positive. Well, if you don’t have much space and the flooring is laminate or wood, then you don’t even need to spend money on an expensive device: the likelihood that it will gather dust in the closet is very high.
There are units designed only for washing, and there are those that are suitable for both dry and wet processing. Universal equipment, of course, is more convenient in the sense that it can replace two devices.
Immediately it must be said about the whole army of vertical and robotic vacuum cleaners with a wet cleaning function. They cannot even be compared with special vacuum cleaners, since all they can do is simply wipe the surface with a rag, collecting a layer of dust. This makes it much cleaner, but thorough washing does not cancel this event.
Watch a video about the advantages and disadvantages of washing equipment.
What are the benefits of washing vacuum cleaners?
The main advantage of a washing vacuum cleaner is its versatility. If previously you had to have different tools at your disposal for different types of cleaning, today you can simply buy a washing vacuum cleaner. You can use one device to perform both dry and wet cleaning - to remove dust and wash surfaces. Moreover, a variety of surfaces - smooth and fleecy, hard and soft, horizontal and vertical. Also for cleaning up spilled liquids. It's extremely convenient.
As for the quality of cleaning, there simply can be no complaints about washing vacuum cleaners. They really perform their functions efficiently in any mode. They effectively absorb dust and wash away dirt perfectly.
Washing vacuum cleaners with an aquafilter do not dry, but humidify the air. If there are people in the house who have allergies or are sensitive to dry air, it is better to use just such a vacuum cleaner for cleaning. It efficiently removes the smallest particles of dust and animal hair and at the same time humidifies the air.
How to choose a washing vacuum cleaner for your home
When choosing a model of this equipment, you will first of all be faced with many functions that they support. First, you need to decide what is important for you - size, weight, power consumption, noise level during operation, container characteristics, pipe parameters. Secondly, when choosing, you need to understand where the washing vacuum cleaner will be used - wet cleaning of the room, processing upholstered furniture, cleaning surfaces from dust, washing windows, tiles. By the way, some models even have such a function as air deodorization.
General characteristics for this type of equipment
Of course, simple rules and knowledge of equipment parameters will help you make the ideal choice for purchase.
Dimensions and dimensions
In essence, size does not always indicate quality and functionality. It turns out that a small model can have all the qualities of a large one, and sometimes even surpass them. Almost all models are equipped with special wheels that will allow you not to carry the vacuum cleaner with you. The main thing is to understand where exactly you will store this equipment. Not all models take up limited space in the house. Therefore, the buyer approaches this issue first.
Power consumption
This parameter is indicated on the case and in the instructions. The vacuum cleaner, in accordance with its engine operation, is capable of consuming from 1300 to 2500 W.
Suction power
This characteristic plays the most important role when choosing, because the quality of cleaning primarily depends on it. Compared to power consumption, this figure is not so high - 280-500 W. To clean rooms with minimal contamination, select the lowest limit. For rooms with a lot of carpets and upholstered furniture - models with a high power rating.
Noise level
Modern models tend to create minimal vibration and are therefore not as noisy as their predecessors. The permissible noise level for human hearing is 71-92 decibels at a distance of 0.5 m from a person.
Characteristics of brushes
The brushes, of course, are equipped with a “carpet-to-floor” function, which allows you to change the mode and hide or extend the bristles. This, first of all, makes cleaning on different surfaces much easier. Many models are equipped with special nozzles for washing vertical surfaces, which does not allow water to flow down.
Container for collecting dust and debris
The standard container volume is in the range of about 1-5.5 liters. The choice, first of all, depends on the area of the room where you will use this type of equipment. The exact volume of the container, in most cases, is indicated in the instructions for use.
Suction pipe parameters
When choosing, it is important to pay attention to the material from which, in particular, the pipe is made. In most cases, models with an aluminum pipe are in best demand - this, as a rule, makes cleaning a little easier due to its lighter weight compared to a metal pipe.
Filters for vacuum cleaners
Every vacuum cleaner has a filtration system. The goal is to minimize the amount of dust in the blown air. Sometimes such systems have up to 12 filters.
What are the disadvantages of washing vacuum cleaners?
Due to the special design and additional containers filled with water, washing vacuum cleaners are larger and heavier in weight than conventional vacuum cleaners. Also, washing vacuum cleaners are more difficult to maintain. Cleaning a conventional vacuum cleaner only involves emptying the dust container. Moreover, you can empty it not after each use of the vacuum cleaner, but as it fills. After each cleaning, you need to open the washing vacuum cleaner, disassemble the system of filters and containers, thoroughly wash and dry all the elements, and only then put them back together. Washing vacuum cleaners are more expensive than regular ones. But this is quite justified, because their functionality is much wider.
Power
Power is the first, but not the most important parameter that buyers pay attention to when buying a vacuum cleaner. Typically, the manufacturer indicates the power consumption in the specifications. And this is the maximum value of power consumption that the device can develop in the first seconds of operation. Power consumption in operating mode will be less than the specified maximum.
It is more important to know the indicators of another power - suction power. The quality of cleaning will depend on this power value. The suction power can be from 200 to 1000 W. The higher it is, the more efficiently the vacuum cleaner removes dust and absorbs liquid faster. All modern vacuum cleaners provide the ability to select a power mode. It is not always necessary to operate the device at full power.
Suction power
Many buyers confuse this parameter with power consumption, which cunning manufacturers display in beautiful large letters on the box.
Thus, the symbols “1800W” or “2000W” do not mean at all that this type will clean more efficiently than a device that consumes only 1500 W.
The quality of cleaning is affected by the suction power, which for most household models varies from 250 to 500 W.
