01.Karcher Window Vac WV 70 plus
Price $149
Contact: www.karcher.com.au
There are vacuum cleaners for just about every cleaning job – floors, cars, wet spills – but a vacuum cleaner for windows? Karcher claims the battery-powered WV 70 Plus cleans windows perfectly in no time at all – without any streaks. “No time at all” may be a little optimistic, but it does leave a streak-free finish.
Features and attachments
The WV 70 Plus set includes the window vac itself with squeegee attachment (280mm wide; a 170mm attachment can be bought separately for use on smaller areas), plus a spray bottle with a microfibre pad attachment, detergent concentrate, and recharger.
Extra detergent sachets can be bought, though regular detergents from the supermarket will probably work just as well. Glass that’s not too dirty can be cleaned with plain detergent-free water (tap water is fine).
Performance
You first spray the window with the detergent/water mix and wipe it with the microfibre pad to remove most of the grime, then immediately vacuum the dirty water residue from the glass with the window vac. The result is a clean, dry, streak-free window.
You can also use the WV 70 Plus on mirrors or in fact any smooth surface. Our tester, Peter Horvath, tried it on windows (inside and outside surfaces), mirrors and bathroom wall tiles. He found it worked well in all cases, though since outside window surfaces are often fairly dirty, you might want to give them an initial clean with a hose or cloth, to avoid clogging the microfibre pad with too much dirt.
The WV 70 Plus has a 3.6V lithium battery and runs for 20 minutes on a full charge. Charging takes two hours.
CHOICE verdict
The Karcher WV 70 Plus is very easy to use and gives a nice, streak-free finish on glass. Other window-cleaning options such as microfibre cloths and glass-cleaning sprays are cheaper.
However, if you have a lot of windows or wall tiles and like to keep them sparkling clean, the Karcher will save you a lot of time and effort.
For more information about vacuum cleaners, see Laundry and cleaning.