Test: a vacuum cleaner that washes, talks and dries itself

A girl enthusiastic about a vacuum cleaner, in 2022, I agree, is a chilling cliché, especially in a feminist magazine. However, I took this test as a technological and social experiment. It is still quite an expensive item, almost the most expensive in my apartment, and it is quite impressive.

This model of the Dreame brand is called H12, it has just arrived in France and is the third of this range of multifunction vacuum cleaners, the old models are respectively called H11 and H11 max. The promises of the H12 are numerous : Cleans wet and dry dirt at the same time, intelligently detects dirt, cleans itself after use, has a self-vacuuming mode and a simultaneously vacuuming and washing mode.

I mean, I almost get the feeling that this item is going to become my cleaner, and that I could teach it to make the bed and the dishes … I think there’s something to dig over there (to be honest).

The first encounter with the H12

If you have the opportunity, I recommend that you have the device delivered to you, because thethe beast still weighs just over five kilos with all the accessories that come with it. To get started, don’t be afraid to take up space and take out the entire contents of the box. You will have to assemble this multifunctional vacuum cleaner yourself. But don’t panic, you won’t have to completely assemble it and just follow the pictures in the instructions.

Dreame is a Chinese brand, so the famous document is not translated into French, but into international languages, namely English, Arabic and Hebrew. However, first use does not require an engineering degree. Also, you are surely wondering what the contents of the box are?

The H12 looks like a stick vacuum cleaner. It comes with a charging base to mount, on which you can put accessories and a liquid soap. In addition, some accessories are duplicated so that they can be replaced, such as the roller and filter. It’s good news to know that the filter can be changed and cleaned easily, which means it won’t clog and this guarantees a rather long service life.

Once the H12 has taken shape, all you have to do is charge it up to 100%. First surprise when it is placed on its base, H12 speaks. Sure, with pretty basic vocabulary, but every time you press a button, you’re told the action you’ve just initiated.

So I have a smart device in my hands that talks, it’s pretty impressive, but I push experimentation to the point of practice.

The H12 innovation saves a lot of time when cleaning

Before running H12, I make sure the water tank is filled as it should, and I press one of the three buttons at my disposal, which is the on / off switch. The display screen lights up and is surrounded by a bright green border, no icons flash red, this is a good sign. I throw myself, or rather, I throw myself, because it is H12 that involves me in its run like a lawn mower!

This strength is surprising enough, but is welcome, because it compensates for the weight of the object. I realize that H12 leaves a small trail of moisture in its path, I understand that it washes and vacuums automatically. In the front there is a roller that spins at high speed and gives no chance to dirt. My living room is ready in ten minutes, and it’s almost a pleasure.

H12 fits perfectly along the wallsinstead, his head still measures about ten centimeters, which makes it impossible for him to access the small corners of the apartment, it is better to move the furniture. For curiosity, to try the other suction button, spilling the water on the floor, I press, hear the GPS voice of the H12 and pass the liquid. The challenge is largely won.

Sometimes I get scared, because the power of the device accelerates and the green border turns orange, even red. Taking the user manual, I understand that H12 adapts its power, if it feels that the ground is too dirty for energy saving.

I realize that the battery is running out pretty quickly: in fifteen minutes I am already at 50%. But what stops me in my crazy test run is that the clean water tank has completely emptied and, conversely, the waste water tank has filled up. A small icon lights up to alert me.

After cleaning and cleaning the H12

I go back to my user manual, which tells me to put the H12 back on its charging base and simply press the self-clean button. I do this and suddenly the roller starts spinning by itself and the waste water tank starts filling up again. I understand the roller is being cleaned and the mechanisms inside the device are drying.

After a few minutes, the process stops. I take out the two water tanks as well as the filter and roller to rinse them with clean water, then let them dry. In the meantime, I have put H12 back in charge. The next morning I put everything back in place, in an apartment now so clean that I could eat on the floor.

So what can I say except that the experience was very conclusive. I have been in a relationship for many years and usually he does this kind of work (vacuuming and cleaning). There, I stuck, I was able to do both at the same time and, frankly, there was a super satisfying little side, because H12 isn’t loud. I can then happily delegate all the cooking to my boyfriend to compensate.

I had the impression of having an innovative object in my hands, which does not happen so often. Am I becoming another person? Perhaps. Do I understand home appliance enthusiasts? Absolutely !