Popularity / Toppreise ranking: high to lowPopularity / Toppreise ranking: low to highAlphabetical: A to ZAlphabetical: Z bis AAvailability: best to worstAvailability: worst to bestPrice: low to highPrice: high to lowPrice per unit or product price: low to highPrice per unit or product price: high to lowNumber of offers: low to highNumber of offers: high to lowGood clean fun: Is new Gtech Multi handheld vacuum better than a Dyson? BRITISH company Gtech reveals its new handheld cordless vacuum and claims it could rival Dyson as the number one cleaner. ADAPTABLE: The new Gtech Multi has 12 interchangeable nozzles [PH ] The 'swiss army knife of vacuum cleaners' is lightweight, cordless, multi-functional and even has two lights at the front to help you clean the dirt in those dark conrners. Its 12 interchangeable nozzles can be used on anything from cushions to curtains and stairs and the extension tube and built-in 'headlights' help you get rid of dust in hard to reach places.

Scientist Adam Hart-Davis, who unveiled the Multi, said: "The vacuum cleaner design is essentially 100 years old, but what we need to clean difficult, hard to get at areas is something light with fascinating features.  "Something that will clean curtains, around the back of sofas,  all those areas you can’t get at with an AirRam. What you need is a Swiss Army knife of a vacuum cleaner and that is what they have come up with."TEST DRIVE: Taking the Gtech Multi for a spin at the Science Museum [PH ] What you need is a Swiss Army knife of a vacuum cleaner and that is what they have come up with Last April, G-tech launched its AirRam upright cordless vacuum cleaner and tens of thousands of models have flown off the shelves so far this year.The new Gtech Multi, which sells for £149 compared to around £173 for Dyson’s DC34 Animal, is their latest model and the firm believes it is the perfect partner for their previous creation - the AirRam upright.Nick Grey, G-tech’s designer, inventor and founder, said he found the gap in the market through reading online reviews.  

He discovered that many customers using the upright AirRam resorted to their old heavy cleaners with long hoses and tools to clean the hard-to-reach places - so he decided to invent something to fill the void.vacuum cleaner edwardDESIGN: The new model has a wide-brush tool perfect for cushion, curtains and stairs [PH ]Speaking of the AirRam and Multi he said: "These two products together will consign the heavy, corded, energy-eating vacuum cleaners to history."  miele vacuum cleaner greenThe Multi is rechargeable, using plug-in charger, and is powered by a lithium-ion battery, the sort found in smartphones.  vacuum cleaner robot japanIt takes four hours to fully charge and can run for 30 minutes - nearly twice long as the Dyson DC34, which can run for 15 minutes on minimum power. 

Like the Gtech AirRAM, the Gtech Multi is extremely green and uses only 100W of energy and therefore keeps within the European Commissions directive on Energy efficient vacuuming cleaners that will come into force in 2014. FOUNDER: Nick Grey is the founder, designer and inventor of the British company [PH ]The model's attachments include a built-in crevice tool, a smaller round tough brush for stubborn grime and a seven-inch wide tool for cleaning sofas, curtains and stairs.The vacuum also includes a 36cm pull-out bendy tube to reach tricky spots around corners and an extension tube to tackle dirt and dust in high places and limit bending when cleaning floors.PRODUCTS: The AirRam and the new Gtech Multi are claimed to be the perfect pair [PH ]Although the Gtech Multi is lightweight and easy to lift at 1.6kg the Dyson DC34 Animal does undercut it at a featherlight 1.33kg.  With the launch of the Multi G-tech’s turnover is expected to double to in excess of £20million this year, with sales continuing to grow.

The Multi, which will be available at John Lewis or from the G-tech.co.uk sells at £149, AirRam at £229 but both bought together are £299 and if both fully charged provide 70 minutes of combined cleaning time.Steam cleaners heat up water to produce steam in order to clean surfaces or floors at high pressure. The idea is that they shift dirt and grease and kill bacteria fast and efficiently. But while there is no shortage of models on the market, we found that relatively few deliver on all their promises, making it a particularly challenging task to know which one to choose. There are three main types: steam mops, handheld-steam cleaners and a combination of both. Steam mops are upright machines with a water tank attached to the handle, and are far superior to the traditional mop. A handheld steam cleaner is a more compact machine meant for cleaning the likes of kitchen surfaces, mirrors and bathroom tiles. The steam is delivered through a nozzle and there are usually attachments for different surfaces.

