Full disclosure: I only went in for Aldi’s Mohave Ghost perfume dupe (it’s called ‘Desert Spirit’, it’s excellent and only £6.99) and that nice coconut oil toilet roll you can get. Alas, I strayed too long in the middle aisle didn’t I, buying things I never knew I needed. And here we are.…
Except that this little “was £24.99, now £19.99” bargain is so good, I’m using the tech publication that employs me to spread the word: I think you need it too.
I’m normally TR’s audio editor, but that’s not important right now. What’s important is that these types of UV mattress vacs normally cost upwards of £55 — and as far as I can tell, there’s very little difference between those expensive models and this little beauty, when we get down to brass tacks.
What you’re looking at is the Ambiano UV Sanitising Mattress Vacuum. What exactly is a mattress vacuum, or more specifically, how is it different to any other small vacuum cleaner one might pick up in a middle aisle of a supermarket?
I also did not know these answers until last week, but mattress vacuums are very different beasts to the more general best vacuum cleaners on the market. These are specialised handheld cleaners designed to extract dust mites, dead skin, and allergens from deep within fabric using suction, UV-C light, and sometimes extra features such as heat drying and ‘tapping’.
That last perk is a feature of the Ambiano you’re reading about and — fair warning — it gets a bit gross from here on in.
New mantra: dead skin is part of life (and that’s OK)
On the underside of the Ambiano Mattress Vacuum, the bit that looks like a plastic cushion for the horizontal NutriBullet-esque part to rest on, are two rubberised strips with little uniform protrusions on. Turn the power on and these strips start shaking-slash-oscillating very quickly, to ‘strike’ or agitate the fabric you’re slowly rolling them over.
This tapping action is often called ‘beating’ and dislodges dust mites and their fecal matter, hair (human, although sadly dust mites do have hair and it’s best not to dwell on that), dander, dead skin and allergens out of the fibres and into the removable dust canister, via the washable HEPA filter. Ew. (*Whispers to self) It’s just a body, and dead skin is a part of life…
Thus, in this rock-bottom price mattress vac, you’re getting a fairly sizeable UV light (or more specifically a UV-C light, for a shorter wavelength) to ‘sanitise’ your fabric, plus that tapping feature. These aren’t selectable; the tapping motion fires up when you depress the power button on the handle and the UV light illuminates when the vacuum is in contact with surfaces. However, I’ve read reviews of pricier mattress vacs that complain it’s a workout pushing the head hard enough into a mattress to make the light come on, and that certainly wasn’t the case for me. A simple light touch and slow motion roll across my mattress was all it took.
What you’re not getting on the Ambiano Mattress Vacuum is a cordless experience (although apparently most mattress vacuums are corded), a hot air function (meant to help prevent mould) or a ‘smart dust’ sensor. These feature on more expensive vacuums and apparently, said sensor goes from red to green when the vac thinks your mattress is clean. Unfortunately as a working journalist I decide when things are clean, in accordance with the limited time I have for cleaning.
Finally, with a maximum 300W of power, the Ambiano is OK rather than great for suction when pitted against pricier rivals — but check our vacuum cleaner wattage explainer for more information on how many watts of power is good for a vacuum cleaner, depending on its design. Again, more expensive options list 500W or even 700W ratings, but I maintain that for a £19 impulse buy, the Ambiano is great value and boasts several features I never knew I needed.
I couldn’t find a kPa suction rating for the Ambiano (the box promised manual inside; alas, this had been half-inched during its time in the Aldi middle aisle cage) but it’s no slouch. I could feel the power of it against the mattress and cushions and given how much it accumulated, it does a job.
Do you need a mattress vacuum?
Having used this inexpensive one, I’m going to say yes. And I thoroughly recommend it at its ultra-low price. This is all new for me too, but nearly two weeks in, I’m shocked at the difference it has made to the place.
I have a mattress topper on the mattress at all times, which should be good at keeping dust out of the mattress proper, right? Apparently not. I wash that fairly regularly and still give it, and the mattress, a once-over with my trusty Henry (using just the tube bit; no extra attachments) whenever I remember. But still, the Ambiano Mattress Vacuum managed to collect a lot of dust from my king-size bed, filling the canister easily a fifth full. It’s really rewarding seeing said canister fill up… but also vaguely alarming.
I get now that the mattress is one of the most important places in our homes to clean, because I’ve not been sneezing in bed half as much lately. Also, my sinusitis headaches have gone. Coincidence? Maybe, but there was a lot of dust in that fairly new mattress…
I moved to the spare bed — got to give this thing a run for its £19. Next, the suede-effect headboard on our bed, the sofa and our cushions (I love a scatter cushion, so help me). Shockingly, when I’d finished, the canister was basically full. Again, I do hoover the sofa when I remember — although my social media portals have clearly been listening in on my team meetings with TechRadar editors concerning this article. Now, every other reel tells me “The one place you’re overlooking when cleaning is making your house smell BAD”, or “You MUST vacuum your couch at LEAST once a week”. Cripes.
Look, I clean my flat (but I was still shocked at the dust in the canister)
Am I qualified to be recommending decent household cleaning products? Yes, I’d say so, because I have been a professional cleaner on many occasions. To clarify: I was paid to clean, although ‘cleaner’ was never my job title. People think the life of a professional dancer is glamorous, and it can be — while you’re in the gig. The problem is that my former career involved freelance contractual work. And in between all the big glam shows (and the smaller un-glam ones you did for the soul), there are periods of unemployment during which bills still need to be paid.
I have worked as a private dental receptionist, market research lounge host, barista and retail sales assistant in Harrods and Selfridges, to name just a few in-between positions I’ve held. Every one of these jobs involved cleaning shop floors, waiting rooms, kitchens and toilets, whether or not it mentioned as much in the job description.
Which vacuum do I use myself? A Henry XL Xtra. Why? It’s the industrial standard. Every big shop floor I cleaned had a Henry lurking behind the scenes. Yes, it’s old school and it’s got a bag, but it works and you can’t break it.
I remember one day in the dental surgery, our practice manager proudly unveiled a very svelte — and at that time very new — Dyson V8 Absolute cordless stick vacuum. It lasted precisely one month. The problem was, its small bagless canister needed to be emptied after only half of the cleaning shift had been done, every single day. And when workers are in a rush at the top and tail of a shift, things get broken. What I’m saying is, it may well be an excellent vacuum for home use, but in surgeries with heavy footfall and a revolving door of patients coming in with muddy shoes, scratching their heads or picking at their clothes in nervous anticipation of the dentist’s chair, it was not the one.
The Ambiano Mattress Vacuum a £19 bargain — and it might help you sleep
For me, the Ambiano is a no-brainer. I can’t even find it online, (you’ll need to go to your local Aldi and see if there are any left in the middle aisle) so I can’t even furnish you with a ‘click to buy’ button I’m afraid.
But what I can tell you is that it’s easy to use and store, it’s very cheap and it has got a lot of dust out of the soft furnishings in my flat, not just the mattress.
Does the UV-C light actually do anything? I’m not really sure; it reminds me of LG’s Tone Free T90 earbuds that also squirrelled a UV light into the case. Again, the promise was all to do with ‘sanitising’ your buds while charging, before you pop them back into your ear. Then again, for this money the UV-C light in the Ambiano is certainly not going to hurt your mattress — and I think it’s well worth the nominal fee. For me, Aldi’s done it again here. Happy spring cleaning all!
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becky.scarrott@futurenet.com (Becky Scarrott)
