NOW CLOSED: Dyson Digital Slim DC44 Tester feedback review thread – Non testers – you could win a Dyson

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the testers currently putting the Dyson Digital Slim DC44 through its paces this Christmas.

Once you've received the Dyson and have had a play please let us know your first impressions.

Then let us know - across the next couple of weeks - how you're getting on with the challenges (do also let us know if you've invented or discovered any other ways the Dyson helped out!).

Here's what Dyson say about their challenges:

The balance challenge - "We know that often busy parents need to multi task. So can you still vacuum with the Dyson digital slim whilst the other hand is doing something else - carrying the baby, the dog, the phone, cooking, putting things away (you name it)".

The versatility challenge - "how useful are the different attachments in cleaning those hard to reach places?"

The cobweb challenge - "can you reach those high up cobwebs that have been sat there lurking for a while?"

The family mess challenge - "pets, children, mud, crisps, crumbs? what family mess can the Dyson digital slim pick up?"

The 20 minute dash challenge - Guests turning up announced? How much of the house can you clean in 20 minutes with the Dyson digital slim?

You will need to add feedback at least twice - once everyone has added their feedback on the challenges we'll add some questions to find out your overall views.

If you're not a tester, we've persuaded Dyson to give one lucky MNer the Dyson machine of their choice - all you need to do is, on this thread, share your cleaning tips and/or the hardest place you've had to reach when cleaning and you'll be entered into a prize draw to win a Dyson (could be vacuum, an Air Multiplier fan or a Dyson Hot).

Thanks, MNHQ

[firawla]

we have quite a few hard to reach places cos of the position of some furniture/appliances in the house so need something quite narrow to get in there and clean it, otherwise it is a bit of a pain

[craftynclothy]

first impressions

Firstly I was impressed with the weight. It was the first thing I noticed because I expected the box to be heavier. When I unpacked it, the first thing I noticed that needed some improvement was the lack of labelling for the attachments. There was nothing I could see in the booklet or on the attachments. It would have been handy to know what each of them were as it was difficult to know if there was a specialist bit for some tasks. However I did really like how the bits attached, it was really quick and simple to change attachments.

I loved the ball - made it nice and easy to move around furniture and the like. It was great in the bathroom. Using one of the smaller attachments was good for the stairs. No more lifting a really heavy upright or stretching the attachments as much as I can to get the stairs done. I also liked that I could do the whole bedroom easily as with the upright cleaner we have there's no accessible plug to reach the far end and it's a pita. Only issue I had with it being cordless is that it only lasts 20 minutes.

I agree with the comments about the handle not being particularly comfy. I too would prefer an on/off button as it was hard work keeping the button pressed.

20 minute challenge
I managed to do the bathroom and all the carpets (2 x bedrooms, hall, landing and stairs). I didn't manage to do the living room (laminate) or the kitchen (tiled) but that's not too much of a problem. I would have liked a bit more time though as I felt I was rushing the stairs to get them done before it ran out of charge. It would be nice if it lasted 30 minutes or if you could have two battery packs so you could change over. My house is quite small so it would put me off having this as a main vacuum in a larger house and I won't be getting rid of my other vacuum for this reason.

family mess challenge
I tried this out on the laminate in the living room and it was great for picking crumbs up in there. I also liked that it wasn't too loud. Dd2 tends to be scared of the vacuum so it was nice that this one wasn't quite as scary for her!

Will do the other challenges asap.

[SandWitch]

Wow! Can't believe I missed this product test

I hate vacuuming, with a passion that most would never believe. Luckily, dh does not mind, so I do his ironing, in exchange for (almost) no vacuming duties for me

My biggest gripe with vacuuming is that I have a very poorly back, so most hoovers (is that a banned term on a Dyson thread??) cause too much discomfort. This light Dyson looks fab though.

I have very few vacuum tips (see above!) but the hardest places I regularly have to clean are under things such as the cooker, dresser, sofa etc. I am 5ft 10 so ceilings don't bother me though

[Elkieb]

The hardest place to clean in my house is on top of the kitchen cupboards- i'm too short to climb up and I hate heights and my husband is too lazy!

