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Review: The new Dyson V8 cordless vacuums

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As a fan of the previous V6 Dyson cordless, I couldn’t wait to give the new and improved version, the V8, a spin. And after weeks of rigorous use (who said neat freak?), I’m totally in love. The latest design has rectified anything that was slightly letting down the old version.

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While it’s a still lightweight 2.6kg, the digital V8 motor, which can spin at up to 110,000rpm, boasts powerful fade-free suction. “We’ve spent more than a decade and over £250m developing our small and powerful digital motors,” says James Dyson. “Our latest generation motor sits at the heart of the Dyson V8 cord-free vacuum. It’s the result of 18 months research and development and 500,000 hours of testing.” That’s a lot of testing!

What I love most about the cordless Dyson is how easy it is to quickly clean my entire apartment without having to worry about plugging and unplugging or dragging a heavier vacuum from room to room. The motor and battery are positioned near the hand which shifts the centre of gravity, making the cleaning end of the vacuum much lighter, so it’s easy to clean up top and down below (I love using it on ceiling cobwebs!). What I used to find frustrating was how the V6 battery could die before I’d managed to do the whole place (I like a challenge but 20 minutes wasn’t cutting it). Not anymore! This version will keep going for up to 40 minutes (that’s double the V6) which is massive for a powerful, cord free machine. It’s also quieter, which is a consideration when you live in an apartment.

As important as the motor is the Dyson cleaner head technology. A direct-drive head removes ground-in dirt (at our place that means toddler crumbs and sand, for example) and pet hair from carpets, while a soft roller head removes large debris and fine dust from hard floors simultaneously. I haven’t had a chance to try them all, but I can tell you the mini motorised tool makes vacuuming my navy velvet sofa (which shows every last bit of fluff) a walk in the park! The new design quick-release catch makes it even easier to swap between attachments. It still has the ‘Max’ function, a turbo boost if you will, for tougher jobs, but bear in mind this uses the battery up quicker.

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My other pet hate about the V6 was how awkward, and sometimes messy, it could be to empty the machine into the bin. This has also been fixed. Hooray! The Dyson V8 features a new bin-emptying mechanism. As the bin is emptied, a rubber collar slides down the shroud, scraping dirt off. This enables you to hygienically drive out trapped dust and debris in a single action, with no need to touch the dirt. Great news for asthmatics and people with allergies, in particular. The bin also has a bigger capacity which means you have to empty it less often.

Another new feature I appreciate is the battery runtime indicator, so running out of power no longer comes as a nasty surprise!

The Dyson V8 Absolute vacuum includes the direct-drive cleaner head and the soft roller cleaner head, in addition to the mini motorised tool, the combination tool, crevice tool and mini soft dusting brush. RRP $849. The Dyson V8 Animal vacuum includes the direct-drive cleaner head in addition to the mini motorised tool, the combination tool, crevice tool and mini soft dusting brush. Recommended retail price is $749. Available at major electrical retailers and www.dyson.com.au. Both machines include a 2-year hassle-free warranty on parts and labour.

FUN FACTS

  • Dyson sold its first cord-free vacuum, the handheld DC16, in 2006. So 2016 marks 10 years of Dyson cord-free technology.
  • In 2016, Dyson will produce 8.8 million digital motors – that’s approximately one every 3.5 seconds.
  • 376 robots are used to assemble Dyson digital motors, as even the most dextrous human hand isn’t precise enough: the smallest manufacturing tolerance is +/- 3 microns, which is approximately a quarter of the thickness of a human hair.
  • Dyson has committed to a £1.5bn investment in future technology and will launch 100 new products around the world in the next four years.

–Disclosure: Dyson gifted me a vacuum for the purpose of this review. Positive coverage was not guaranteed, these are my own honest views and these words have not been approved by the brand.

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Appliances

Review: The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Vacuum

Those of you who are regular readers will know I’m a total neat freak and I love nothing more than to take the latest cleaning products or gadgets for a spin. No really, this stuff excites me! I also have a long time love affair with Dyson, having grown up in Wiltshire, England, where James Dyson opened his first factory. As a local newspaper reporter back in the day, one of my most exciting assignments was to cover the launch of the until then top secret Dyson washing machine. I’ve been a Dyson fan since I bought a reconditioned one on first moving out of home (my trainee reporter salary didn’t quite stretch to brand new) and have been one ever since.

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I bought the handy Dyson V6 Animal last year and it gets a serious workout. I love how portable, flexible and lightweight it is. But at the end of the day, a battery charge only lasts a max of 20-odd minutes and you really can’t have it all. So while this will always be the go-to in my house for a quick vacuum, it’s got nothing on this powerful new beast, the Cinetic Big Ball.

Of course, like all Dysons, it looks pretty cool. While some people say that doesn’t matter, I think it’s an added bonus. And it’s not just aesthetics, it’s clever design too, which will always be a winner with me. While some barrel vacuum cleaners can be cumbersome and frustrating, Dyson engineers set out to solve some common problems with this one: “The problem with some barrel vacuums is that they can go off on a tangent and topple, leaving you to walk back over the floor you’ve just cleaned to right the machine. We challenged our engineers to refine the barrel format, to solve this problem and others. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball barrel is the vacuum that self-rights when toppled. Further advances include hygienic dirt ejection and an articulated handle,” says James Dyson.

