Michigan-based company Bissell is living up to its description of itself as an innovator of cleaning products, releasing the Vac & Steam, the only appliance in Australia that vacuums and steam mops floors simultaneously.
There are other multi-function vacuum and steam mop cleaning appliances on the market, such as the Shark Rotar Vac and the Oreck Versavac, however their functions do not run simultaneously. The Vac & Steam (RRP $369) can perform vacuum and steam clean at the same time or individually.
Bissell said combing the two technologies has not come at a cost to performance. “While the marriage of two different gadgets can often mean performance compromises, rigorous testing of the Bissell Vac & Steam’s multi-tasking and its individual actions prove it produces excellent results either way,” the company said.
The Vac & Steam vacuum feature has strong suction and a cyclonic action to help capture fine dust, and a reusable, washable foam filter. It suits hard floors, low pile carpet and area rugs.
For hard floor cleaning, using the two modes together saves time by eliminating the need to sweep or vacuum before mopping or steam cleaning.
Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter
The whole appliance weighs only 4.7 kilograms, has a 7.6 metre power cord, a telescopic handle with five height settings and stores compactly away.
For steam cleaning, two washable mop pads are provided, one for regular cleans, one for sticky messes. Both have built-in Microban antimicrobial protection which helps prevent the growth of odour-causing bacteria on the pad.
The Vac & Steam is currently being rolled out to stores and is being launched with a comprehensive national advertising and new point of sale stands.