Dried mud on hiking boots, fine dust clinging to bicycle frames, traces of pollen on the back balcony table after a spring afternoon breeze. These stains don’t deserve a thorough rinse with a garden hose, but they’re too dirty to wipe clean with a rag.
City dwellers, especially those without outdoor taps or ground-floor access, tend to take it for granted—or learn to live with such mild irritation.
This is exactly the problem Kärcher seems determined to solve. The German brand is best known for its industrial-grade pressure washers, whose sunny yellow exterior is now synonymous with serious outdoor cleaning, just as Stanley is to tools and Le Creuset is to cookware.
Kärcher was founded in 1935 and remains a family business. The company originally focused on developing innovative heating systems, but it was the invention of Europe’s first hot water pressure washer in 1950 that really changed its trajectory.
Since then, Kärcher has become a household name, particularly in the UK, where its compact but powerful cleaning machines have become a regular fixture on garage shelves and in garden sheds.
But the Kärcher OC 3 Plus Folding Portable Cleaner (RRP £129.99) is aimed at a very different audience. It’s not designed to remove moss from slate or sweep the driveway before the estate agent comes knocking.
It’s a quieter, more compact domestic cleaning tool, suited to smaller chores – the kind that require hose-free water pressure but won’t cause too much damage to paint.
Foldable, rechargeable and about the size of a picnic basket, it offers an unexpectedly thoughtful solution to the problem of urban dirt. But how well does it actually work? Is it really just a fancy-looking gimmick? And is it really worth the price for those without a garden?
I took it out, cleaned it up a bit and paid attention to the parts other reviewers skimmed. Here’s what I found.
Key specs：
Pressure range: Low pressure
Flow rate (l/min): Max 2
Battery type: Li-ion
Battery runtime: Up to 15 minutes
Battery charge time: 2.25 hours
Weight without accessories: 2.2kg
Dimensions (L x W x H): 305 x 298 x 271mm
Nozzle type: Flat jet
Tank capacity: 8L
Hose length: 1.8m
Accessories: Integrated water filter, appliance filter, USB-C charger
Every time I try a Kärcher product, I am struck by its simplicity and sleek design. Like my current second favourite bright yellow vacuum cleaner, the good-looking but low-maintenance window vacuum, this portable vacuum is almost always ready to go. Although it requires USB-C charging before use, it has enough power to clean a small balcony straight out of the box.
I love how it easily unfolds and its design reminds me of my classic Dunelm silicone colander. There’s a handy hook on the back of the bucket to hang the lid on when filling it up, and a groove next to the handle for storing the hose when you put the lid on and take it out.
Since this portable vacuum cleaner comes preassembled and doesn’t need to be disassembled except to fold it up when emptying the bucket, and it only has one on/off button, I think it’s fair to say that the Kärcher OC 3 Plus Foldable Portable Vacuum Cleaner is a very user-friendly product. Once switched on, just press the hose lever and watch the magic happen.
When the bucket is empty, the machine makes a puffing sound before using up the last drop of water. At this point, always turn the machine off before taking the bucket back to the sink to refill it.
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