Wireless on the move: What has long been true of telephones and computers is also a trend for vacuum cleaners. But the cordless tools are still lagging behind their cable colleagues. Why?
Düsseldorf (dpa / tmn) - Leftover breadcrumbs? Dust mice under the bed? Hair on the bathroom floor? No reason to get the large cylinder vacuum cleaner with cable out of the cabinet. Instead, more and more households are turning to portable handheld vacuum cleaners with batteries. They are considered lighter and more manoeuvrable than their predecessors, do not take up as much space and are easier to use. And above all, the annoying cable does not have to be reconnected in each room.
But they run out of breath faster and the battery has to be charged. What many buyers do not mind, however: "Last year we saw an increase of around 30 percent in this segment," reports Werner Scholz, Managing Director of the Central Association of the Electrical and Electronics Industry (ZVEI). Classic, corded cylinder vacuum cleaners still account for the largest sales area in terms of volume - but with a downward trend.
Performance not only dependent on the battery
But is the performance of the cordless vacuum cleaner good? To do this, you first have to look at the built-in lithium-ion battery. This stores a lot of energy in a small space, which makes it independent of the socket for a time. "Batteries are becoming more and more powerful. In the last ten years, the energy in the battery has increased steadily for the same weight," says Christian Eckert from the Batteries Association, which is also part of the ZVEI.
It used to be thought: the higher the wattage, the better the vacuum cleaner cleans. "But that has never been right. Because it also depends on how the air is guided in the device and which nozzle or brush was used," explains Scholz.
Cleaning can be dusty
If the dust container is almost full, the suction power decreases. This principle is already known with the cable vacuum cleaner. However, emptying the cordless device is not for allergy sufferers. The integrated dust boxes usually get by without a bag, which is more environmentally friendly, but also means that dust is whirled up every time you empty it.
"The dust container usually holds 400 to 1000 milliliters and is removed from the vacuum cleaner for emptying, opened and emptied into the household waste," explains Claudia Oberascher from the Hausgeräte + initiative. Due to its small size, it has to be changed more often than some dust bags. For reasons of hygiene, she recommends washing the container regularly with a mild detergent and letting it dry well.
Powerful models and a powerful operating mode make a lot of noise. The reason: the motors of the cordless vacuum cleaners are not yet as well insulated as those of the larger cylinder vacuum cleaners. And: "Before buying, you should also pay attention to the charging time of the battery," advises Oberascher.
The specified maximum runtime of the battery refers to its operating condition. But that is usually not the turbo mode, because "when I run the vacuum cleaner at full power, the battery is quickly empty," says Oberascher. If you vacuum a lot or often, it is best to get a replacement battery.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200807-99-80232 / 3
