Karcher/Vax window cleaners - any good ?

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stevewestern

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An elderly relative of mine has said that he wants some sort of Karcher/Vax window cleaning device so I said I'd ask on here for any feedback by anyone who has one.

So, are they worth the money, do they do a decent job, and just how much time do people spend cleaning their windows.

I think I've done ours a couple of times in 3/4 years, and while it is always nice to have then clean, I don't really notice when they are not...
 
I have the karcher one it's ok does the job but we have large windows not sure about small ones
 
Got one for the bathroom shower glass which ironically I probably didn't need to given that the shower generates steam and a simple window blade would be enough. Anyway, it steams up, leaves just as much mess as the shower and standard window cleaning equipment does yet it takes longer to clean due to time wasted getting the thing set up and the results are no better than generic times of old equipment. If they are not physically capable and have plenty of time on their hands then it could be useful but other than that i don't really see much point in it. It still gets used mind as it means Im away from the wife for longer which is worth its weight in gold when you consider that.
 
It's great for doing the conservatory. Far better than traditional squeegee blades IME/O. Much quicker too which means I can spend more time with my wife which is worth more than its weight in gold to me. ;)
 
Yes, I have one as I have the unfortunate job of cleaning all the windows. It works great and wouldn't be without mine.

Top tip, don't use soap on the glass, it leaves streaks.

I clean with clean water and a sponge and vacuum it off, then finish the edges with a shammy.

You can also get them now with a smaller attachment for small windows.
 
Andrew Moore said:
Haha! Your wife a member here? ;)

Jokes aside.. Some me time is a good thing right? :D
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No.

And having come far too close to making her a widow a few years back, while we don;t spend every minute together, we do enjoy the time we DO spend together.
 
Nod said:
No.

And having come far too close to making her a widow a few years back, while we don;t spend every minute together, we do enjoy the time we DO spend together.
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While life changing events can make you appreciate what you have in a different way I am yet fortunate enough to never have been in that position. Doesn't mean I don't like spending time with her, it just means I also like the time I spend with my own thoughts and company too :)
 
They are a bit heavy and unwieldy for an older person (depending on what you mean by elderly!), and got to say that I find it leaves loads of streaks that have to be polished off with a cloth afterwards. Maybe that's my problem though. ;)
 
Thanks for all the replies - so far they don't sound like such a wonderful thing in terms of value, but I'll wait a little to see if there are any other views..
 
As said, heavier than a squeegee/blade & an expensive alternative. Waste of money imho & a bit of a fad.
 
I find it's worth its weight in gold but that's because I have 2 small kids with sticky fingers. I would assume your elderly relative doesn't. I use mine at least weekly, sometimes more. I just use a normal window cleaning solution in the spray bottle. I doubt i'd use it much if I didn't have kids though. There were some good deals on Amazon so might be worth picking up if it goes on offer otherwise i'm not sure it's worth it.
 
I love mine, I fill a bowl with water and washing up liquid then wipe them over with a sponge and vac it off, it's so quick and easy.
You do need to run a chamois leather around the edges but it's still the quickest and easiest way to clean windows.
 
Esther said:
I love mine, I fill a bowl with water and washing up liquid then wipe them over with a sponge and vac it off, it's so quick and easy.
You do need to run a chamois leather around the edges but it's still the quickest and easiest way to clean windows.
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tbh, that doesn't sound so quick & easy! o_O :LOL:


I'm sure if that `invention` was put to the Dragons Den, they'd have all looked at each other in puzzled amusement. :D
 
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Use my Karcher a fair bit. good for doing car windows too.
 
OldCarlos said:
tbh, that doesn't sound so quick & easy! o_O :LOL:


I'm sure if that `invention` was put to the Dragons Den, they'd have all looked at each other in puzzled amusement. :D
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It takes me about 20 minutes to do a large conservatory inside and out plus the patio doors so yeah I'd say that's quick.

A normal squeegee leaves streaks so you still have to wipe and polish afterwards.
 
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Another question - given that some of the windows are fairly tall, can a Karcher/Vax be fitted to a pole (of the extending sort, not the human kind) and operated without direct hand contact ?

I don't want him climbing up some old ladder 'cos while they say that cleanliness is next to godliness I don't want him meeting his maker by falling off a ladder while using a Vax..!
 
OldCarlos said:
As said, heavier than a squeegee/blade & an expensive alternative. Waste of money imho & a bit of a fad.
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Just for cleaning windows maybe but when you've got fairly heavy condensation they're worth their weight in gold!
 
Whats wrong with a towel and a blade followed by a chamois? Towel sits a bottom of window, blade runs over window like a window cleaner does and the chamois finishes the streaks. Theres no speed limit for a blade with a window cleaner and tbh I have never seen a window cleaner carry a Karcher around with themselves ever. As Ive previously said, its only used because it takes a little longer to clean and just like using the throne with a magazine in hand there are quicker and more efficient ways.
 
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Yes can get a pole for the karcher but they are expensive (well I think they are)
 
munch said:
Yes can get a pole for the karcher but they are expensive (well I think they are)
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Yeah, I just saw them, and at £40-odd for a little bit of plastic it makes the whole idea a lot less appealing...
 
Andrew Moore said:
Whats wrong with a towel and a blade followed by a chamois? Towel sits a bottom of window, blade runs over window like a window cleaner does and the chamois finishes the streaks. Theres no speed limit for a blade with a window cleaner and tbh I have never seen a window cleaner carry a Karcher around with themselves ever. As Ive previously said, its only used because it takes a little longer to clean and just like using the throne with a magazine in hand there are quicker and more efficient ways.
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Probably because they would be limited by the battery life.
 
I've used one for years now. Bought it at a bargain price and worth it. You need to look out for deals.

As has been said it is great for dealing with condensation on windows. You would be amazed how much is in the container at the end. Transferring that amount of water to a cloth that has to be wrung out and dried is a chore by comparison.

A squeegee works well but I also found, particularly indoors, that the water dripped everywhere, even when using a cloth. No problem with the window vac. I would definitely get the narrower blade for smaller windows.
 
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Not used one, personally couldn't really see what the advantage was over a bottle of window cleaner spray and a cloth / paper towel for cleaning dirty windows or a decent silicone blade and chamois if needed ? And more expensive...
 
Reading this has urged me to get up and clean the windows inside and out with it:). I find it very good and effective for cleaning windows, tiles, shower screen and the granite worktop, leaves no smearing, I just wipe the edges of the windows with a micro fibre duster after. I find it much quicker than the 'traditional' method - if it broke today I would definitely buy another tomorrow.
 
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