The optimal power is 380 - 400 W. Be sure to check this parameter before purchasing.
Some of the highest quality (and most expensive) washing units are produced by the German company Karcher. If reliability and perfect cleanliness in your home are important to you, read the most detailed article about these devices, it even contains information about which detergent is suitable for a Karcher vacuum cleaner, not to mention prices, reviews, and so on.
A more affordable option is washing devices from the Thomas company, at the moment the price for them is not very high, with a large number of functions, more detailed information is here, read about it only in our online magazine!
Volume and design of tanks
The washing vacuum cleaner has two reservoirs for liquids - for clean water and for dirty water. If you decide to buy a washing vacuum cleaner and start making your choice, pay attention not only to the volume of the tanks, but also to the features of their location.
The volume of the clean water tank for a washing vacuum cleaner can be from 2 to 10 liters. You should choose based on the area of the premises in which you plan to clean. In other words, on the volume of upcoming work. For servicing a one-room or small two-room apartment, a model with a small 2-4 liter tank is quite suitable. For a spacious three-room apartment, you can take a vacuum cleaner with a larger tank - 4-5 liters. If you have a large house with many rooms, choose an appropriate vacuum cleaner - with a 7-10 liter tank. The volume of the dirty water tank will always correspond to the volume of the clean water tank.
You should not buy a vacuum cleaner with a very large tank unless there is a real need. The larger the tank, the larger and heavier the vacuum cleaner.
And now about the location of the tanks. There are three options for their placement. The tanks can be located one above the other - a container for clean water is installed on top of a container for dirty water. In this case, you will have to remove both containers to drain the dirty water. Second option: the dirty water container is placed directly in the clean water container. You can add clean water to the container freely. But to drain dirty water, again, you will have to remove both containers. The third option is two separate autonomous tanks located side by side. In practice, this is the most convenient design, because the containers can be removed and serviced separately.
Action and use of a washing vacuum cleaner
The device of the washing vacuum cleaner includes a special container into which clean water and detergent are poured. During operation, it passes through the hose and enters the nozzle, then wets and washes the floor. Dirty liquid collected from the surface goes into a second container for dirty water. As a result, washing occurs evenly, and no streaks or stains remain on the floors. In this case, the surface dries in a matter of minutes.
On many models, you can adjust the power of operation and the volume of water that is supplied to the surface to be cleaned. To clean soft carpets and furniture, you need to use maximum power, otherwise the material will have time to get wet. And then such products can only be dried in the fresh air.
The washing vacuum cleaner is suitable for dry and wet cleaning of carpets and soft surfaces, for cleaning large areas and for people who suffer from allergies or asthma. Using wet cleaning, you can collect as much dust, dirt and animal hair as possible, and remove small particles, dust particles and lint.
At the same time, the vacuum cleaner moistens the surface and is suitable for cleaning upholstered furniture. How to effectively clean upholstered chairs and sofas, see here.
Type of dust collector
In dry cleaning mode, the washing vacuum cleaner sucks dust like a regular vacuum cleaner into the dust collection container. This can be a regular bag, a container with a cyclone system, or an aquafilter.
Bag. The simplest and most familiar dust collection system is suction into a soft bag. This can be a disposable removable bag made of special paper or a reusable textile bag that can be washed.
Cyclone system. In vacuum cleaners with this system, dust is collected in a plastic container. Under the influence of air currents, the dust in the container is gathered into a dense lump, which greatly simplifies cleaning the vacuum cleaner. The container can be easily removed and washed with plain water.
Aquafilter. This dust collection system is considered the most advanced. The air sucked in by the vacuum cleaner passes through a water tank. All dust, including the smallest particles, settles in the water. Not a single speck of dust is returned into the air, as happens with vacuum cleaners with bags and plastic containers. If there are allergy sufferers in the family, we recommend buying a washing vacuum cleaner with an aqua filter. It removes dust as efficiently as possible and does not dry out the air. The disadvantages are also worth mentioning. Vacuum cleaners with an aqua filter are more bulky, heavier and more difficult to clean. The filter system must be disassembled, washed and dried after each cleaning.
Differences between washing vacuum cleaners and conventional ones
Conventional vacuum cleaners are devices designed for dry cleaning. The principle of operation is very simple: dust, dirt and small debris on the surface being treated are sucked in along with air through the pipe. This air then passes through the filter and comes out purified. All collected dust is collected in a bag. There are models with a water tank. Dusty air entering it is cleaned using liquid, dirt remains in the water, and filtered air comes out.
Dry vacuum cleaners are not capable of cleaning lint well, even if they have high power. Crumbs, small particles of debris, most dust and dirt can be removed, but the carpet fibers cannot be completely cleaned of dirt. Residues of dirt and dust remain in the carpet and upholstery and are then inhaled by the occupants. This especially negatively affects the health of allergy sufferers and children. Pets should be mentioned separately. Dogs and cats tend to shed, leaving their fur everywhere. Wool and hair are a separate problem for housewives. Only vacuum cleaners with high power can remove them (for more details, see the article which vacuum cleaner is best to buy for cleaning animal hair).
Speaking about washing vacuum cleaners, you can find many more advantages of using them compared to dry cleaning devices. The washing vacuum cleaner itself is a device that contains a reservoir. Water is poured into this tank; at the request of the housewife, you can add powder or detergent. This device has a special mechanism with the help of which not only dust, but also dirt is pulled out of the pile or upholstery. Along with performing this important function, the vacuum cleaner treats the surface with soapy water from the tank; after cleaning, the water returns to the device, but ends up in another tank for dirty water (more about the principle of operation - how washing vacuum cleaners work). Such devices are additionally equipped with special cleaning brushes.