Meanwhile, two-in-one machines – which are the most popular – do both, acting as an upright steam mop, with a removable handheld steam cleaner, usually built into the handle. Work out your cleaning needs before checking them against the list of attachments included in the machine you’re considering – you’ll need a squeegee to clean glass, for example, or a scrubbing brush for grout. Also look into heat-up and steaming time. Some mops are ready to use in just 20 seconds, while steam time can range from 10 minutes to around an hour. We’ve been busy cleaning everything from kitchen floor tiles to bathroom wall tiles, along with wooden floors, carpets and sofas and more to bring you the best of the bunch. 1. Vax Steam Fresh Power Plus: £150, John Lewis This manoeuvres extremely well, reaching the tightest of corners, and the mop worked a treat even when we tried it on encrusted jam and tomato ketchup on the floor. It keeps its promise to make your home smell fresh too.

The handheld wand, which has a soft scrub brush, works well on all but the most stubborn grout. 2. Hoover SteamJet Dual Head Steam Upright: £90, Hoover This is brilliant at getting up almost anything from more textured floors, such as tiles, stone or vinyl tile imitations, although smooth floor surfaces pose more of a challenge and it’s unsuitable for varnished floors. The pressure doesn’t drop off, like some, and the trigger means you can precisely control when you want it to steam and when you don’t. It works on carpets, too. 3. Bissell Vac & Steam: £150, Lakeland Kill two birds with one stone with this machine which, unusually, lets you vacuum and steam clean at the same time. We found it did a decent job on both – sucking up bits of rice while dealing with mopping up curry sauce, for example, although suction isn’t as strong as most conventional vacuum cleaners. Your floor is dry within minutes and the lightweight machine is easy to empty. 4. Polti Vaporetto Eco Pro 3.0 Steam Cleaner: £329, John Lewis

A good one for people with asthma and allergies, this machine is so powerful that it gets rid of dust mites and allergens as part of its intensive cleaning process. We found it worked a treat on surfaces such as carpets, sofas, hard floors, windows and tiles, while the attachments, including different sized brushes, are great on areas like grouting between tiles. Give yourself time to get to grips with it, though, and allow lots of time for it to cool down after use. 5. Thane H20 HD: £99, amazon As a handheld machine, this is outstanding at cleaning the likes of tiles and grouting. And used as an upright mop, it’s good at dealing with floor spills, such as yoghurt or tomato ketchup. The steaming is nonstop and we like how the head swivels so you can reach difficult corners easily. But it can be prone to dripping, leaving floors and surfaces wet after use. 6. Vileda Steam Mop: £65, amazon Fed up of muddy footprints all over the floor? This slimline, lightweight steam mop excels at getting rid of them in no time.

The steam output maintains its oomph, although particularly sticky spills might need a bit of extra elbow grease. The head swivels for easy manoeuvring around furniture and to reach tight corners, and it’s not bad on carpets and rugs too. The water tank is easy to fill, although a bit tricky to empty (it’s not removable, which means you have to turn it upside down over the sink to pour the water out). 7. Karcher SC3: £125, John Lewis The combination of continuous steam and a powerful motor means you get a really deep clean with this model, whether on floors, corners of bathroom tiles or hard floors – while the ergonomically designed floor nozzle and attachment means you can reach tight corners. There’s a steam flow control on the handle so you can adjust it accordingly. The flow heater system means it only takes half a minute to get the steam going, but it’s not the lightest machine. 8. Morphy Richards Total Clean: £77, amazon Glass, tiles and mirrors look like new when you use this machine in handheld mode and it’s good as a mop too, particularly for cleaning up sticky mess like sauces or jam.

Its weaker points are grout (in handheld mode) and muddy footprints (in upright mode). However, in upright mode, it’s a joy to manoeuvre and we found it excelled at reaching tight corners. The steam is activated by a trigger, rather than being continuous, and the handheld device is heavier than most. 9. Black & Decker Steamburst: £90, Currys In its handheld mode, this durable, well-made machine effortlessly removes dirt and sticky spots from all areas, including tight corners. Used in upright mode, it’s not bad at mopping up smooth floors, although stickier spillages might need going over more than once. The controls are easy to operate, with steam operated by a trigger, and the cleaning pads are easy to attach. 10. Vax Steam Switch: £50, Argos This budget machine is great for a light touch clean. We found it easy to switch between handheld and upright and although the steam pressure isn’t as powerful as some – and you only get 15 minutes’ steam time – it’s good for getting rid of surface dirt between more serious cleans.