We all want to make life easier. So when the window squeegee first hit the market, we welcomed the idea with open arms. If this small electric squeegee could make window cleaning a little easier, it would be an essential purchase for avid cleaners everywhere. But are window cleaners really convenient and useful? Here we take a look at its pros and cons, and why it's ultimately not worth the time.

Window cleaners are a relatively new concept, with Kärcher having just released its first model in the United States in 2010. These handheld vacuums are designed to vacuum condensation and cleaning fluids when cleaning windows and cooktops. Most are cordless with rechargeable batteries, and a removable tank is attached to the unit to collect excess moisture. The advantage of using these is that they can clean and dry windows at the same time, which is said to result in a streak-free finish.

When I first took my window cleaner out of the box for testing, I had high hopes for its performance. I live in a hard water area, so I have to wipe down my showers daily with a manual squeegee and then towel dry what's left. Unfortunately, however, the window cleaner was not a good sucker.

As I began to clean the glass in the shower, I quickly realized I needed to slow down. With a squeegee I could swing it back and forth quickly, but with the window vacuum I had to drag the glass a little bit to clean it, and I quickly ran out of patience. As I reached the bottom and moved to the top of the next section, the seal from the window vacuum dripped onto the area I had just dried, which was frustrating.

Looking back at my work, I was not at all pleased with the finished product. The window vacuum sucked up all the moisture, but left a dull, streaky finish that needed to be buffed out. This meant that I had to pick up a towel to dry the seal between wiping and buffing the cleaned areas.

On top of that, the weight of the window cleaner soon began to strain my arms, so I had to change hands several times. I finally finished, but it took much longer than usual, and on top of that I felt tired.

Finally, for reasons unknown, I was hoping that the fact that it was a window cleaner would contribute to window cleaning. Sadly, this was not the case either. Vacuuming a dirty, wet window pane only caused the dirt to stick to the pane and interfere with sealing. Ultimately, the only thing this vacuum cleaner helped with was drying, and I was not satisfied with its performance.

If that still doesn't convince you, let me list some of the pros and cons of window cleaners.

My personal experience was not ideal, but some people still support window cleaners. Personally, I don't think window cleaners will make window cleaning more convenient, but there is certainly room for improvement in design. Until then, I'll stick with my squeegee.