Living in a house built in the 1990s with original glazing means condensation on windows is pretty much a daily occurrence at this time of year, especially upstairs. I wanted to try a window vac to see if it was successful at sucking up the excess moisture in quick-time.
Leaving window condensation to its own devices would mean leaving the water droplets to simply evaporate, and I didn’t like the thought of excess water making the room feel damp. If I wiped them down, the water would run down the panes and pool onto the frames and sill, and the windows would be streaky – I’d end up wiping up the water and then polishing the glass – a faffy, time-consuming job when you’ve got multiple windows to clear up.
Opening windows helped a bit but I wanted to try something that was an efficient and speedy way to mop up the moisture on my windows. The solution was to experiment with a window vac. I didn’t want to splurge so I went for the mid-range Vileda WindoMatic, available at Amazon. It's a handheld window vacuum and I found it to be really useful.
Lightweight and easy to use
Before getting into it, it's worth pointing out, that window vacuums aren't just for clearing condensation on windows, they also good for sucking up spills on glass and for streak-free window cleaning as they have a squeegee head and onboard tank.
The Vileda WindoMatic power vac is portable with a rechargeable battery, which I liked for convenience. The fact that the battery is part of the window vac made me think it might be quite heavy but it was lightweight albeit sturdy – it felt up to the job.
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The Vileda WindoMatic sucking up condensation on my window(Image credit: Future / Michelle Guy)
The condensation once sucked up with the Vileda WindoMatic(Image credit: Future / Michelle Guy)
There's a power boost on the window vacuum and it worked surprisingly well on the panes where condensation was dripping down rather than just misty. I simply turned it on, pressed the boost button and moved it down the window pane and it sucked up the water in seconds. It’s not noisy but it does sound like a small voltage car vacuum when it's turned on.
The water collects in a handy removable water tank, which can be washed out; it can even go in the dishwasher if you want to give it a thorough clean. Do look out for the max water line though – if it is too full, water will start to leak out, especially if you turn the window vac to the side, which is what happened to me.
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Flexible neck provides added precision
What I liked about the Vileda WindoMatic was the flexible neck. I used it from the top of the window to the bottom and it glided down smoothly. It becomes a little squeaky if you reach a part of the window that isn’t wet as it drags a bit, but it’s not a big problem at all.
If you have a lot of condensation on your windows, some excess water will start to pool on the frame and sill as you move down the window, but the boost button and flexible neck meant I could suck this all up before it started to drip everywhere. The flexible neck meant that I could press a bit harder to suck up the condensation on the frame and sill, too. I did actually use the WindoMatic from side to side, which also worked well (apart from when I hadn’t realised the water tank was full and it spilled out!).
The Vileda WindoMatic has a battery run time of around 40 minutes, which was a decent amount of time. I removed the condensation from eight windows every day for around a week and it lasted well over that time before I even had to think about recharging it.
On the whole, I liked the product and it didn't feel at all gimmicky. I felt that incorporating it into my cleaning regime each day was worthwhile to stop the condensation causing any long-term damage to my windows as well as preventing damp.
(Image credit: Future / MIchelle Guy)
Black Friday window vacuum deals
Compared to other window vacuums, the Vileda Windowmatic vacuum is a mid-range product – perfect for giving it a test to see how much you end up using one. Below, there's some other options on window vacs that might be worth a look. They're also on offer for Black Friday, so don't miss the chance to make some great savings.
Our assistant editor tried the Beldray BEL0749 window vacuum for removing window condensation and found it does the job perfectly well. Her top tip when using this vacuum? Keep an eye on the water container as it fills up quickly and can bubble over when full. It's currently 15% off for Black Friday, so grab it while you can.
This handy helper from a leading brand features a rechargeable battery and promises a run time of 20 minutes for every full charge. If you lose track of time while cleaning your windows to keep them condensation free, there's an LED display to show you how much charge there is left. It weighs just 0.5kg and the tank holds up to 100ml of water. It currently has 18% off on Amazon.
This cordless window vacuum comes with two different wiper heads so you can choose the best one for the task in hand, whether that's removing condensation from your windows, cleaning mirrors or shower screens or even the inside of your car windscreen. It also makes it easier to clean smaller panes of glass where a wider vacuum might be too big. It's one of Amazon's Black Friday bargains with 30% off right now.
Although a window vacuum is a great small appliance and will help you to remove condensation, it's not going to stop window condensation from happening in the first place.
If you want to try and reduce humidity levels and damp in your house, it's worth investing in one of the best dehumidifiers so you can start getting the issue under control.
Michelle was Homebuilding & Renovating magazine's Deputy Editor. With an editorial career spanning more than 18 years, Michelle spent time working on educational magazines and websites until her career took an exciting turn into the world of homes and interiors. Working on sister titles Real Homes and Period Living, she then joined the Homebuilding team in November 2018.
She’s just completed her second kitchen renovation project and bathroom renovation, armed with an ever-growing knowledge of homebuilding advice and design inspo (and a Pinterest board or two, of course).
