I can't believe I missed this hidden setting on my Dyson cordless vacuum — and you probably have too

When it comes to household chores, I like to make sure my floors are always clean and spotless. And I can always rely on my trusted Dyson cordless vacuum to get the job done. Not only does it offer exceptional suction power and impressive results, but it's super easy to use, comes with handy features, and has a great ergonomic design. It isn't any wonder Dyson makes some of the best vacuum cleaners you can buy.

But just when I thought I knew everything there is to know about its clever settings, I’ve just discovered this hidden feature that has literally been hiding in plain sight. In fact, it's so discreet that you might have easily missed it too during a cleaning session.

So what is this hidden feature that you're probably not using? And more importantly, could your Dyson cordless model have it? Here's everything that you need to know.

The 'secret’ maintenance alert and what does it do

One of my favorite things about Dyson cordless vacs is its handy LCD control screen, to show us real-time information at just a glance. But while we often look at it for our power mode or to check battery life, most of us ignore everything else.

For that reason, we've probably missed this hidden maintenance alert that shows up on the screen and directs you to a blockage. For instance, in the cleaning wand, head, filter, or bin inlet. Not only will this detect and alert you to a problem, but on certain models will even show up as an animated guide. Who knew?

So how do we find this clever diagnostic, and how does it work? When your cordless cleaner gets blocked with particles, you'll either see an alert message on your screen saying 'airway obstructed' or an amber warning triangle icon.

However, some newer models will often show a playable animation or graphic that highlights the specific area/s where the blockage is. This way, you'll know which area to tackle to quickly clear the blockage and carry on with your cleaning session. Ultimately, this 'hidden' animated guide saves you valuable time and effort trying to figure out why your Dyson cleaner has suddenly stopped working and how to fix it.

Does your Dyson model have this feature?

As far as we know, only certain Dyson models such as the V11, V12, V15, and Gen5detect comes with these handy alerts. But I'm sure this will be a standard feature on the newer models. In fact, our Homes Editor recently got an animated alert on her new Dyson Pencilvac (the slimmest cordless vacuum yet), to tell her where the blockage was.

Another 'physical' alert which I've experienced is when the vacuum's motor will pulse several times before stopping, to draw your attention to a problem stated on the screen (which I hadn't realised). However, I'll be sure to pay closer attention to what's on my LCD screen from now on — and so should you.

For more maintenance tips, check out how to clean your Dyson’s filter.

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