The DC 31 is a hand held vacuum cleaner which packs all the suction power you’d expect of a Dyson, into a highly portable, compact and easy to use machine.
Being handheld, the DC 31 obviously offers up a greater degree of control than is possible with any other form of vacuum. However, thanks to being battery powered, the freedom afforded by the DC 31 is even greater than with other hand held machines.
With the DC 31 there are no power cords to hold you back as you tackle the hardest to reach and, therefore, hardest to clean areas in your home. Hanging lampshades, computer keyboards, cobwebbed corners, skirting boards, car upholstery and other inaccessible, debris ridden spots present no challenge to the DC31. The machine even comes with a high velocity airflow crevice tool to ensure, no matter where it may collect, dust will not escape your reach.
The battery is easily recharged by being plugged directly into the mains power supply. This process, though fairly time consuming (it can take almost four hours to get a full charge) is incredibly energy efficient as it uses an ‘Energy Star’ qualified system, approved of by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the US department of Energy.
Once your machine is fully charged you can control how you want to use the cleaning power available to you, thanks to the DC 31’s dual power controls. If you are looking for a short burst of highly concentrated power, ideal for tackling isolated spots of dirt, you can use the high power setting to produce 65 air watts of constant suction for up to 6 minutes.
If, on the other hand, you are looking to do a more extensive cleaning spree, simply select the lower power setting and you will have over tens minutes worth of uninterrupted power.
This isn’t always long enough to do all your cleaning and users should look out because, as there is no sense of the machine slowing down, you do not have any warning as to when it is about to run out of power.
Both modes are fairly quiet, especially the lower power one. There is one inconvenience in that you have to keep the power button depressed whilst cleaning. This isn’t hard, but it would be easier if the button locked automatically.
As with all Dysons, the power available is unaffected by the machine taking on dirt. Instead of using a bag, which clogs and reduces suction, centrifugal forces are used to spin the dust out of the air, into the bin, without the use of bags or any loss of suction (this also saves money on replacing bags.)
Emptying the cyclone’s container is extremely easy. You simply slide a switch at the bottom of the container. There is no need to remove any parts. The same applies when you need to wash the filter, normally once a month.
Thanks to its unique Dyson digital motor it is more powerful than machines equipped with motors of a similar, or even greater, size and weight.
Indeed, considering the machine weighs a little over 1kg, the power the machine produces seems almost unbelievably disproportionate to its weight. This impression is augmented to a large extent by the machine’s ingenious ergonomic design, which evenly distributes the machines weight in your hand, making it feel even lighter than it is.
If you live in a smaller dwelling it is even possible that the DC 31 could be used to take on the majority of your cleaning needs within the time span of a single charge. If you live in a larger house, with many awkward to reach areas, this hand held device can be the perfect companion to a conventional machine, especially if you have a number of different floor types (the DC 31 is very adept at getting at crumbs and food matter that fall between the crevices in stone floored kitchens.)
If you live with pets you might want to consider the DC 31 Animal. This version is identical in most respects except that it has motorised brush head which uses rapidly rotating bristles to capture pet hairs, wherever they stray. Even if you don’t have a pet, if your carpets are especially deep, you may find the motorised brush head worth having.
Both versions of the machine come with a two year warranty covering the cost of parts and labour involved in any repair work, though you are not likely to need it as the materials used are extremely durable (the same stuff that’s in crash helmets and riot shields.)
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