Philips PowerPro Duo Hoover Review + Cleaning Tips

As a parent I feel like I spend a good chunk of my time cleaning up the mess that my children like to make. But that isn't just the only reason I clean, there is also the fact that I don't want an array of germs etc being left around my home, I suppose I want my house to remain healthy so that my children do too.

Philips recently commissioned a report which showed just how little us Brits actually look after our homes despite our cleaning efforts. Here are just some of the findings :

• 85% of Brits want a clean home, but could in fact be living with tens of thousands of dust mites, potentially provoking allergies
• Despite 21 million allergy sufferers living in the UK, nearly half have never aired their homes out
• 1 in 5 Brits never clean their mattress despite tens of thousands of dust mites making their homes there, each producing around 20 allergy-provoking droppings per day
• A fifth only vacuum their homes every fortnight or less

·         Experts say “Minimising exposure to allergens such as house dust mite droppings is crucial in helping to keep allergy symptoms at bay”

In line with these findings Philips have produced a range of anti-allergen products in a bid to help provide a more complete cleaning system for our homes. This range includes the Dust Mite cleaner and the PowerPro Duo which I was sent to review.

Now I have to admit vacuuming is one of those jobs that I really don't look forward, having three floors to my home lugging around a big hoover becomes a workout in itself. But the PowerPro Duo has actually changed that for me.

A two in one cordless hoover, it comes complete which a charger and extra brush/nozzle to attach to the hoover when used in handheld mode. Setting it up was simple, just one screw to tighten at the back to make sure that the handle is secure, the only slight negative is that it takes 5 hours to charge before you can use it. 

Although I have to admit that I did get a bit excited as I watched the battery light going from amber, to green and then up to full. You know you're old when you get excited about using a new household appliance.

Once charged it is extremely simple to use, one button to press to turn it on and a 'max' button to make it turbo charged. So far I've found that I haven't needed to give it that extra strength to pick any dirt up off of the floor.

The swivel head makes it easy to manoeuvre around corners and other objects and it quite literally glides around. The bonus of course is that it is cordless so no pesky cables getting in the way and it makes it so much more suitable for me as I don't need to keep unplugging it to take it up to the next floor.

Stairs are made simple as you only need to press one button to convert the vacuum into a handheld one and I found this to be just as good at picking up any debris as the main hoover itself. In fact I think it will come in real handy when I actually get around to cleaning my car!

Whilst hoovering you can clearly see just how much charge is left in the vacuum, this means you won't start hoovering and find it runs out of power before you finish the job. So far I've managed to hoover my whole house twice and do the odd little bits and the PowerPro Duo is still displaying one bar of battery left to go.

Everything about this vacuum seems almost effortless, even cleaning it out is a job that doesn't take too much time. Having four girls there is always a lot of hair to hoover up and this is easily removed from the rotating brush head as shown in the pictures below.

With a recommended price of £220, I'd say the Philips PowerProd Duo is well worth the investment. Lightweight, easy to use and just as powerful as some non cordless vacuums, and as an added bonus it looks pretty good too, I'm almost reluctant to hide it away in a cupboard.

Now whilst we're talking about cleaning I'll leave you with some top cleaning tips from Aggie MacKenzie : 

1. DON’T LET THE BED BUGS BITE You should wash your bedding every week. If any of your family suffers from respiratory ailments such as asthma or hayfever, use a hot washing cycle; 50-60°C is good to destroy dust mites and remove the allergens they generate. Protect mattresses, pillows and duvets with dust mite-resistant covers, and wash these every couple of months.

2. YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING ALONE It’s estimated that around 10 million dust mites occupy the average bed - eight million in the mattress and the rest in pillows - often causing asthma, rhinitis and hayfever. Tackle the mattress with the Philips AntiAllergen dust mite cleaner: its powerful motor and vibrating pads will filter out 99 per cent of mites. You won’t believe what comes out of a mattress!

3.NIGHT TERRORS Don’t neglect the area under the bed: this dark and cosy corner is also where dust mites love to linger. Pull out the bed once a week and thoroughly vacuum under and behind it. Never put a wheezy child to sleep in a lower bunk bed, as more allergens will fall on them in that position. Aggie gets to grips with Philips’ Anti-Allergen dust mite cleaner

4. DUSTY MATTERS It’s no use relying on a feather duster to get rid of dust as all it does is shift the dust from one surface to another. A much better option is to use a barely-damp microfibre duster: that way, the dust will cling to the cloth. Use this method on hard surfaces (including floors) at least weekly. Dust is made up of a mixture of tiny particles of material, principally dead skin, and includes mould spores, pollen, fabric fibres, animal hair and dander. It’s impossible to get rid of house dust completely for any length of time, which is why you need to do it often.

Happy cleaning.