Copyright derryjournal
It's by no means unusual these days to see robot vacuums with mops and vacuum systems built in to them. This dual-purpose approach is clever and convenient - so I've often wondered why we don't see it very often in handheld vacuums. The reality is, such a technology does exist, and it has done for a while. Shark has one, Tefal has one, and of course, Dyson does. They're not that popular though. At least I've never tested one before. And I have the perfect house for it, in theory. My ground floor is pretty much all tiles and laminate, and my first floor is almost all carpeted. When everywhere is ready for a deep clean, I park the robot up and get out a vacuum. And then when that's done, I reach for the mop. But recently Hoover invited me to test their version of this wet and dry vacuum. Does combining my two jobs bring its own compromises? Or is it the answer to my prayers? At first, once you get Hoover's new HW3 out of the box, it's a bit underwhelming. Next to my upright corded Shark, it seems quite weedy. You could even say it looks old-fashioned. But the point is, it's more mop than vacuum. And on the tiles in my kitchen, it does an absolutely remarkable job of cleaning them. I tried it with a few spills, I tried it with muddy paw prints, and I even tried it with some egg white that had got quite sticky. No problems whatsoever. The HW3 is cordless, and it "docks" on a little station that dries and charges the unit. This even cleans the roller, albeit not with warm water. You're likely to find you want to give the roller a proper wash every now and again. It's remarkably light, around 4kg, and it's easy to push around a room, with the square head slotting neatly into corners, and tucking under kitchen units. Given how light it is, it feels well made. The water tank is easy to remove, easy to fill and empty, and the controls are a doddle to master. There are reminders about low water levels and other useful bits of housekeeping, and a useful battery indicator. Battery life is good, if not remarkable, and it's nice and quiet compared to some cordless vacuums. As a vacuum, it gives a decent performance. It's not going to rival my favourite, the Henry Quick, and it obviously won't beat a corded upright hoover on furry floors, but it's designed to clear a surface before you go in for the wet treatment - and it does that very well. Overall, there's a lot to like about the Hoover HW3. It's a very simple "grab and go" solution to getting floors back to spotless condition, because the clever dock ensures it's always ready. Right now it looks like the best place to buy it is from Hoover directly, and it's priced at £229. However, keep an eye on Amazon, because it's likely to drop down to £199, especially in the run-up to Black Friday. Even at the standard price of £249 I'd say it's great value for money. It's a clever piece of household tech that makes mopping your floors so much easier. I'd definitely recommend it.
