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

[ziggers]

Hardest place to clean in my house is the corners of the ceiling above the stairs. It's just so high and hard to reach. Cobwebs drive me mad but st hard to gt them down.

[ziggers]

*it's

[InMySpareTime]

My cleaning tip is to put oven shelves in the dishwasher on a hot setting. Take them out while they're still hot, and give them a wipe over, and they come up good as new even when you haven't done it for, er, some time
The hardest place to vacuum in my house is the bit at the top of the stairs with doors to left and right. There's a corner that defies the long hose from the ground floor (round a corner) and the upright from upstairs (it's down a step from the landing). The only way to get it is to stretch a long hose across the landing and risk the vacuum cleaner attacking you from behind!
I too am of the testers, I just started a business so can't justify buying a new Dyson this year, even with a discount.

[TheDailyWail]

Non-tester here.

The worst place to clean has to be ANYWHERE in my children's bedroom. We put up bunk beds yesterday and DH took a picture of the side of DD1's bed, it was THAT bad!

I've just recently been introduced to using Viakal by my mum. Amazing on lime scale and gets the bathroom nice and shiny.

[justaweeone]

Top tip
Get your DP to do it or failing that the DD or DS ;-)

[BadMissM]

Upstairs as I am a dwarf quite petite, and our old vacuum cleaner is very heavy, big, and awkward. Obviously high places are a particular challenge when you are tiny...The other place is DD's bedroom (which is in the attic!) and where the bands jump off of our vac because she leaves bobby pins all over the floor. So I end up having to take it to bits before anything ever gets cleaned!

[smaths]

Non-tester here... my top cleaning tip is to put newspaper down on top of your kitchen cupboards. They are a nightmare to clean if you don't. Then you can just lift them off and bin them (or else use the greasy paper as firelighters)

[StellaMarie]

Top tip: I try and do something each day, even a small area cleaned spurs me on to do another area tomorrow.
Worst area to clean are the blinds, they never look clean even though they have been done!

[PurpleKittyKnitting]

My cleaning tip, hmmm I generally hate housework, but I try to have a bit of a plan, and sort of do some jobs on certain days, like the bathroom on a Saturday, beds done at the weekend as well, and I used to do ironing once a week but think I now have changed to doing it a couple of times a week so it isn't such a big job.

[GoodKingWenSOLOslas]

Non tester here.
My most difficult place/thing to vacuum is the car. I can't park close to the house as it's way back from the road, so I have to push an extension lead through the letterbox, plug it in, then unfurl that to the limit, plug in my DC01, put a mat under it, then use. Oh, and rush around to warn any pedestrian about the cable or move it out of the way. Very awkward and inconvenient.

[shaztwins1]

the hardest place to hoover in my house is the time bit inbetween the wall and the stairs, even the small adapters on my dyson cant fit into the gap properly either

[jennywren123]

My cleaning tip is to use a square of fine net over the end of the tube secured with an elastic band to vacuum fragile items.

[baahhumbug]

Tester posting initial feedback:

I love the Dyson slim! It's small, very handy for a quick vacuum through, much lighter than getting out my full sized Dyson.

Challenges:

The balance challenge

• I'm always trying to vacuum whilst tidying at the same time, it's much easier with the dyson slim because it's so much smaller and lighter, easy to use with one hand.
  

The versatility challenge

• I've used all the attachments for various things - the long thin one and the small attachment for the car, the other two for carpets, laminate and the stairs. I've used the attachment with the brush for cobwebs and without the brush lowered for lampshades.
  

The cobweb challenge

• yes, no problem, as soon as I'd unpacked the Dyson I went round the whole house vacuuming the cobwebs with the brush attachment, no problems at all.
  

The family mess challenge

No problems with anything on laminate flooring apart from snips of thin card my daughter had dropped when making something but then did manage to pick them up if placed directly on top and held there for a few secs as opposed to being pushed over them. I've vacuumed up cat litter, crumbs, dirt and dust. I don't think it raises the pile on my carpet as well as my full-sized Dyson from first impressions but will keep testing.

The 20 minute dash challenge

I managed to vacuum all the house (4 beds, 2 bathrooms etc) in 20 mins although didn't go into corners, under beds etc., just the floor that is visible.

One of the best things about the Dyson slim for me is it's so easy to grab and vacuum before visitors come round.

[gazzalw]

My cleaning tip is to have a rolling monthly programme of spring-cleaning - one room at a time. If you not only clean from top to bottom but also declutter too you will never really be faced with a cleaning job that's too overwhelming to undertake!

[swallowedAfly]

ok i put together a dining table and benches today and was left with the polystyrene bits mess and scraps of cardboard after clearing up - dyson was very handy! upright would have rejected the 'bits' i think.

can i just reiterate what someone said about no wall fittings or instructions for fitting to wall - it seems a bit of a cheap shortcut to not include the wall fittings given the retail price. also nodding to those who said that the attachments could have come with a description as to what they are for.

[JS06]

My best cleaning tip is to tip a small handful of raw rice into a gloomy and cloudy glass vase, add a glug of white vinegar and swirl round. The rice acts as a soft abrasive and the acid in the vinegar cleans away grime leaving the glass sparkling and fresh again.

My hardest place to reach with the vacuum is at the top of a steep stairwell where the vacuum hose just doesn't quite reach. Once (maybe!!) a year we wrestle with ladders on the stairs /emo/tch/5.gif and then the hose reaches and we are clean and saintly once again/emo/tch/4.gif

[Tistheseasontobedramatic]

Hardest place is under the bed. My upright doesn't reach and its where the cat sleeps. I have to move the(heavy) bed once a week to give it a good once over. Ohh and also the slats on the beds! Our's gather soo much dust and fluff and if not vacuumed regularly, cat hair

[GinAndSlimlinePlease]

Hardest place to clean is currently our living room. We had it plastered a month ago and the plaster dust keeps reappearing :(

[loveinidleness]

I would have so liked to have been a tester! I have Dyson envy :)

We live in a house with high ceilings and an as-yet-unfound dust generation machine that works really well. In the absence of a post Dyson, the long handled duster from Lakeland is pretty good.

[HipHopOpotomus]

My flat windows are a nightmare to clean and reach all parts. The magnetic cleaners jhelp but its still farm tricky.

New Dyson sounds fab btw. Bit concerned by lack of on/off switch though. Sounds like a pain!

[bubby64]

Non tester here. Hardest place to get to with any cleaner in our house is our really high stairwell ceiling, at the moment, I use a broom on the end of a sturdy cane to reach up the're to get things, but TBH, I tend to leave the spiders and dust to it unless they have got really noticeable! This alsoapplies to the lampshade we have up there, it is covered in dust, but reaching it to give it a good clean is really hard work!

[HazeltheMcWitch]

Not a tester, but very interested in the testers' feedback.

My top tip is to put a foot of an old pair of tights ok, a pop sock over the end of the vacuum crevice tool and secure with elastic band, when vacuuming in vicinity of tiny lego pieces (DS) or the breeding hairclips (DD). This saves tears.

[HazeltheMcWitch]

(and smaths - loving your newspaper / kitchen cupboard / fire lighter tip. Will adopt this! Thanks)

[bearcub1]

The hardest place that I have got to clean is behind the wardrobe. It's too big and heavy that I dread to think what it looks like behind as we didn't even move it when we redecorated our bedroom!! (including the ceiling being re plastered and coving being replaced, so it really does need doing) We will leave the left over paint for the new occupants, should we ever move house though.