ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

New from Nilfisk Alto is a wet and dry vacuum cleaner said to prevent aches and pains among cleaners by means of an ergonomic tilting mechanism.

According to senior group product manager Anthony Evans, the VL500 can be emptied with one hand by even the smallest of cleaners.

"It weighs up to 75 kilos but the ergo-tilt mechanism uses the weight of the motor and a ratchet system to enable it to be emptied very easily," said Evans. "This is good for health and safety policies since it can prevent back problems and other cleaner injuries.

"The machine also has other user-friendly features: the handles can be adjusted as simply as a child's scooter, for instance, and the filters and the inside can both be cleaned without removing the motorhead. In fact the tilting feature is simply the icing on the cake."

The machine can be used for both indoor and outdoor applications in various environments including the hotel, catering, contract cleaning and retail sectors. It is available in three sizes - 35, 55 and 75 litres.

"Both the two larger machines come with a choice of a push handle option or the ergotilt system," said Evans. "The VL500 also has dual filters for wet and dry use, with the dry filter being waterproof.

"We carried out a lot of research to find out who was using these machines and what they were using for, and we went out of our way to make the VL500 as user-friendly as possible."