Properly vacuuming your car can be a right pain, but it can be made easier if you have the right attachments. The problem is, many vacuum cleaners only come with a basic set – especially cheaper units, which may only have a stubby little crevice tool and a small, ‘all-purpose’ nozzle.
This makes attaching those awkward nooks and crannies a right pain, especially when it comes to cleaning a car’s interior. If you’ve ever tried to fit a standard vacuum cleaner nozzle under a car seat you’ll know the pain and frustration.
Well, Numatic, manufacturers of the Henry range of vacuums, appear to have the answer. Its CarKit includes three attachments that combine to make cleaning the car easier, quicker, and more effective.
Henry Bagged Cylinder Vacuum
RRP £159 | VIEW OFFER
What do you get in the Numatic CarKit?
The first item is perhaps the most useful – a 1.5m long extension for Henry’s hose, which already measures a generous 1.5m. With the extension in place, Henry can happily sit out on the driveway while you vacuum your entire car, without ever having to pull or tug at the hose to get more reach.
Also included is a long, flexible crevice tool for your nooks and crannies, and the Airobrush 140 – a suction-powered turbine tool with a rotating brush, which better agitates carpet and mats compared with a static nozzle. Finally, you get a connector piece, necessary for coupling up the two ‘female’ hose ends to one another.
The crevice tool and Airobrush work identically to the standard Henry toolset, so they can be positioned directly on the end of the hose with the help of an adaptor, or on the bent end handle or either of the two extension wands.
What vacuums can I use the Numatic Carkit with?
The CarKit works with any vacuum in Numatic’s range – from the basic Henry and Hetty through the brand’s range of wet/dry vacs and carpet washers, if fitted with a filter and bag.
It will also fit any vacuum that takes 32mm tools – that dimension refers to the diameter of the attachments. This is one of two standard sizes in the UK and many vacuums, particularly budget ones, will fit the CarKit.
How well does it work?
You may only get two tools and an extension hose, but combined with Henry’s standard toolkit you really do have everything you need to give your car a thorough clean.
The Flexi Crevice Tool is an outstandingly useful nozzle. Not only is it very long, making it ideal for getting into deeper nooks and crannies, but its flexible neck (that extends the full length of the tool) means you can delve into even tighter spots, or curve around corners.
The flexible portion is made of a tough rubber that can withstand some serious punishment, too.
Meanwhile, the Airobrush 140 makes cleaning carpets and mats a breeze. As anybody who’s vacuumed a looped-pile car mat knows, they cling onto dust, grit, sand and dried-up mud like almost nothing else. The agitation provided by the Airobrush and its spinning brushes beats the dirt out of the mats, and means you’ll need to make fewer passes and be done in less time and with less effort than you would with a conventional all-purpose nozzle.
The Airobrush is also the perfect thing for pet owners, as it’s great for sweeping up stubborn pet hair from a seat or a boot carpet. Longer hair may clog the brushes or the turbine, but the brush opens up very easily to facilitate cleaning.
Should you buy the Numatic CarKit?
There’s no denying at around £40, the CarKit is quite expensive for a few tools – especially when you look at the price of copycats on auction sites. But the tools here feel high-quality and like they’ll last far longer than cheap imitations – especially the hose, which is often poor-quality if purchased elsewhere.
If you’re passionate about keeping your car’s interior clean (or indeed your house – these tools are useful in the home too) then the Numatic Carkit is a worthy purchase, either for your Henry or another compatible vacuum.
Numatic CarKit
Price: RRP £39.98 | VIEW OFFER
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