Tech Tools: Heavy duty vacuum cleaner works well outside of house

Karcher WD5 (€230)

Cordless cleaners are great for around the house, but what if you need something a bit more heavy duty? That’s where you call in the big guns, namely the Karcher WD5.

This wet and dry vacuum isn’t a rival for your home vacuum cleaner; it is designed for heavy work that would clog up your regular cleaner. Have kids? Pets? Someone in the house with a penchant for DIY? Then this cleaner will get a lot of use. It works well for the car, the garage or even the garden. Karcher says it will even handle rubble, though due to a lack of construction work going on at home, I couldn’t test this claim fully.

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The WD5 has a large container, at 25l, so you won’t have to empty the bag after every use. It’s not the quietest, but then you wouldn’t expect it to be; it has a powerful 1,100 watt motor that will make short work of even the most challenging jobs.

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The filter has an integrated cleaning function that means you don’t have to replace or rinse it regularly; press one button and the dirt is shifted into the container, putting your vacuum once again at full suction power. It made short work of the car, which usually takes a few attempts with the regular cleaner, and dealt with various knocked over bowls and glasses –both empty and full – without any complaint.

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The blower function came in handy to deal with dirt and dust that was harder to reach, although the crevice tool was also useful in those scenarios. Because this is a heavy duty cleaner, there aren’t too many accessories to deal with – a wet and dry floor-cleaning tool, crevice tool and two suction tubes.

Everything can be stowed on the cleaner itself, from the tubes to the accessories, so everything is to hand when you need it, and neatly stored when you don’t.

karcher.ie