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It’s the only vacuum with no maintenance and no loss of suction, as there are no filters to wash or replace and no bags to buy. It self-rights when toppled because its components are put together in a spherical array, with the heaviest nearest to the floor. Placing them inside a curved body with a low centre of gravity means that whenever the vacuum is displaced, gravitational forces will automatically return it to its upright resting position. It can turn on the spot and follow you effortlessly around the home. This is great for a clumsy person with little patience (that’s me).

As the bin is emptied, a silicone collar slides down the shroud. This scrapes off trapped dirt or debris, driving them out. There’s no need to touch the dirt or reach inside the bin (something I often have to do with the Animal if I’m honest. And yuck!).

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As well as being a neat freak I’m also in total denial about having a stylish home and a toddler. Case in point: our newly purchased cream wool rug which shows every speck of dirt. The extreme suction (it’s so powerful, it takes some getting used to, and the toddler is scared of it, but again, you can’t have it all!), removes everything and leaves it looking all perfect, fluffed up and like new. Hoorah! (And did you know almost every small spill can be removed with baby wipes? It’s true.).

There are so many more cool features to this machines, like the attachment with anti-static carbon fibre filaments to help remove dust from hard floors. And an active base plate automatically adjusts the cleaner head height, raising and lowering to seal in suction across carpets, rugs and hard floors.

If you’re a true Dyson fan like me, you’ll know that back in the seventies, James Dyson revolutionised wheelbarrows by replacing the wheel with a ball. So it’s kind of like coming full circle really.

Available now from all major retailers. RRP from $699. For more information.

Fun fact: The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball barrel was in development for more than 2.5 years and more than 50 design engineers produced more than 1,000 prototypes of it.

Disclosure: Dyson gifted me with this vacuum for the purposes of this review. Positive coverage was not guaranteed.

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Appliances Smart Home

Samsung study reveals changing face of Australian home

The results are in! Samsung have done some hefty research into the lifestyles of Aussie households to discover what trends really affect our lives and how we use technology to improve them.

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Out of the thousand that participated in the study, more than half (62%) identified saving money on bills as the most important benefit of a digitally connected home, followed by energy savings (45%) and convenience (43%).

Samsung also found that the average household throws away more than $1,000 worth of food each year, with NSW wasting about $1,475, almost double that of QLD! I know my household is a definite culprit. Also, as we’re coming up to the festive season, we spend two and a half times our average monthly food bill on Christmas entertaining (that’s a lot of honey glazed ham and prawns).

When it comes to entertainment, 55% prefer entertaining at home because it’s a good money saver, and 45% say it’s more sociable, not to mention flexible.

In terms of cleaning, 12 hours per week is spent on housework, and 33% believe technology will make their household chores easier in the future.

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Utilising these results, Samsung have released their Australians@HOME range to help households with everyday chores through Wi-Fi enabled home devices that can be personalised to specific needs. Products include the POWERbot VR9200 with vision mapping ($1,799), Ultra Large Capacity Washing Machine with auto detergent dispenser ($3,999), Chef Collection fridge with built-in tray for marinating meat ($7,999), and Chef Collection Vapour Oven with a full touch LCD screen ($2,999).

For more information.

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Appliances

Smart and stylish: the latest dust buster from Electrolux

Ever pulled out your old vacuum and, after labouring away with the big, awkward thing, wondered who on earth could design something not only so bulky, but just plain ugly? Well the people at Electrolux probably wondered the same thing. And from all that wondering, Ergorapido was born.

18V Steel Blue RRP $359
18V Steel Blue RRP $359

The latest Electrolux Ergorapido 2-in-1 vacuum boasts better cleaning of both floors and furniture, while simultaneously looking stylish and sophisticated.

Features include a 180-degree swivel nozzle and large rear wheels, allowing you to steer around tight corners and under furniture easily, and a detachable handheld unit for shelves and upholstery. The vacuum is also self-standing, which means you can “accidentally” leave the stylish airbrushed metallic inlays, streamline contours and clear nozzle panels out on display.

14.4V White RRP $279
14.4V White RRP $279

When you’re finished, just step on the pedal and whoosh – all those tangled fibres and dirt are sucked into the dust cup. 2-in-1? More like a million-in-one.

Available at electrical retails and major department stores in 18V Watermelon Red, Tungsten and Steel Blue, or in 14.4V White.

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Appliances Expert Tips

How to create an allergy-proof home this winter

For those that suffer from asthma or are prone to airborne allergies, winter means more time surrounded by nasty health hazards such as mould, dust mites and pet dander. However, never fear! The latest cutting edge appliances now have the power to eradicate allergens and allow for an allergy-proof haven this winter. Below, the experts at The Good Guys share their tips on what appliances will best ensure a pleasant and allergy-free indoor experience.

