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.
Pros and cons of models with wet cleaning
Stay up to date! Experienced users call the main advantages of washing vacuum cleaners:
- versatility of use;
- an impressive range of useful options;
- elimination of allergens and harmful microorganisms;
- effective cleaning of hard-to-reach areas;
- the ability to quickly collect spilled liquid;
- ergonomic design.
Among the disadvantages of washing equipment are:
- the need to regularly clean the device;
- quite large size and weight of the electrical appliance;
- high cost of improved models.
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.
How to choose a washing vacuum cleaner?
Having dealt with the question of whether it is worth buying a washing vacuum cleaner, the next problem the buyer faces is the configuration of the device. Each manufacturer equips its products with various additional functions. The availability of various options is a plus for the device, but some manufacturers sacrifice the quality of the product in order to equip it with a significant number of functions. Others add a minimum of options to the vacuum cleaner, but pay a lot of attention to the quality of the actions performed. Some manufacturers make high-quality products equipped with a large number of different functions, but due to the high cost, these products are not affordable for many people.
Before deciding on a manufacturer, you should study other important characteristics of the device. When purchasing a washing vacuum cleaner, you should definitely pay attention to the following qualities:
- power;
- filtration quality;
- Ease of use;
- number of additional functions;
- appearance, dimensions and weight;
- price.
One of the most important characteristics of a vacuum cleaner is power. This applies not only to washing vacuum cleaners, but also to dry cleaning devices. Most often, the cost of a product directly depends on its power. Cheap devices will not be able to provide the necessary suction for cleaning a city apartment. To clean a medium-sized living space, you don’t need to buy an overly powerful product.
A sufficient figure for a standard home would be 300-400 W.
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.
What is a washing vacuum cleaner?
A washing vacuum cleaner is needed to remove dust and wash the floor: it will clean the coverings of debris, “refresh” them and add moisture to the air. A washing machine (for example, Ariete 4242/10) does not only dry cleaning, but also wet cleaning. This device is better than those designed only for collecting dust.
All washing vacuum cleaners work not only to spray liquid, but also immediately absorb it back into themselves. For example, Thomas HYGIENE T2 will clean up spilled tea, juice or soda.
This is a device consisting of two tanks. The first is intended for detergent diluted in water, the second is for water with debris.
In devices that are installed vertically, the tanks are located on top of each other; in horizontal devices, the tanks are located side by side. Sometimes in such a device there is only a container with water intended for garbage. Water for washing is poured into a cassette, which is installed directly into the dust collector.
Note: some models are equipped with another compartment for liquid soap. This option is more economical: in a vacuum cleaner designed in this way, the detergent is supplied in portions.
At the beginning of washing the floors, clean water is poured into the washing tank. As the water from the first container becomes contaminated, it flows into the second. Typically, the dust container has a larger volume than the clean water compartment. This is designed to prevent dirt from being poured out until cleaning is completed.
Are the floors vacuumed and mopped? It's time to empty the dust container of dirty water: you just need to pour it out, and then rinse and dry the container.
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.
Useful tips from experts
A washing vacuum cleaner is a fairly expensive and technologically advanced device. That is why it is important to study all the recommendations of experts in order to buy not a pig in a poke, but a truly worthy and functional model. In addition, you need to properly monitor the purchased device. How to remember all this? Read our tips.
- Before purchasing, carefully study the ratings of the best devices and reviews from other buyers on the Internet. Buy washing vacuum cleaners from reputable stores, carefully study all documents and keep receipts.
- Make sure that the vacuum cleaner you buy allows you to wet clean natural carpets, parquet or laminate boards using special brushes and attachments. If this is not stated in the instructions, it is better not to wash these decorative elements.
- Use special detergents suitable for cleaning vacuum cleaners and coatings. In addition, each coating has its own brush head and its own power level. Read the instructions carefully!
- Be sure to wash all attachments, containers and reservoirs, and filters that need to be washed according to the instructions. After such water procedures, these elements must be thoroughly dried, otherwise an unpleasant odor and even mold will appear.
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.
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.
Volume and location of water tanks
The design of the unit includes two tanks: for clean solution and for collecting dirty water. You should choose based on the size of the first container.
- In a small one- or two-room apartment, a container of 3-4 liters will be sufficient.
- Three- and four-room housing will require at least 5-6 liters.
- For a spacious house, it is advisable to choose samples of 8-10 liters.
A large vessel, of course, increases the size of the equipment, but taking a small one for a huge space is unwise: cleaning will have to be stopped often and the device disassembled for refueling.
The volume of storage for used water depends on the capacity of the main tank: it can be the same or larger.
The position of the containers relative to each other inside the housing may differ:
- one container is located above the other - this is inconvenient in terms of draining and adding solution;
- a tank with clean water is placed in a tank with dirty water - this is a good solution when you can add liquid during the process without disassembling the entire structure;
- the vessels are located nearby - the most comfortable option, since the storage facilities do not depend on each other.
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.
