Dust, mites and filth – this handheld vacuum reveals what’s hiding in your bed

I’m not a neat freak – not yet. Running the Hoover MBC 500 UV 011 over a mattress for the first time, however, leaves me a little startled. The squeaky-clean container on my brand-new test device has filled right up. Yikes! So this is what’s been hiding in my bed.

The fact I’m even testing the Hoover mattress cleaner, cryptically named the MBC 500 UV 011, is a coincidence. Chatting with our Category Management Team about robot vacuum cleaners, Category colleague Sina mentions a «hidden star». This Hoover vacuum has been selling well and getting excellent ratings from the Community to boot. With over 200 reviews, it’s rated 4.7 stars.

−6%

Vacuum cleaners

EUR84,– was EUR89,10

Hoover MBC500 Ultra Vortex

309

Vacuum cleaners

−6%

EUR84,– was EUR89,10

Hoover MBC500 Ultra Vortex

309

Here’s how easy it is to use the Hoover

Initially sceptical, I start off by testing the vacuum on a very old mattress we have stashed away for the kids’ sleepovers. The Hoover has an easy concept, and it’s just as easy to operate.

First, you plug the device into the mains. The manufacturer has kitted it out with a very long cable, so you don’t usually need an extension cord. The vacuum has two buttons exactly – one to turn the suction on and off, and one to switch between its three operating modes.

The Hoover can vacuum, brush and use UV light. You can either use all three functions at once, vacuum and brush without the UV, or use the vacuum and UV light without the brush.

I start off by practising on an old mattress

I turn on everything the Hoover has to offer – vacuum whirring, brush jerking, UV lamp burning bright. The mattress, which is more than 40 years old, will be subjected to the whole shebang during my first attempt. It’s definitely never been vacuumed before – something I quickly become aware of.

Fine dust and dirt fills the container. The device clamps right down on the mattress, creating a kind of vacuum. Its powerful motor really makes itself heard – it’s almost as loud as a car wash vacuum cleaner. There’s also a bit of a rumbling sound, as the brush roller works the surface of the mattress pad really hard.

Too hard during my first test. The already somewhat loose seams of the old mattress tear even more, and the thread gets wrapped around the brush. When I stop to clean the brush, I realise this isn’t as easy as with other vacuums. I’m only able to dislodge the brush by loosening a screw first. And even that’s only a partial success.

I’ve never seen this dust before

I then carefully clean the other underside of the mattress, only using the suction and UV light. However, I’m obviously wondering whether using the Hoover with the rotating brush makes a difference. I give it a go on one half of the mattress, where the threading is still intact. When using just the suction, nothing more comes off the mattress. Switching on the brush, however, dislodges some even more deeply embedded dust and dirt. It’s not a dramatic amount, but I can still clearly see it in the container.

All fired up and in the mood for cleaning, I then decide to tackle the mattress I sleep on every night. Just shy of 10 years old, it’s certainly gathered some dust. Although it’s far less dusty than the older mattress, there’s still so much dust and dirt that I’m starting to realise why allergy sufferers can’t sleep on regular beds.

I go on to test the Hoover on our newest mattress, which we’ve only had for about five years. It, too, is well worth vacuuming. Maybe the reason there’s so much dust on it is because it’s where the most active resident of the household, our cat, hangs out.

The Hoover also does a good job of cushions. On the cat tree’s furry covering especially, there’s a lot of work to be done. A standard vacuum cleaner can only do a superficial clean, whereas the MBC 500 UV 011 shifts every last hair from the fabric. Provided the surface you’re cleaning is reasonably firm, that is. Thin blankets or bath towels, on the other hand, will simply cling to the vacuum.

What does the UV light do?

The effect of vacuuming and brushing is understandable, but you might be wondering what the UV lamp is all about. First of all, it’s important you know you won’t be able to see the light. This is because it automatically turns off when you lift the mattress cleaner more than 10 centimetres off the floor – a measure designed to protect your eyes.

The UV light is supposed to kill dust mites. Yep, these invisible arachnids have shacked up with you too, preferring to hide out in mattresses, blankets, pillows, upholstered furniture and carpets. As a matter of fact, one gramme of bed dust contains 4,000 mites. Sustained by a diet of dander, their faeces mixes with other particles to form dust.

For healthy people, this is no problem. If you clean your house regularly, you won’t experience any adverse effects. For allergy sufferers, however, it’s a different story. When they inhale dust present in the air, they react to an allergen contained in the mite faeces.

It’s a proven fact that UV light can kill bacteria or viruses, meaning it acts as a disinfectant. Studies have also shown that it attacks the mites’ cell structure. The longer the irradiation, the more effective this is.

As a result, it’s worth running the Hoover over the mattress very slowly. This not only increases the UV radiation, but also allows for deep cleaning. What’s more, since dead mites also trigger allergy attacks, they obviously need to be hoovered up regularly.

An allergy seal of approval

One problem for allergy sufferers is that dust isn’t just sucked into the device – it isn’t discharged again either. Though the Hoover filters the air, its performance isn’t included in the specifications. Even so, the product has been awarded the British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval. Having identified products suitable for allergy sufferers since 1995, the symbol is used in 135 countries.

If you have allergies, however, the thing you’ll most likely want to do is try to reduce mite sources. For example, by replacing an upholstered sofa with a leather one. You can also get specially sealed bedding.

Criticism aside, this is a must-have vacuum for anyone

The Hoover will have to take a little criticism in this review too. Though it pays homage to the Dyson look, it’s a pretty old-fashioned gadget. The buttons are wobbly, and although the plastic casing is robust, it’s also made of rough material.

Even without a battery pack, it’s bulky and heavy, weighing in at around two kilogrammes. Although the vacuum cleaner isn’t exactly compact, it only has a small container for dust and dirt. This annoyed me while I was cleaning upholstery or fabric covers my cats had been lying on. I kept having to empty the container shortly after I started cleaning.

Though I’ve pretty much put the vacuum through its paces, I’m still cleaning all the upholstery, covers and mattresses in the house. And yes, I’ll pretty much have to buy a mattress vacuum now. Or, since I don’t need it every week, at least share it with friends and family. It’s a first-rate gadget. What’s more, now that I know what’s accumulating on my mattress, I can’t ignore it.

But maybe I’ll just wait another three or four months and get a test device from another brand. That way, I’ll be able to see whether vacuuming two or three times a year is enough, as well as how much dust builds up on our beds during that time. Not only that, but I’ll also be able to see how cheaper models compare.