Karcher Window Vac Review

Who loves cleaning windows?

In summer the job is pleasant and if you can get on them before the sun is out, they look shiny and sparkly! Its a bind as it always wants doing more than the colder days. Winter is the time when we hate it, its bitter, windy and Chris and I often put it off. We share a lot of chores, so the banter starts about who gets put out in the cold!

I explain to him each year, I am messier than he, shorter so cannot reach, shh, he doesn't notice I manage in summer quite well, with a step.
However with our busy schedule and our temperamental weather even in summer, we cannot pick and choose the times and often find we are either dashing out with a bucket of soapy water, dodging rain, or trying clear those smears when the sun is shining.

Its a time consuming job, we have large patio doors, these are the first area I see needing attention, coupled with the fact, the birds which seem to all have found our garden and often fly up at the windows.
I have over the years found that most of the window cleaning products and I just do not get along with, I use hot water, a bit of washing up liquid, occasionally a spot of vinegar and a pile of cloths to get a good shine.
So when Karcher offered me the latest WV60, I for one was interested, I had seen the ads for it and it looked quicker, giving great results, cleaned mirrors etc, but also knowing that it may just be another gadget abandoned to the cupboard, deemed OK, but not worth the effort of assembling and using.

Chris aka Mr Gadget man who has a shed full of weird objects 'man tools' 'apparently' amazing, for once was not sold on the idea. He grumbled in a Victor Meldrewesque voice, it won't be as good as a bucket, hot soapy water and a chamois!

So I got to play with the WV60 first.

Its very easy to assemble, you basically have a micro fibre pad which attaches to the head then to the bottle, this becomes your cleaning tool. This was filled with a recommended Karcher Window cleaner, more about that later . Then after a charge you are good to go!

The spray is applied to the windows, a good wipe all over, so far not much in difference between ordinary spray and cloth. Its a lightweight head and bottle, easy to apply the solution and then you just need to wipe over. The pad can be rinsed out between application and finally can be machine washed.

The cleaning fluid provided is pretty awesome, as I said before I do not hold with store bought cleaners and my initial concerns were great window vacuum, but was it going to cost a fortune to buy the fluid?

A quick google found that Tesco, Amazon as well as Karcher provide the spray. I found it for £4.95, for a 500 ml bottle, when cleaning you use 20 ml of concentrate (1 x 20
ml) with 250 ml of clear water. So 25 washes per £4.95 with my maths makes just under 20p a bottle.

Or to add to this can any window cleaner be used in the Karcher Window vac?

Well the manual states 'Only use this appliance with conventional window cleaners
(no spirit, or foam cleaners' so yes other cleaners can be used.

Not sure I want to though having used it as bearing in mind I was stingy with the spray but this easily cleaned one large double patio door with four windows above and two to the side, a large bay window, large kitchen window, two doors, two windows inside and out.

A further four windows upstairs, inside only, three large mirrors, double kitchen cupboard leaded glass doors, a shower screen, oh and my cooker hob lid, yes its brilliant on that also.

I still had liquid in the bottle but for dirtier areas note you may need more.

So I am sold on the outlay for the Karcher Window Cleaner.

Ok onto the vacuum part, here is where the difference is really obvious over usual cleaning methods. The genius is that the hand held cordless operated vacuum, hoovers up all the excess dirty water and the squeegee head, gives the finish you want with no other cloths needed.

The charge lasted well for me, it easily coped with all of the above list of windows, just because its so fast to do, my subsequent window cleaning sessions have turned me into a whizz and I am able to do vacuum liquid and dirt more seamlessly.

I really cannot go on and on anymore about this part, it just works so well.

Windows are gleaming after minutes work. Its my new baby!! I have been trialling for 5 weeks now and am still impressed.

For my other baby, he deemed hit better than his bucket and chamois for pure speed and faster shine. Chris told me I had missed bits, just so he could have a go, then went round looking for glass to attack. Hence we found that it is fab on the cooker lid.

Chris Meldrew was won over!!

Now I know come the cold I will feel less inclined to be out their with my new gadget, but I know a man who can!!

Oh and the picture below, well its a shot taken of the garden from one of the clean windows, not bad hey?

To find out more about Karcher, I certainly will be, pop to their site here
http://www.karcher.co.uk/uk/Home.htm

I received the Karcher Window Vac WV60 for the purposes of this review, my opinions are my own and may not be those of others. I received no other incentive to feature.