THE VG100 COSTS MORE THAN A CLOTH AND SPRAY, BUT THE SPOTLESS RESULTS AND TIME SAVED MAKE IT A CLEAR WINNER
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
The balmy summer has meant more dust in the air, so the windows of my flat are caked in grime. I’d like to be able to see out of them again, but even the thought of washing them by hand is making my arms ache. I’m intrigued by Vorwerk’s Kobold VG100 window cleaner. The handheld device is designed to wet your windows, remove the dirt, and extract the remaining water in one swift movement. Is it too good to be true, though? More importantly, could I do it better with some Windolene and a cloth, and for a fraction of the Vorwerk’s $450 price tag?
I grab my Windolene and start washing. The results are passable, but the filthy cloth quickly starts leaving ugly streaks and my arms are aching. With the Kobold VG100 fully charged, I attach one of the supplied microfibre cleaning pads and fill the tank with 80ml of water and 5ml of Vorwerk’s Cleaning Concentrate.
Positioning the device in the top left corner of the filthiest window, I switch on the 30-watt motor. Applying a little pressure, I drag the vibrating VG100 to the bottom of the frame. Miraculously, the grime has disappeared and there’s not a streak in sight. Two more speedy swipes finish the pane. 10 minutes later (with lots of battery power remaining) my windows are gleaming. The VG100 costs more than a cloth and spray, but the spotless results and time saved make it a clear winner.
If you have kids or pets, hoovering is a daily job. On paper, robot vacs are ultimate time-savers, but are they as capable as a manual hoover? Neato’s Botvac D7 Connected uses sensors to map your floors and calculate efficient ways to clean. Schedule cleaning sessions using the Neato app and even set no-go lines to stop the Botvac chewing cables or terrifying the cat.
In practice, the D7 does exactly what it promises. It gets stuck into deeprooted dirt, and the level of control and convenience, plus additional features like the full bin sensor, make it ideal for time-poor people with big, open spaces to clean.
In the interests of fairness, for this test I’m also getting to grips with Dyson’s Cyclone V10 Absolute cordless stick vacuum. While it’s more hands-on than the Botvac, the V10’s digital motor and crud-sucking Cyclone technology ensure a spotless clean. Interchangeable heads make light work of stairs, window sills, cobwebbed ceilings and even my car – areas the Botvac simply can’t access. We love the ‘set up and forget’ approach of the Botvac, but at almost half the price and for sheer versatility, the Dyson takes the crown here.
PULP FRICTION
I like to start my day by drinking a healthy juice, but I don’t like the horrible mess juicing creates. So when I learned that Philips makes a juicer that cleans itself, I had to get it. The powerful 1,200W motor inside Philips’ Avance Centrifugal juicer reduces my pile of whole oranges, carrots and apples to a delicious hit of fruity goodness. But now the clean-up…
I needn’t have worried. The Avance’s QuickClean function definitely helps with cleaning. Simply pour tap water into the feeding tube and give the juicer an extra whizz. Within seconds the worst of the pulp is blasted from the main components, including the fruit-mashing sieve, which usually requires a deep scrub. With the worst of the mess dealt with, the parts take no time to rinse clean in the sink.
Some pulp has ended up on my hard