Dyson DC61 Handheld Vacuum

Growing up, I can remember eagerly (not) participating in our major spring clean throughout the house every March. We had a good vacuum with a few attachments, but the majority of cleaning was done by man power. Back then, no one thought about using the vacuum to clean drapes, walls or ceilings, well at least my mom didn’t. Today, I still have the same habit of cleaning my home from top to bottom every spring, but thanks to Dyson, cleaning is done efficiently and almost effortlessly. I have the Dyson DC66, which is phenomenal for everyday and major cleaning, but sometimes you need a handy complimentary vacuum for quick cleanups.

I was recently introduced to their Dyson DC61 Handheld vacuum, and I’m in awe at its power and versatility. It comes with an operating manual, a quick start guide, a filter and three attachments, a motorized brush bar, combination tool, crevice tool and a charger. What’s really great is that all the accessories are interchangeable, they have a universal fit that works with all Dyson products.

The Dyson DC61 Handheld has an abundance of attributes that I’d love to share with you. First, it’s ergonomic, cordless and incredibly lightweight, weighing in at around four pounds, so virtually no pain or strain to use. It’s powered by the Dyson digital motor V6, which spins up to 110,000rpm; it’s lighter, smaller and 3 times faster than conventional electric motors. With this kind of power, suction is maintained for the duration while cleaning, it doesn’t dwindle with time.
Its two-tier radial cyclones generate high centrifugal forces, which increases airflow and captures fine dust. The re-engineered battery will last up to 20 fade-free minutes for regular cleaning and 6 minutes on boost mode for heavy-duty cleaning.

So with kind of power, you can vacuum up small and large messes and debris from your kitchen, floors, vehicles and the list goes on. I’ve been using this mighty little handheld almost every day since its arrival, and I’m so impressed with its service. I watched one of the Dyson mattress videos and kind of cringed, I’ve never vacuumed my mattress and was reluctant to see what’s lurking in the thread count. Take a peek at the video below.

My mattress is about 8 yrs old, and I’ve always had a mattress cover on it since day one. I was relieved to see that nothing came off my mattress. I wash my mattress cover every three months, so it too was clean. Then I got thinking about my mom, she’s had a mattress for about 20 years and doesn’t use a mattress cover. I took my Dyson DC61 handheld over to her home and went to work vacuuming her mattress. Here are the results from running the vacuum over only half the mattress.
I showed my mom the video, and what was in the canister, she was quite disgusted and enlightened at the same time. She’s always had allergies and some breathing problems when she sleeps, and we believe that her dust mite and bug fecal riddled mattress was the source. Thanks to the video and my vacuuming experiment, my mom has since bought a new mattress set, and most of her symptoms are gone! It’s quite credulous to think that your health can be affected by what’s crawling and multiplying in your mattress, but it can. It is said that your mattress can double its weight in ten years due to skin sloughing and bug mites. So, running the Dyson over your mattress every month seems like a small price to pay for a healthier sleep.

I have four rascal cats, and as you can imagine, hair is everywhere. Pets are high maintenance, and I’m always pulling out the big guns, my Dyson DC66 to spot clean, but now I can use the handy yet powerful handheld for quick clean ups. I have one cat that likes to eat with your mouth open, and another who likes to shred corrugated material, so there’s usually a mess scattered all over the floor. With a tile floor, food and stuff get stuck in the ridges, so sweeping doesn’t really help. The DC61 quickly cleaned up all the messes created by both, family and pets. The towers and beds look so much better, and I’m sure it feels nicer for the cats to rest on.

My cats need their own chill out places, so I have five pet towers in my living room, and seven pet beds scatter throughout the house. It can be laborious to clean and remove layer upon layer of cat hair from the fabric. I’ve tried cleaning them relentlessly in the past and have resorted to using packing tape, but this is not an eco-friendly solution and it’s so time-consuming. I put this handheld to the test and was so happy to see the volume of fur that was coming off the pet furniture. Wow, it was a lot.

I tried the boost mode and used the motorized brush bar on the beds and condo tiers and the crevice and the combo tool in the corners and along edges. Below is the result of what came off just one level on the biggest cat tower. It not only removed a lot of hair, it also removed dander and dirt.

It’s a breeze to clean my front entrance mat; it gets loaded with outside debris and of course cat hair. It’s also great for cleaning stair, closets, drapes, and hard to reach corners. I also use it in the litter area, my cats always track litter, leaving the area and halfway up our basement stairs. It’s so handy to grab the handheld and quickly vacuum up the mess.

It’s perfect for cleaning vehicles, gravel, dirt, debris, crumbs, and coins seem to settle around the base of the seats. The DC61 did not let me down; it picked everything up easily.

Removing the collected debris is easy, hold the Dyson over a trash can, press the release button, and the bottom of the vacuum pops open and the dirt falls right out. I also appreciate that you don’t have to constantly replace the filter. It comes with a reusable filter that fits nicely in the top center of the vacuum. You pull it out, rinse it under cold water, wring out,  let dry for 24 hrs, replace it and you’re ready to go. If I had one complaint, it would be that you have to keep the button depressed to operate it, an off/on switch would be nice.

I love this Dyson product, it’s a godsend, and can’t imagine my days without it. If you’ve ever used a Dyson to clean, you will agree that they are by far the best vacuums to date. I have yet to find their rival. They can be purchased online or at most major retail stores. It has a two-year warranty for parts and labor and sell for $299.99. The DC61 would make an ideal wedding or Mother’s Day gift! Just saying!