Thursday, July 28, 2016

Dyson V8 Sucks, Big Time!

[Product Review]
 
Now before you get me wrong, I really do mean it literally when I said Dyson V8 sucks. In fact, it sucked really well for a handheld portable cord-free vacuum cleaner. I have to admit though, that I do not clean up the house as much as the perfect daddy / husband should, and my experience with handling vacuum cleaner is limited to the conventional vacuum cleaner I received as a housewarming gift when I first got my flat over a decade ago.

Back then, I used to be really house-proud and would do a thorough cleaning up once a week, but then as the kiddos starting coming into our lives one by one, things changed (more proud of something else I guess, the kids). Where one could easily waltz from one end of the hall to the other previously, there are now tables, chair, toys and what not all over the place. And with more stuff and human (skin) in the house now, there are lots more dust flying around but yet we used the vacuum cleaner less often. I wouldn't even want to touch on the dust mites...

Lugging the vacuum cleaner around the house became increasingly irritating, and even more so when it needs to be plugged into a power point! Gradually the cleaning became less frequent and even after we got a helper, I had never seen her use the vacuum cleaner, relying on sweeping and mopping instead.
 
Our First Introduction to Dyson

 
I am not the “into” cleaning but I definitely know of the brand Dyson. With rumbustious toddlers in the house for the past 8 years who doesn’t give a hoot about putting their hands on or into anything that moves, it scares the hell out of me at times. Hence I cannot help but admire the technology behind the bladeless fans by Dyson, which I find simply amazing.

So when we were actually invited over to Trehaus by the Dyson team for a casual get-together and introduction to their latest vacuum cleaner, I knew that this one "die die" cannot miss, and I was right. The Dyson V8 is indeed another technologically advanced piece of equipment from the company.

On hard floors, this soft roller cleaner head picks up both fine particles as well as bigger pieces.
And it can be dismantled for cleaning if required.
The Dyson V8 Fluffy comes with a variety or attachment heads for your cleaning needs!
This special joint allows you to reach difficult angles without twisting your wrists!
Showing you how to remove the filter for the occasional wash under the tap if required. No need to buy replacement!
Just put on the right attachment and you can clean animal (soft toys) too, without incurring the wrath of SPCA!
Bag-less Technology + Easy Dirt Removal

Being first time homeowner and user, I didn’t know of the need to change the dust bag. In fact I thought my vacuum cleaner had spoilt when it could hardly pick up anything due to the full bag which had restricted the air flow!

I was really happy when I finally realized what the problem was, UNTIL I noticed that it didn’t take long for the need to change the bag again, and how bloody EXPENSIVE the bags were. In fact I have a feeling that the companies make more money out of these bags, over selling the machines themselves!

Even kiddos can operate the machine and dispose of the rubbish easily.
The Dyson V8 is bag-less, never loses its suction power (unless it’s time to recharge of course) and its dirt ejector makes easy work of removing all the accumulated dirt without getting the hands dirty. Even my kiddos were able to operate it easily.

Light & Versatile

I still remember trying to suck out the dust on the top of my air-conditioning unit previously. I had to take remove the nozzle head from the flexible tube so that it can fit into the crevice between the ceiling and air-conditioner, carry the bloody vacuum cleaner with one hand, and use the other hand to move the tube around. Going to the next room, means having to unplug and repeat the same process! With the body aches that follow, I would often curse and swear till the next cleaning.
 

The portable cord-free Dyson V8 is a totally different story altogether. It may not be super lightweight (at 2.55kg), but is manageable enough for me to move around and reach all the hard to reach nooks and crannies without any problem. All I needed were the most relevant attachments for the job.

Even with its motor rotating at 5 times the speed of the Formula 1 car motor, the battery lasts a respectable 4hrs with a full charge. Usage time is shortened though, if you were to turn it on at full power. I would have expected the machine to sound much louder than it actually did, especially with the comparison with the Formula 1 engine but it was pretty silent on normal power mode.

Practicality

One may be easily awed by the great performances put up by the salesperson in the departmental store selling the latest start-of-the-art machinery to combat dirt and grime. I personally, was almost sold when the salesperson of one particular brand came over my place to do a demonstration, after someone in the family took a free gift (a mistake I would say).

It may be a great product in theory, BUT given its bulk and PRICE, it is really not for us. I know of a friend who bought the machine only to leave it dormant in his storeroom (after the initial enthusiastic period of cleaning), and still needing to pay for its remaining instalments!

What you REALLY need, is something that you will use on a regular basis. And Dyson V8 Fluffy is one that you can use any time and I would imagine it to be really handy for car owners too!
 