[Mindingalongtime]

My best tip, when on the telephone walk round with a damp cloth or flash wipes or similar ( I love the Costco ones they are so big and strong, you only need one) cleaning light switches, fingermarks on walls, skirtings etc, you'll be amazed at how much you get done and it is no effort at all!

[YulePutTatOnMyChristmasTree]

I confess that I am not very houseproud, which is probably just as well as I have 4 dc's and a small zoo at home! I do sometimes get overwhelmed by all the clutter.
I vacuum everyday, my tip is to do it little and often and not leave it for one big exhausting clean, that's what I usually do at Christmas, but this year i just kept it under control and only cleaned what was visible cleaned as I did other chores. Also the bristly, upholstery brush attachment with most machines is great for vacuuming pets quickly dusting off the tv and shelves

[GrrrArghZzzzYaayforall8nights]

My home is an extended Victorian terrace so my hardest issue is the very high ceilings and all the nooks and corners. Getting into those corners, particularly around modern wires and stuff is quite a pain.

Our vacuum recently died after a big paintbrush got up the tube somehow so a friend gave us his old one while we get a new one. It has poor lasting power so DH gets the high corners with a broom, I sweep the floors and save the vacuum for those blasted corners spots that sweeping never seems to manage well.

[swallowedAfly]

have done the cobweb challenge and yes it is great for that (i usually use a sweeping brush) also good for the tops of the picture rails i have in the upstairs bedrooms.

[preety18]

The hardest place for me to clean is the corners of stairs and under the far end of wardrobe which I struggle to reach.

[aristocat]

The hardest place to clean is definitely the car ...... neither the brush or nozzle gets the upholstery as clean as I would like. Also there are so many tiny spaces that are impossible to reach

[chocolateistheenemy]

Hello, non tester here too but a bit of a cleaning freak and gadget fan! Saying that, one of my best tips is simply using baby wipes to clean the leather sofas, far cheaper than nonsense leather wipes and leaves a lovely shine which is certainly non toxic for kids and pets They even remove the dust/hair/cheerios/general crap from inbetween each cushion!

[ilovesprouts]

the hardest place to clean for me is back of the radiaters

[naturalbaby]

The hardest place I have to clean - our lounge ceiling is 3.5m high and we have a bookcase that goes up to the top...Now I'm tall (1.8m) but even with the hoover stretched right out, standing on tip toes and balancing on the t.v unit I can't quite reach up there.
We had building work done a couple of years ago and the plasterer splashed watery plaster down through the stairs onto the wall at the top of the lounge. I couldn't reach through the stairs to clean it but did eventually manage to climb up the banisters a bit to reach over with one arm and swipe at it with a cloth.

[pootlebug]

I'm not sure I'm good enough at cleaning to be able to recommend any cleaning tips! The hardest place to clean is my husband's study because it's always covered in junk. My solution is to shut the door and never go in. I'm not sure the Dyson DC44 Digital Slim would help unless I threaten to beat him with it unless he tidies up....

Trickiest other places are the stairs and top of kitchen cupboards.

[Chopchopbusybusy]

Non tester here. Hardest place to clean is the hall ceiling. I can just about reach most of it but there is one corner which I just can't quite stretch to. It's a galleried hallway so it's not really the height just the stretch.

