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We checked out a few reviews on various web sites and looked at lots of different models and we eventually decided to buy a Dirt Devil DDRHH3.
Why did we choose this one?
The main reason for our choice was the fact that it was one of the more powerful ones on offer at 13.2V. We thought ... Read review
Advantages: Easy to use, light, inexpensive, robust Disadvantages: The clip holding the two parts together would be better located at the side
...eventually decided to buy a Dirt Devil DDRHH3.
Why did we choose this one?
The main reason for our choice was the fact that it was one of the more powerful ones on offer at 13.2V. We thought that, with the amount of cat hairs about the place, the more powerful the better!
Where did we get it from?
Well, there's a story to that choice - you know me there would be wouldn't there? We did a ... ...it was listed as the Dirt Devil Pets.
What does it look like?
It is about eighteen inches long by about four and a half inches wide. It is mainly grey with a red see through dust collection area and a sturdy black handle. The picture at the top of the review is excellent to show you just what it does look like.
What are the specifications?
The vacuum is hand held and cordless and is rechargeable. ... more
We have recently been adopted by a cat which we have christened Mew - original huh? Whilst he is a lovely cat he is a long haired cat who is mainly white in colour. As you might now be guessing we have a lot of cat hairs deposited about the place even though I brush Mew every day.
We had been thinking about getting a hand held vacuum cleaner anyway as our stairs are so steep using the Miele cylinder vacuum cleaner that we have is a bit dangerous.
We checked out a few reviews on various web sites and looked at lots of different models and we eventually decided to buy a Dirt Devil DDRHH3.
Why did we choose this one?
The main reason for our choice was the fact that it was one of the more powerful ones on offer at 13.2V. We thought that, with the amount of cat hairs about the place, the more powerful the better!
Where did we get it from?
Well, there's a story to that choice - you know me there would be wouldn't there? We did a search on the Internet for Dirt Devil DDRHH3 and it was available in Argos for £39.99 BUT on the Tesco Direct website they had stock which they were trying to clear and it was originally £29.97 reduced to £24.97! So you can now guess where we got it from then! Incidentally in Argos it was listed as the Dirt Devil Pets.
What does it look like?
It is about eighteen inches long by about four and a half inches wide. It is mainly grey with a red see through dust collection area and a sturdy black handle. The picture at the top of the review is excellent to show you just what it does look like.
What are the specifications?
The vacuum is hand held and cordless and is rechargeable. It weighs 2.1kg, has a dust capacity of 0.3litres and has a 13.2V power motor. It uses cyclonic suction and has a turbo brush, a crevice tool and a second small upholstery brush.
The inside of the dust container is treated with Microban which will last for the life of the cleaner. This is antibacterial and will help to prevent the spread of bacteria, mould or mildew around the home.
Setting it up
Inside the box containing your Dirt devil you will find a note saying 'take a moment to locate your turbo brush'. This is because the turbo brush is packed right at the bottom of the box inside the polystyrene and you may not realise that it is there unless you specifically look for it. Hubby was unpacking mine and said that he would have to ring Tesco's as one of the brushes was missing - luckily I had seen the slip of paper and knew where the brush was to be found!
In the box there is the motor unit and the canister unit of the cleaner, the intense motorised rotating brush, the crevice tool, the upholstery brush, the charging unit with adapter and a spare carbon anti odour filter.
The filter fits inside the canister unit and then this clips easily to the motor unit. The brushes and crevice tool fit by just inserting them directly into the nozzle of the canister unit.
The charging unit
It is recommended in the instructions that the charging unit is mounted on a wall near to a mains socket (obviously) and out of the reach of children (again obviously!). This is easily done using the screws and rawl plugs supplied. The cleaner is then stood on its end in the charger and held in place by three pegs that are fitted to the charger and go into three holes in the vacuum. The cleaner then has to be charged for fifteen hours prior to its first use. A red light illuminates on the cleaner to show that it is charging.
The cleaner can be left on charge permanently when not in use so that it is always fully charged and it will run for fifteen minutes on a full charge. I tend to put mine on charge when I have used it but turn it off at the socket after a couple of hours so as not to waste electricity. The upholstery brush and crevice tool are both also stored on the charging unit - one either side of the cleaner.
Using the cleaner
Our cat happily sleeps on one of the empty seats of our two sofas which are deep red in colour so there are always white hairs there. Every morning I just go and grab the cleaner from its charger, switch it on by sliding the switch on the top of the motor unit and clean the hairs off the sofa. I use the intense motorised turbo brush as this is powered by the battery but runs off a separate motor giving a stronger cleaning performance. It actually says in the instruction leaflet that it is the best tool for 'picking up hairs (especially pet hairs) from seats' amongst other things.
I find the cleaner very easy to use apart from one thing. There is a clip on the top of the cleaner which holds the two parts together and I have been known to be holding the handle and put my hand on top of the cleaner to guide it into the corners of the sofa and the two parts separate leaving the contents of the cleaner on the sofa! I just have to remember not to do that!
Apart from that, and I am sure that I will soon get used to using the cleaner properly, it is great.
It is a good weight so that it is easy to lift and manoeuvre but is heavy enough to be robust and strong.
It picks up Mew's hairs easily and efficiently and it is so much easier than fetching the big vacuum cleaner out every day.
It also works well on the carpet picking up bits effortlessly although I wouldn't use it on the main carpets as it would be too difficult to use being so small - it would hurt my back. Having said that cleaning the stair carpet is a breeze and it is so much safer than trying to balance the big vacuum cleaner on each step whilst I cleaned the next one.
The instruction leaflet
The instruction leaflet is concise and is easy to read and understand. It tells you how to set up your cleaner, how to use it and how to look after it. The diagrams are very clear and help to make the whole thing really easy to follow.
To empty and clean the vacuum
You just hinge the dust container away from the motor housing and downwards so that the two parts separate. You then push the red dust container up and out of the cleaner. Then you remove the filter and empty the dust container into a waste bin. You can then wash and dry the dust container. The filter splits into two halves which can be shaken to get rid of any accumulated dust and can also be washed at regular intervals too.
In conclusion
I am delighted with my new 'toy' and it really has made life a lot easier for me especially with us now having Mew living with us!
