In my household, there’s been a daily almighty squabble these days over the right to use a certain cleaning machine. We’re used to Dyson vacuum cleaners, and one of these has been my best friend through the pandemic, but the new V12 Detect Slim brings something special - and everyone wants to use it. 

Dyson’s handheld vacuum cleaners typically come with one main powerful suction machine and a big collection of attachments that just snap on in one smooth action. Everything on the machine - filters, bin, tools - are user-cleanable. In this case, the battery is swappable as well. You just have to press a button to release one, put it away for charging, and snap in the second. This ease of use and maintenance, combined with the fact that you can wall-mount the machine and have it always handy, makes using the V12 worthwhile. It does cost ₹55,900, so one must consider it carefully. I’ve found that it causes cleanliness to build up and maintain because when you see a bit of dirt that annoys you, you swipe it away with the machine with little effort. The V12 Detect Slim is also very light, adding another element of ease. 

All lit up: From the collection of attachments you get in the box, one motorised tool called the fluffy cleaner head has a green button on top. Turn that on, and as you press the power button on the machine, a green light floods the front of the tool. With that, each particle of dirt, large or small, stands out as if it’s lit up from the inside. Even fine dust is visible. In fact, the very point is that particles not usually visible to the naked eye can be seen in sharp relief. This makes it possible for you to reach into places exactly where there’s dirt, and vacuum it away. You can then see just how clean that place has been left. The attachment has a low profile so it can reach under things. The neck is also articulated so you can move it in different angles. That gives a major sense of satisfaction over a job well done and is the core reason we fight over the machine in my house. Dyson says 99.9 per cent of dust can be picked up. 

There are several other interesting attachments with specific purposes that include cleaning dust off delicate surfaces like keyboards, reaching into tight corners, etc. But sadly, only the fluffy head has proper laser light. Another interesting tool, different from previous-gen models, is the anti-tangle conical brush. Also, a motorised tool, allows long hair and pet hair to deliberately loop inside so that it can be removed easily. 

Info display: The base of the main machine that faces the user has an LCD that gives different types of information, chief among them being the mode; Éco, Medium or Boost. You can press the button under the display to select. The battery life remaining with each mode is shown. For the fluffy head tool, there’s a piezo sensor that detects the amount and type of debris to be cleaned up and signals the motor to rev up or slow down accordingly, changing the suction power. You can see what’s happening on display and hear the change as you clean. This clever bit of tech means you don’t have to bother to keep adjusting the 150AW suction level. Other information, such as feedback if something is stuck and preventing proper functioning or the need to empty a bin etc., is also shown.

You get up to 60 mins of battery power, but of course, that keeps changing depending on the mode you’re using. If you prefer doing long cleaning sessions, buying an extra battery may be a good idea. It can be easily swapped with the press of a button. The charge time is long and can be up to four hours. 

Cleaning the V12 Detect Slim is easy enough. The bin has a lever that drops the component down and opens its door to spill the debris into a dustbin. You can also release the entire bin and wash it. Filers are washable. Tools can be opened and cleaned inside, making this a machine you can maintain on your own.