As a child, the idea of spring cleaning escaped me.
What makes spring time special enough to warrant a more aggressive cleaning regime?
As a parent, the reasons for spring cleaning were brought into sharp focus a fortnight ago when the clocks changed. After six months of living under a dim, distant sun – and even dimmer energy-saving light bulbs – the change to British Summer Time brought with it some particularly glorious sunrises.
Suddenly, great shafts of golden light flooded through my home, pinpointing every speck of dust, child's fingerprint and wayward breakfast raisin. The house had been cleaned throughout the winter months, but it seems the extra lumens of springtime sunlight bring with them a need for more cleaning horsepower.
I took the opportunity to test drive the latest Dyson DC41, the biggest and most powerful model in the company's range.
I'm a longstanding fan of Dyson's design and engineering vision and, while the reality doesn't always match the hype (the noisy Airblade hand dryer springs to mind), I've always liked Dyson vacuum cleaners enough to have one around the home.
As a test, I first went round the house with my trusty but ageing DC14 to give the carpets and floors their usual clean. Then it was time to try the DC41.
Putting the new vac together was a bit of a puzzle. Cleverly, no tools are required as it all just snaps together, but I couldn't find written instructions on what is supposed to go where. Instead, a single sheet of diagrams covers everything from set-up to operation and maintenance.
I must admit I struggled, but once up and running the advantages of the DC41 become clear. The ball-shaped rear pivot makes this Dyson easy to manoeuvre around tight corners and to dance around table legs, radiator pipes and other obstacles.
The long, low-slung cleaning head is great for getting under cupboards and sofas, reaching much further than any other model I've tried. Move from carpet to a hard floor and a base plate automatically descends to maintain good suction around the edges.
In every test the DC41 outperformed its older brother, getting into more corners and picking up more dust. Crucially, the carpets actually felt different after their DC41 clean – the powerful brush bar had lifted the pile much more effectively than previous vacuums.
In a fortnight of cleaning with the DC41 my only criticism is its mild reluctance to stand upright. Several times I parked the vac in an upright position, only for it to fall over a few seconds later. The trick, I learned, is to push it firmly forwards into its upright position so that the rear wheels descend and lock into place.
grant.gibson@heraldandtimes.co.uk
Twitter: @grant_gibson
Positives Easy to manoeuvre and awesome cleaning power
Negatives Takes more effort to park than other vacuums
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