You know Dyson‘s dynamite for humans, but what about our fur friends? The brand has launched its Pet Grooming Kit for cordless vacuums in Canada, including its coveted Pet Grooming Tool that is engineered to remove loose hair, dander and skin flakes straight from the source. We chatted with a Dyson engineer to learn more. —Vita Daily
Hello James! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.
My name is James McCrea and I’m a lead design and development engineer at Dyson. I have worked at Dyson for seven years and have been fortunate to be part of the development of lots of our pioneering technologies, although our Floorcare machines remain a personal favourite of mine—in particular being part of the development of Dyson’s Anti-tangle hair screw tool.
With its latest launches in Canada, Dyson has delved into pet grooming. Why/how was this a natural progression for the brand?
While there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to vacuum cleaners, here at Dyson, there is a vacuum suited for every home, including those with pets. Pet hair is a visible problem. But pets can also introduce invisible allergens and bacteria to the home, so it’s key to understand this impact on a microscopic level. To do this, Dyson microbiologists and research scientists have analyzed hair from a variety of animals, from traditional pets like cats and dogs to more unexpected animals such as alpacas, donkeys, horses and rabbits. We have a detailed understanding of size, texture and structure of hair across animal species and breeds, as well as the invisible allergens and bacteria they can introduce to the home. To support a cleaner home environment for pet owners, we have brought the Dyson Pet Groom Tool to our cord-free machines. Specifically designed for medium to long-haired dogs, it captures hair and dander at the source.
Tell us about the new pet-related tools, both the cordless vacuum kit and and grooming tool. What are they and how do they work?
Pet hair can carry pollen and other allergens all around your home. But Dyson has found that pet owners are likely to be unaware of the hidden impacts of their pets. Through investigating cleaning habits from around the world in the Dyson Global Dust Study, Dyson revealed that 53% of dog owners and 68% of cat owners in Canada allow their pets to sleep on their beds. Yet only 38% of Canadian pet owners are aware that house dust mite feces can reside on their pets. Loose hair and dead skin cells can carry allergy-causing particles. The Pet Groom Tool works by brushing and removing loose hairs and pet dander in an instant, sending them directly into the vacuum, to reduce their spread around the home. Engineered with 364 bristles, precisely angled at 35° with flex to an upright position as you brush, they can run through your dog’s coat to grab loose hairs, for fast but comfortable grooming.
More specifically, how do these tools tackle the issue of allergens–including house dust mite feces—that can reside on pets and spread through the home as they shed?
At Dyson, we understand that the two most important features when looking for a vacuum for homes with pets are suction power and filtration. With pet hair also comes dander, which can cause allergies, hence why it’s important that a vacuum features advanced, whole-machine filtration. What this means is that all the debris, dirt and microscopic dust that goes into the machine goes through the filtration system and stays within a fully sealed machine. Dyson’s fully sealed, six-layer filtration system traps 99.7% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, ensuring the smallest allergens are captured within the machine. For context, 0.3 micron is 1/16th the size of a piece of pet dander (pet skin flake). The pet grooming tool tackles the issue right at the source by brushing through your dog’s pet hair, capturing allergens, and sucking them right into the bin.
Any pro tips on how to use these tools most effectively?
We understand that not all pets react to grooming equally and so we recommend using the grooming tool with the vacuum turned off, to begin with. If a dog is a bit unsure, we’d also advise you make them familiar with the sound of a vacuum, so as not to shock them. The pet grooming tool comes with an extendable hose, so the vacuum can be kept at a distance from your pet to help with familiarization. When they’re ready, use the lowest setting to brush through the coat and simply switch between groom and self-clean modes.
Can we look forward to more pet tools from Dyson in the future?
At Dyson, our business is built from our desire to solve the problems others ignore and our engineers are constantly evolving our machines, improving upon designs, and working on new ideas. Whilst I can’t share details on specific launches, nothing is out of the question!
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