You know you’re getting old when you ask Santa for cleaning bits and bobs. Yet I genuinely did have this Kärcher Window Vac on my wish list this year. The team at Kärcher must have heard my thoughts as they kindly sent me an anniversary edition one in celebration of 10 years of making windows and doors sparkle. Okay, I might have begged a little.

Why did I want one? Simply put, it’s this:

I am totally fed up of streaky windows. I’ve tried numerous cleaners, white vinegar & lemon juice (to various dilutions), and buffed them to death. Yet whatever concoction I use, leaves streaks when the sun shines through them. Add in my two children who are forever putting their greasy and sticky mitts all over them, and I had all but given up getting them to look the way I wanted. Things like this bother me. A lot.

So what, I hear you ask, is a Kärcher Window Vac?

In short, it’s a must-have cleaning gadget for doors, windows, mirrors, shower screens, tiles and more, that leaves surfaces streak-free and as clear as crystal.

Buying from new, in your box you’ll get the following:

• The Kärcher Window Vac
• Charger cable
• 2 different length blades
• Spray bottle with machine washable microfibre cleaning pad attachment
• An instruction manual

Yet other accessories are available; most notably a telescopic handle for cleaning your first floor windows, and a narrower blade for cleaning lattice windows and other smaller surfaces.

The evolution of the Window Vac has been rapid. The specifications for this particular model include 40% extra running time on its 2008 counterpart, 105m² cleaning area per charge, a quieter device & visible battery status. It’s main body is also black (as opposed to yellow) making it a little more aesthetically pleasing. You might think you’d pay extra for all the extra features, but you can pick up this one for just £50 from the Kärcher website (usually £99,99) - so priced ideally as a Christmas gift.

Window cleaning

As the Window Vac came into being primarily for use on windows, it’s best to start here.

The instructions are simple. First up you add cleaning solution to the pump action bottle. I used a standard window cleaner, but you could pop in an eco-friendly homemade solution if you wanted. The microfibre cloth head actually attaches to the spray bottle like so…

Spraying and gently cleaning with the microfibre cloth allows you to work up a little lather and cover a sizable surface area quickly and without any mess.

Then, simply get out your window vac and back go over the area. Work from top to bottom quickly in one fluid movement for best results.

The trick to this nifty little number is that the vac will powerfully suction up any dirt, cleaning product residue, and any condensation or water on your window - and store it in an in-built reservoir for safely emptying (no water on your hands! Genius!). There’s no need for additional buffing as the vacuum is so powerful, it lifts everything without leaving wipe marks or streaks.

I definitely found that I got better after a few tries. The same process can be repeated on car windows, mirrors, shower screens and more, all with the same fantastic results. If we consider general window and mirror cleaning, what used to take me some 20-30mins now takes between 5-10mins.

For everyday cleaning

Shower screens are regularly exposed to condensation. Most of us will use a cheap window squeegee to get rid of this to avoid unsightly water marks, but over time, they lose their shine and can become dull and cloudy.

The beauty of the Kärcher in this instance is that it removes suds, condensation and water far better than conventional kitchen roll and bathroom cleaner. One quick skirt around after your shower and your entire shower is beautifully clean and dry, and ready for guests.

If we consider its efficiency in this regard, you can find plenty of other uses for the Kärcher Window Vac. Kitchen floors and marble worktops literally gleam after a quick vac, and you can even take the excess water off the kid’s trampoline after a rainy spell. I literally have mine out 3 or 4 times a day, and would simply hate to be without it now. Far from being one of those things that sits under the kitchen sink, mine is forever out.

Why I like it.

• Very lightweight, at just 0.7kg
• After a full charge, you have more than enough to give your house a thorough clean
• The spray bottle with microfibre cloth head is really clever and allows you to cover large surface areas easily
• The microfibre cloth is machine washable
• After charging, it’s completely portable, so you do not have to be close to the plug
• Excellent for removing condensation and suds from shower screens making water marks a thing of the past
• The reservoir is easy to empty away, and keeps cleaning product and water away from your hands.

Any negatives?.

• It works far better on large glass areas than on little panelled windows, or those with intricate lead work.