IF you have a family that is anywhere near as messy as mine then you will know of the constant battle against litter and grime.

To that end, Karcher has brought out the WD3 vacuum.

The multi-purpose car and home tool is able to pick up dry debris, dust, glass and liquids, and features a specially designed cartridge filter that enables you to tackle it all without the inconvenience of changing the filter.

Simple to put together and operate, Karcher say the WD3 also has the capability to unblock sinks, though I didn't get round to trying this myself.

The Northern Echo:

I found the machine had enough power to cope with the everyday dust and dirt left behind by my three kids and our dog and the end result compared favourably with that seen on the company's official video.

There's enough cable to work your way around the vehicle without having to reposition the car and several different heads, depending on your particular demands.

If you are having trouble shifting dirt from inaccessible areas then it also has a blower function, allowing you to dislodge dust from corners and harder to reach crevices both in the car or in the home, like radiators or behind fridges and freezers.

The 17-litre container means you can do big jobs without having to continually empty the unit and the bags - though perhaps a little old fashioned, are robust enough to stay the course.

My only criticisms are reserved for the build quality and an element of design. The catches that secure the top half to the bottom are lightweight and don't always secure tightly, meaning it separated on a couple of occasions while lifting up stairs and on more than one occasion the unit toppled over when the wheels refused to go in the direction I wanted.

Those niggles aside, I found the WD3 an able ally in the battle against dirt - a battle I fight on a seemingly daily basis.

The Karcher WD3 has an RRP of £116.99.