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  • Vacuum’s with high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) air filters, are suitable for those who suffer from asthma and airborne allergies. HEPA filters catch and trap small pollutants, making them the best option for anyone with sensitivity to dust particles. To qualify for HEPA standards the filter must remove 99.7% per cent of particles that are 0.3 micrometres or larger in size.
  • Micro filters, found on many basic vacuum cleaners in either washable or disposable versions, release dust particles back in to the air and therefore should be avoided by individuals that suffer from asthma or those with allergies.
  • Steam mops clean without using harsh chemical cleaning products. They are more effective than traditional mops as they can easily remove dirt and stains from the floor whilst getting rid of bacteria, dust mites and other allergens. They work well with almost any cleaning surface, including hardwood and laminate floors.
  • Air purifiers prevent respiratory illnesses and allergy attacks. They can remove contaminants such as allergens, pollen, pet dander, gas, smoke, airborne bacteria, harmful viruses, odours and smells depending on the type of purifier.
  • An air purifier with a HEPA filter can trap contaminants that are 0.3 microns and larger such as pollen, mould, pet dander, dust mites and bacteria. However, they are not able to filter contaminants like viruses, chemicals fumes and cigarette smokes which are smaller than 0.3 mircrons.

Visit The Good Guys’ website for more information.

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Appliances

Electrolux takes home four Red Dot Awards, including the Best of the Best

Electrolux has been awarded not one, but four Red Dot product design awards, including the highly coveted Best of the Best, which went to the new Electrolux Ergorapido. If you’re looking for a new vacuum, this is pretty high praise indeed!

Ergo 3Running since 1955, the Red Dot Award is established internationally as one of the most sought-after quality marks for good design. With a jury consisting of 40 design professionals from 25 countries, designs are awarded for excellence in areas such as innovation, functionality, quality and sustainability.

This year, only 1.5% of all submissions to the Red Dot Award (there were 4,815 entries) were honored with the Red Dot: Best of the Best award for groundbreaking design and one of the few was the Ergorapido.

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First landing on the market ten years ago, the Ergorapido remains one of Electrolux’s most celebrated designs, selling nine million units around the world. Its self standing design provides greater flexibility, while its accessible two-in-one functionality of a cordless stick making cleaning different surfaces easy.

The three other Red Dot awards presented to Electrolux were for their UltraCaptic, UltraOne and Rapido vacuums.

For a list of stockists.

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Appliances

Review: Hoover Mode 5000PH

When signing the lease for our little abode, we were pretty over the moon as it had just been renovated and never lived in. However, after a week the new wool carpet was driving us mad, it was shedding like crazy! There was fluff everywhere, on everything, all the time!

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For what felt like forever, we thought our only hope was to save up for a Dyson. We decided to go ‘looking’ at what vacuums were out on there in our price range and no word of a lie, in the first shop within an hour of leaving the house, we came home with a new Hoover Mode 5000PH.

This Hoover is life-changing (well, for us clean freaks anyway). By all means it’s still not a cheap vacuum and we went in with every intention of spending half the money that we ended up shelling out. But after the demo, we were sold!

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Appliances

The pet friendly vacuum cleaner from Electrolux that looks like a transformer!

Apparently 63% of Australian households own pets. That’s pretty believable – I actually thought it would be a bit more. For all those people who come home to abodes full of cat or dog hair dust bunnies, Electrolux has tried to make your life a little easier. If, on the other hand, you’re part of a household that owns a pet snail, hamster, beetle or anything else that could potentially get sucked up into a vacuum cleaner, the normal warnings would apply to using these products.

Electrolux Ultracaptic vacuumThe main bugbear for pet owners with vacuum cleaners is the noise they make. I tried searching for a statistic on how many pet hamsters croaked after sudden vacuum turn ons but couldn’t find anything on Google. Maybe I should try Bing… but anyway, Electrolux has solved that by adding some pet friendly features to some of its popular models, namely quiet start-up and operation.

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A vacuum without the mess when you empty it

There’s nothing a neat freak like me loves more than a great vacuum. But I’ve always found that even the best models let you down when it comes to emptying all the crap into the bin. Dust clouds and spillage (which you immediately vacuum up again, defeating the object, no?) are frequent occurrences. This new Electrolux Ultracaptic has it covered though. At last!

Released last month, it aims to make dust clouds, re-vacuuming spilled dirt and handling grubby tangles of hair (gag) with bare hands things of the past. The new Electrolux Ultracaptic now features an innovative “compact & go” dirt disposal system. The vacuum squishes the dirt, dust and contents into a compressed form that plops neatly into the bin without any fuss. Compacting the dust also means the Ultracaptic can hold more of the stuff, so more areas can be cleaned before emptying the vacuum.

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Interiors Addict

The Electrolux Ultrapower: for lazy neat freaks!

I feel a bit embarrassed about how much I love this vacuum. Not just because I have to admit how much of a neat freak I am (you probably already knew that) but because all my reasons for loving it make me seem so downright LAZY. But whatever!

The absolute best thing about it is that it’s cordless. I can’t believe how much more appealing vacuuming is now I don’t have to drag a heavier machine out of the cupboard, pull the cord out, plug it in, do half my open place space, unplug, move vacuum, plug it in at the other end of the living area and start again. Not to mention all the times you push your luck and end up pulling the plug out of the wall on your way!

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