The real purpose is to suction.
For this price, almost a sensation. I immediately sucked my entire vehicle and was amazed how thoroughly sucks. All crumbs from the carpet, it takes maybe 5 minutes longer to suck but the result is almost identical to that of a washer extractor.
I can highly recommend the device because it does its work with flying colors.
The only shortcoming is the small supplied adapter. More flexibility would be desirable. But considering the price of the handheld vacuum cleaner is a worthwhile investment.