There is something about this time of year that brings with it new beginnings, a kind of rebirth – and so recently (coincidentally during the week of the Blue Moon), something changed within me.

Dear readers, I’ve started cleaning. And I don’t just mean randomly sweeping the mop across the floor – this time I was thorough.

Don’t get me wrong – my house isn’t a complete cesspool. But with three dogs (don’t ask), two cats and two kids, it needs more than it gets, namely wiping down during the week and hosing down on the weekend. And since one of my dogs is a not-yet-housebroken puppy and the other is at the other end of the life cycle – well, let’s say it’s a good thing my kids are past crawling age.

And it’s not that I’m lazy or don’t like cleaning – I’m just incredibly busy. Vacuuming and mopping (especially the latter) take up so much time. But then those clever people at Dyson came up with something that’s changed my life a little bit.

It seems there’s nothing like a fancy £700 cleaning gadget to bring out the Mrs Hinch in you. The Dyson Wash G1 electric blue floor mop arrived on my doorstep like a divine being, sleek and chic and a multitasker. Who needs a man with this electric mop and sweeper in one?

I had high hopes for this beast with its robustness and impressive range of features. Dyson is known for its foolproof technology and tries to make things as easy as possible for people to use. Despite their best efforts (including an app with various videos and troubleshooting information), my mechanically unreasonable self still struggled to get to grips with it at first.

It has two tanks (one holds the clean water while the other collects the dirty water), which is impressive enough, but the separation technology doesn’t end there. The machine also picks up dirt while it simultaneously mops – according to Dyson, “the combination of high-density microfiber and the application of clean water ensures that spills are absorbed, while dry dirt, debris and hair are enveloped by millions of filaments.” In layman’s terms, that just means you get a very clean floor.

My first problem was that I mixed up the tanks – I had to put clean water and floor cleaner in the top tank (I actually wanted the bottom one) – and although it was a bit fiddly, once I got it sorted, it worked. It’s a sturdy machine, not exactly heavy, and it got to work quickly.

And while it’s oddly satisfying to see dirty water build up like that, I was also a little repulsed. While I was delighted with my shiny kitchen floor, my worst fears were confirmed when I emptied the dirty water tank. I had actually been living in filth – and that was no surprise, since I’d spent most of my adult life mopping with murky water.

Understanding the next part is what sets the very clever engineers apart from the rest of humanity – how the dirt tray was designed with a 500-micron screen to separate dirty water from the large dirt particles and keep them in the head of the machine. An inspection of the dirt tray – which was like a selection box filled with human and animal hair – only increased my guilty conscience (although it’s a self-cleaning machine, it doesn’t have thumbs and so requires human intervention). Somehow I also managed to pull the machine’s tray and rollers out and not put them back in properly, causing error messages to flash and the machine to not work until I got it right. And that’s exactly how it should be (except maybe if you’re premenstrual).

The machine’s battery life is good for 40 minutes before it needs charging, and it makes the normally tedious sweeping/mopping combo a breeze. The floors downstairs were cleaner than ever. However, I think this bad boy is best suited to apartments or very large homes – since only half of my house has hardwood floors, I had to lug the reluctant Dyson up the carpeted stairs so it could work its magic there. It’s also a little awkward – although it has “corner cleaning,” you can’t squeeze it under or behind small spaces (like the adorable area behind a toilet, for example).

After use, you put it back on the charging station and it runs a self-cleaning cycle. Nice – if only there was something similar for my dogs and kids.

In summary, the Dyson Wash G1 floor mop is undoubtedly a step forward in cleaning technology, combining style with functionality. It’s perfect for those who value convenience and are willing to pay for it. At €700, the Dyson Wash G1 is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a great investment if you have a lot of hardwood floors in your home.

And it’s inspiring too – it’s unleashed a cleaning curse in me that’s been trapped inside me for years. Who knows what will happen next Blue Moon…

Buy online at www.dyson.ie.