[peanutMD]

First Impressions:

Packaging

• Minimal
  
• Mostly recyclable
  
• Protective
  
  Set-up
  
• Easy to put together
  
• Comes charged
  
• 3 attachments supplied
  
  

• No wall fixings supplied for compulsory wall unit
  
• Minimal instruction with illustration only
  
• Storage for only 2 attachments
  

Ease of use
+ Ball technology = excellent manoeuvrability
+ Very lightweight
+ Powerful for a small machine
+ Dust pot is easy to remove/empty/wipe
+ Max button is ideally placed for easy tap on/off when required
+ Relatively quiet
+ Attachments are easily interchangeable
+ Good upright height to avoid stooping (Users are 5'4 and 6ft)
+ Easy to place on/off charging wall unit
+ Compact storage

• Power trigger must be held in at all times which can become uncomfortable after 5 minutes or so
  
• Battery life could be longer
  
• 3-5 hour charge for up to 20 minutes use = Long charging time
  
• Lack of instruction for each attachment
  

Overall

So far we've had the Dyson for about a week and have to say we love it in our house as it's quick and easy to grab for the odd muddy footprint or crumb on both hard wood and carpet flooring. It is also lightweight and easy enough to manoeuvre that I can help out with the vacuuming again as I have SPD due to being 7 months pregnant and found it nigh on impossible to lug our old upright about but this is just not an issue with the Dyson as the ball makes it swivel in and out of the tightest spaces which means I don't need to twist and bend anymore... YEAY!

My DP loves that he can just change it into a handheld within seconds and get the stairs done in a quarter of the time it took him before and behind the bannisters can get done too, still in less time than before. So whilst the battery only lasts a maximum of 20 minutes the whole house can be done in this time now if it's just a quick once over.

I'm not entirely convinced it will replace a larger unit in the long term but at the moment it's perfect for our needs and is definitely being recommended to friends and family!!

[StuntNun]

The hardest places to clean are inside the dust filter compartment of the tumble dryer, and the floor of my kids' bedroom because I always vacuum up one piece of Lego, no matter how thoroughly I check the floor before hand.

[baahhumbug]

I love, love, love it!

Will be back soon to reply re all the challenges.

[Jessica69]

my hardest place to clean is below the bed.. and I have and upright vacuum that cannot go so this one.. makes it clean so easy..

[ViperInTheManger]

Our house (built 1911) has Delft racks which are used for Christmas cards each December but, for the rest of the year, serve no purpose other than to collect dust and aggravate the resident asthmatics.

My cleaner has been with us for many years and freely admits that, as she is getting older, she focuses her cleaning between knee and head height! Consequently I spend a considerable amount of energy shrieking at the family, trying to stop anybody touching the shelf that is visible as you come downstairs (dust doesn't count if it has no fingerprints in it!). If I had a lightweight Dyson I could expend a mere fraction of that shreiking energy and vacuum the dust off. That would be a real win-win situation!

[turnipvontrapp]

Cleaning tips (oh how my cleaning freak friends would laugh if they saw this as I am the messiest person they know!)

• do a bit every day rather than the whole place once a week, isn't as daunting then.
  
• white vinegar for mirrors - fab (but smells like a chippy)
  

Hardest place to clean - either fish tank or DS2's room that looks like its been ransacked every day

[HappyHippyChick]

My cleaning tips are don't put it down, put it away (shamelessly stolen from another MN thread) and a quick squirt of cleaning spray and some kitchen roll in the bathroom sink every morning leaves it clean, shiny and toothpaste free!

[mrscumberbatch]

Non-tester here. I am a bit of a domestic slattern, but my favourite cleaning tip is for when you're cleaning the loo- do it last thing at night and leave it to bleach overnight.
When you raise bright and early all you need is a quick flush and your pan is spick and span!


Hardest place to reach- all of them when cleaning is concerned . No we have a double height ceiling in the living room which is a nightmare for trying to get cobwebs etc. Even with the extendable thingie on my Dyson!!!

[TheProvincialLady]

The gardest place to clean in my house is the ceiling above the staircase. It is the whole height of the house and the only place to reach the cobwebs is from half way up the stairs...as it's a Victorian house, even then the veiling is far too high and I end up lobbing things wrapped in dusters at it.

[CarrieDon]

We have dust-collecting burglar alarm point at the corner of the ceiling in our stairwell which is beyond the reach of even my very tall dh. When we recently had the decorator in to paint our hall stairs and landing he gave it a wipe for me. Needs a duster with a very long extension arm which I have no intention of buying