Have you every been vacuuming and heard that satisfying “crunch” sound? Hopefully, it wasn’t followed by your vacuum completely falling apart.
Most vacuums are only designed to vacuum certain types of debris, and these types definitely don’t include liquid.
Enter the Shark MessMaster Portable Wet Dry Vacuum which promises to “vacuum up the un-vacuumable”.
Let’s put it to the test in this review to see how its claims hold up.
Setting up the vacuum
Setting up the vacuum was very simple. There were very clear instructions about how to attach everything and get the vacuum started.
I was also pleasantly surprised how compact the actual vacuum was because I was a bit concerned about storing it.
In just a few minutes, I had the Shark MessMaster set up and ready to start cleaning!
In the box:
- MessMaster vacuum
- Carpet tool
- Crevice tool
- Extension wand
- Squeeqee tool
Cleaning features
This is one innovative little vacuum. Here are the features it comes with:
- No loss of suction: The decentralised filter means the vacuum avoids heavy build-up from debris. As it continues to clean big messes, performance won’t be affected.
- Self- cleaning: The Rinse & Ready feature means when you vacuum a cup of water, it cleans out the hose and dust bin completely.
- Anybag technology: You can use any bag you like to line your vacuum then get the mess tossed straight out.
- Extra long cord and hose. While it does come with a cord as well as a hose, these are both long.
- Dishwasher friendly. I never thought I’d be putting a vacuum in a dishwasher, but here we are! You can add your dust bin to your dishwasher for a deep clean whenever you like.
Hands-on test: How did the MessMaster clean?
Testing and reviewing a vacuum cleaner usually means taking it for a spin around your house. But this vacuum promised to vacuum the un-vacuumable, so I wanted to give it a challenge.
I regularly take my two Labrador-Kelpies to the beach, and afterwards my car is a hot mess of sand and thick dog hair. I have to get it professionally cleaned, and even then, the car was operators warn me they will not be able to remove all of the dog hair.
This was the challenge I chose for the MessMaster, and boy did it perform.
Firstly, while the cord is quite long, I needed to set up an extension cord for the vacuum to reach my car. But because the actual vacuum is handheld and so small and lightweight I find it quite easy to manoeuvre around the inside of the car while I cleaned.
It definitely cleaned the sand and dog hair (and any other debris it found) far better than any other vacuum I have tried to clean my car with.
I used the crevice tool to clean along the side of the seats and the seatbelt buckle joint as well as the carpet tool at various points, both which made quick work of the cleaning process.
All in all, cleaning the car took about 15 minutes and about 95% of the sand and dog hair was gone from the car. An impressive result that rivals what I get from a professional car clean.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Compact and easy to carry around while you clean
- Easy to clean – you can put the dust bin straight in the dishwasher!
- Cleans up messes other vacuums can’t including liquids other larger debris
- Easy to store
- The price is an affordable $199.99
- Great for pet owners or parents who regularly clean liquid spills and other messes
Cons
- The vacuum is not cordless which can be annoying for those who prefer cordless vacuums
Price and where you can purchase
The Shark MessMaster Portable Wet/Dry Vacuum is currently $199.99. You can purchase it online from a range of retailers, including Amazon and Myer.
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