Even Spider boy approves!
Verdict
 
I personally find the performance of Dyson V8 ideal for everyday use for HDB-dwellers like myself. Have the docking station fixed at the right corner in the house, and harness the fade-free suction power of the machine at will. Just perfect!
 
 

The cord-free and light-weight Dyson V8 makes cleaning enjoyable, even for little kiddos!
My only grouse would have to be the price tag of $1,099 for the Dyson V8 Fluffy, but considering if you factor in the savings from not having to purchase any consumables such as filters or dust bags, it may pretty well work out fine in the long run.

Oh, and also the need to find a place to store all the different attachments / heads too since the docking station cannot hold these.

Other than the above, Dyson V8 rocks and sucks (really well)! Thank you Dyson for the review set, we love it! You can get yours from the list of authorized retailers here and the prices are as follows -

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Singapore Garden Festival 2016

[Media Invite]

We popped by Singapore Garden Festival 2016 earlier with the family, sans our youngest Louie who was not feeling too well. This festival is not solely about going through the flower exhibitions and taking lots of photographs only. Although I must say that there are a WHOLE LOT of awesome spots for photography! If you love gardening (like me), you will find that a day here is definitely not enough for sure, I guarantee that!
 
Get to the festival grounds easily via the MRT to Bayfront Station!
You will be stuck at the Marketplace, where lots of local / overseas exhibitors ply their fauna and gardening wares. I saw my favourite carnivorous plants and tillandsias for sale, as well as the latest technology in indoor gardening systems (that claims no green fingers are required) and indoor lightings as well. I could have spent my entire afternoon here, if not for the kiddos who complained that they were tired and hungry after all the photo-taking.
 









Speaking of food, there is also a temporary "hawker centre" of sorts that is being set up where you can have delicious food, with shelter from the sweltering heat, and with proper seats as well. It is called "Dining in The Garden City", and although prices are roughly 20%-30% higher compared to your regular hawker prices, but it does makes sense to grab some bites here to replenish your energy before moving on to the unexplored places. This festival is really huge, please get the map and ensure you do not miss out any places like we did! The Market place which consists of the dining and retail stores does not require one purchase any tickets to enter.
 


One will need to get tickets to enter the main areas which consists of The Meadow side, as well as the Bayfront Plaza. We barely explored The Meadow side where the Fantasy Gardens, as well as beautifully landscaped pieces of art are situated. This place would have cost the photographer in you and me a couple of extra hours already! Because we were running a little late, we actually missed the entire portion at Bayfront Plaza... OMG... And I was still wondering why I did not see any of the Bonsais I had a glimpse of on social media! They are all at the other side!
 




 


 

 
Oh, do note that the tickets to Singapore Garden Festival 2016 comes with entry to the Flower Dome (till end 31 July only) which is having the Orchid Extravaganza and Singapore Orchid Show now. If you follow the trail and pay attention to the different types of orchids being displayed, you will be amazed by the different varieties! In fact, for those who had little experience with orchids, their preconception of how orchid plants or flowers should look like, will be seriously challenged! Be wowed by the winning pots of orchids too and I am pretty sure many who walked through the dome during this period, will be inspired to try their hands at keeping some orchids! I am for sure! Tip: Go to Marketplace and get some pots of your own!





















So should you go for SGF 2016?

If you love photography, there will be so many beautiful displays to take photographs of or with! In fact, you will probably be jostling with other visitors armed with selfie sticks or what nots! So yes, go and practice your shooting skills and stand a chance to win NIKON DSLRs and COOLPIX cameras through posting your photos on Instragam (Hashtagging #SGGARDENFEST) or on Facebook (fb.com/SGGardenFest). You can also email your photos to sggardenfest@gmail.com. Check here for more information.








If you love plants and gardening in general, don't hesitate. There are lots of vendors selling exotic plants at the Marketplace and it is always enriching to have a word with the exhibitors and learn more from them. There are lots of talks scheduled as well, such as growing African Violets indoors, making and maintaining terrariums to even tips on photographing nature!

And the best deal of all is that Singaporeans only pay max $16 to enter SGF2016 as well as the Flower Dome for the Orchid Extravaganza! I checked, it would have already cost $12 for Singaporeans to enter just the Flower Dome alone. So this is a pretty neat deal!

Useful Information


Period: 23 - 31 Jul 2016
Show Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily 
Conservatories Opening Hours: 9am - 10pm daily 
Tickets include admission to the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay from 23 - 31 July 2016.