As Ideal Home’s Certified Expert in Vacuums, I spend my days testing new and innovative vacuum cleaners from big brands that plough incomprehensible amounts of money into their product development. But while I trust these brands to deliver, there’s one woman I trust more than anyone: my nan. And my nan swears by her old-school carpet sweeper.
Of course, my guide to the best vacuum cleaners is filled with modern models packed with dust-and-dirt-busting features to make cleaning more efficient than ever. But there’s no denying that these vacuums can often be heavy, cumbersome, and pretty expensive. For some people, they’re also way more complicated than they need to be.
That’s why I was intrigued to see how the 1.6kg Gtech SW02 Cordless Lithium Carpet and Hardwood Floor Sweeper (which is just £69.99 at Amazon) would fare in my home. So, I swapped my regular vacuum for this no-frills, battery-powered carpet sweeper for a whole week to see how it coped with everyday dirt, my dog’s hair, and a sneaky debris test I’d usually reserve for more expensive models.
With over 4,000 reviews on Amazon with 60% of those giving this carpet sweeper a perfect 5-star review, I knew I had to try this old-school floor cleaning tool out for myself.
As I’m used to modern vacuum alternatives, the idea of buying a manual carpet sweeper like this Bissell Sturdy Sweep Manual Floor Sweeper (£24 at Argos) was just a little too old-school for me, despite the thousands of positive reviews from happy customers.
So, I decided to find a middle ground and test a battery-powered model that can be used on both carpets and hard flooring. And on paper, the Gtech Floor Sweeper offers a lot if you compare its specs to the best cordless vacuum cleaners.
It has up to 60 minutes of run time, a 0.5L dust canister, and it weighs just 1.6kg - making those specs almost identical to my Dyson V8 Cyclone, which I normally use to clean the floors in my home. But instead of being almost £400, the carpet sweeper is under £70.
However, the specs mean nothing if a floor cleaner can’t actually clean floors, so I decided to vacuum - or should I say sweep? - my entire house first. The visible difference was immediate, and it tackled everything from mud tracked in from dirty shoes to small sticks stuck to my dog’s hair with ease. But I wanted to take it one step further and assess it using the same criteria we use to test regular vacuum cleaners.
To test its debris pickup power, I threw flour, porridge oats, and rice onto a carpet sample and then swept them up. In a best-case scenario, a high-quality vacuum with powerful suction would remove all this debris in one pass - or at least two.
The carpet sweeper, though? Well, it actually performed much better than I thought. Although it struggled with the flour and needed around six passes to pick up the finer debris, it had no problem with the larger debris and had picked up every grain of rice and porridge oats by the second pass.
I then repeated the process on my hard flooring, but it wasn’t quite as effective. It once again struggled with the flour, although the larger debris only took two passes to be removed. So, while this carpet sweeper can be used on hard floors, it truly thrives on carpets and rugs.
After this, I continued to use the carpet sweeper in my home for a week, and I was surprised at how much human and dog hair it picked up - especially for something so basic and affordable. But after each sweeping session ended, my floors were visibly cleaner, and the dust canister was full of debris.
However, I can say with confidence that a carpet sweeper isn’t as good as a modern vacuum cleaner - but I don’t hold that against it, as, ultimately, it’s not a vacuum. It's a carpet sweeper that hasn't been designed with the same level of suction power or the same high-tech features as regular vacuums.
Nevertheless, this means it’ll struggle to pick up microscopic dust and debris that aren’t visible. Plus, the only tool it comes with is a feather duster (which, incidentally, is another one of my new favourite old-school cleaning tools), which probably isn’t enough for most homes.
But it is a nice, affordable alternative to a vacuum that I’d definitely recommend if you’ve always wanted a second vacuum but don’t want to splurge hundreds on another, as it’s perfect for quick, everyday cleaning. I can also understand why elderly people (like my nan) love carpet sweepers, as they’re SO lightweight and couldn’t be simpler to use.
Because of this, I think a carpet sweeper can happily sit alongside my more high-tech model that has proper HEPA filtration to pick up and capture finer particles like dust, pet dander, and pollen - and I’d suggest the same if you struggle with allergies and don’t have one of the best air purifiers at your disposal. I don’t think it could be the only floor cleaning tool in your house, though.
My floorcare essentials
If you have long hair or pets that shed, I recommend investing in a carpet scraper. It's ideal for stairs and rugs, and I've even used mine in the car!
I've been converted to the best robot vacuum cleaners, and I've yet to test one better than this one. It'll vacuum AND mop your floors, all with very little human input. It's not cheap, but so worth it.
I've been in my electric mop era for a while now - and I still haven't come out of it. I genuinely love this mop so much that I've encouraged my friends and family to buy one, too.
Excuse me while I hunt for the next old-school cleaning tool to test...
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