Dyson has unveiled the findings of its first ‘How India Cleans’ study, examining the cleaning habits and behaviours of Indian households, the challenges they face, and their expectations from floorcare technology.
The study surveyed more than 650 respondents across seven Indian cities and found that the challenge is not simply how frequently people clean their homes, but whether their cleaning products effectively remove dust, hair and debris from different surfaces and hard-to-reach areas.
According to Dyson, understanding these everyday cleaning habits helps the company identify gaps in existing cleaning technology and develop products suited to real-world household conditions.
“People are demanding more from their vacuum cleaners in a single clean, from tackling fine dust and long hair to cleaning across different surfaces and hard-to-reach spaces,” said Tim Hare, Design and Development Engineer, Floor Care at Dyson.
He added that Dyson vacuums are engineered as complete systems, combining powerful suction, cleaner heads designed for different surfaces and advanced filtration to capture dust and debris. The company also highlighted its product testing processes to ensure durability.
Dyson study: How Indians clean their homes
The study found that more than half of respondents spend between 30 minutes and one hour cleaning their floors, while another 11% spend between one and two hours. However, the time spent cleaning does not always translate into the desired results. The findings highlighted several common household cleaning challenges.
Different surfaces require different cleaning approaches: While hard flooring is common in Indian homes, 72% of respondents also have carpets and rugs. Other popular surfaces include marble, found in 51% of homes, vitrified or ceramic tiles in 49%, and granite in 43%.
Hair remains a persistent problem: Around 36% of respondents identified human or pet hair left behind on floors as one of their most common cleaning frustrations. Long hair can also become tangled around conventional vacuum brush bars, requiring additional maintenance.
Areas beneath furniture are frequently missed: More than half of respondents, or 52%, said they often miss areas beneath furniture while cleaning. Another 48% reported difficulty cleaning corners and edges, where dust can accumulate in narrow or less accessible spaces.
Dust settles again quickly: Around 38% of respondents said dust settles again soon after cleaning. Everyday movement can cause fine household dust to become airborne before settling on floors and other surfaces.
What do Indians expect from vacuum cleaners?
The study also examined the factors influencing consumers’ choice of floorcare products. Better technology emerged as the leading priority, cited by 61% of respondents, followed by better cleaning performance at 54% and trust at 49%. Meanwhile, 21% prioritised better prices or offers.
The findings also suggest that vacuum cleaners are increasingly being used for more than just floors. Respondents reported using them beneath furniture (71%), on hard floors (70%), on carpets and rugs (69%), on upholstery (69%), and on beds and mattresses (63%).
These findings point to demand for versatile cleaning products that can handle different surfaces, furniture and hard-to-reach spaces.
Dyson V16 Piston Animal: Features and price in India
To address some of these cleaning challenges, Dyson has introduced the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, which the company describes as its most powerful anti-tangle cordless vacuum cleaner. The product is priced at ₹79,900 in India.
The vacuum combines suction performance, an intelligent cleaner head, and features designed to reduce maintenance during everyday cleaning.
All Floor Cones Sense cleaner head: The cleaner head detects changes in floor type and automatically adjusts suction power and brush-bar speed when operating in Auto mode. This allows users to move between hard floors and carpets without manually changing cleaner heads.
Anti-tangle technology: The vacuum features two brush-bar cones designed to remove long hair from the brush bar and direct it into the bin. Dyson says the system can handle hair up to 25 inches long, reducing the need to cut or pull tangled hair from the brush.
LED illumination: The vacuum uses LED illumination to make otherwise difficult-to-see dust more visible beneath furniture and in corners, helping users identify areas that may need additional cleaning.
Dyson says the V16 Piston Animal has been developed around the everyday challenges highlighted by its research, including hair removal, cleaning across different floor types and reaching hidden dust.
Why the findings matter
The ‘How India Cleans’ study highlights a gap between the time people spend cleaning and the results they expect. Hair, dust beneath furniture, difficult corners and multiple floor types remain common challenges across households.
For Dyson, the findings reinforce the need for cleaning technology that works across different surfaces and captures fine dust while minimising maintenance. The Dyson V16 Piston Animal, priced at ₹79,900, is positioned as one response to these needs, combining automatic floor detection, anti-tangle technology and LED illumination in a cordless vacuum cleaner.