Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

On housekeeping, maintenance and carpet care sites are dire warnings NOT to use a rotating brush vacuum because it will 'untwist' and 'fuzzy' the tips.

On the Shaw site, it uses the word "shag" in quotation marks, implying cable,shag, and frieze fall under the same maintenance requirements.

So, what would your top picks be, both vacuums and attachments, for vacuuming frieze,cable, and shag carpet? Some include berber in this suction only maintenance category, along with handmade rugs. So, what do you say should be used, considering some carpets have a 10yr. appearance retention warranty provided the care instructions are followed.  

I don't know the motivator behind the act, but I do know the Mohawk carpet dealer in Macomb, IL used to give a Hoover vacuum with carpet purchase.  This was, however, back in 1980.  I moved from there the next year and I'm not even sure if they are still in business.  Back in the day you used to get something with purchase.  If you purchased furniture with end tables you got free Hager lamps.  Then again Hagar Pottery was based in Macomb and their outlet store was practically across the street.

In any case I don't know if they gave the Hoover because they were the best, or if they got the best price on them.  I would hardly see them giving a new Kirby on a purchase of $159 bedroom carpet.  Than again that was 30 years ago, I just had a co-worker do a complete recarpet of her home, total $10,000.  This is quite an investment and I understand why someone would worry about the warranty being honored.

Thank you Carmine!

I am so glad we reached an understanding of each other's points. I was getting tired of canned worms and rose'

Peace,
Trebor

HOOVER had a very good reason for inscribing on all its vacuums for many many years:

"HOOVER makes rugs last longer."

Carmine D.

And then, Hoover quit making the stainless steel beater bar as they began to cheapen their products. "Boss" Hoover will probably surface in China soon from spinning in his grave for so long. How awesome it would be to have the old Hoover company back, making their full line of products in  the USA employing American workers, and using their slogan, "Only the Hoover Cleaner Beats as it Sweeps as it Cleans."

Trebor

Trebor wrote:

That would be the 60's and HOOVER management made a conscious decision to kow tow to the big box retailers at the expense of the independent vacuum store owners/operators. 

Carmine D.

If HOOVER were a person we could say, the decisions we make affect the lives that we lead.  By kow towing to the bb stores, HOOVER , and others like it, set out on that slippery slope that leads us where it is today.  For better or worse, it is what it is.  Sadly others followed the same route and made the same mistakes rather than benefitting from HOOVER's past.  Some have not followed and kept true to their USA commitment.  Does the brand ORECK come to mind?

Carmine D.

Trebor wrote:

No. Boss would say I told you so.  Like looking at his creation, and deciding to start over.  Only Boss doesn't have Noah with an arc.

Carmine D. 

This is an interesting read. I wish everyone would take the time to research the proper maintenance for their flooring.

I am the claims manager for one of the largest flooring retailers in the country.(i prefer to stay anonymous) I come across a lot of forums while doing research for flooring complaints. i typically cruise through and don't post anything, however this particular subject is one i feel obligated to chime in on.

The Carpet and Rug Institute is an independent agency that compiles information and tests products. They get their information from industry professionals like myself, installers, manufacturers, and independent inspectors to compile guidelines together for consumer education, for example installation guidelines. Please remember that the information they provide are guidelines and not the gospel. Manufacturers provide samples to CRI for testing so they gan get the CRI label on their products. They use an independent lab to test the vacuums and rate them on soil removal, dust containment, and fiber protection. The fiber protection part for residential use means the vacuum will not affect they appearance very much for one year of normal vacuuming. they do not test them on every manufactured line of carpet. It is a general and broad test. one of the inherent problems with this is how and who determines what one year of normal vacuuming is?

For the most part, all the manufacturers warranties read the same as far as maintenance goes. Regular vacuuming and periodic professional cleaning is needed to maintian the carpet and keep the warranty intact. Typically they recommend everything be vacuumed weekly and high traffic lanes daily. As far as cleaning goes, proof of professional hot water extraction is required at a minumum of every 18-24 months depending on the manufacturer. Also, to file a performance claim, a receipt for cleaning within 30 days of filing the claim is required. I can't tell you the number of times i have had customer complaints from people who have never had their carpet cleaned or they had it cleaned 12 months ago. The one that most frustrating is the customer that has 4 people and 2 dogs in the house and after a year they haven't had their carpet cleaned and they complain. Then when you tell them to have their carpet cleaned they refuse because it's only been down for a year and they shouldn't have to have it cleaned already.

These are my maintenance recommendations:

vacuuming- vacuum all areas once a week. vacuum areas of nominal or high use the number of times a week equal to the number of people and pets in the household or daily. for example, two parents , a child, and a dog, vacuum everything once a week and traffic areas 4 times a week.

deep clensing- do not use shampooers or rental equipment. a shampooer with agitating brushes will destroy your carpet and rental equipment does not have enough suction to remove enough moisture and detergents. Have your carpets professionally hot water extracted by an IICRC certified cleaner every 6-18 months depending usage. in the vacuuming example above, i would recommend every 6 months. Some of the manufacturers do allow do it yourself equipment to be used under strict guidelines. You must be able to provide a receipt for the purchase of a specific model of a Bissle cleaning machine along with cleaning solution for the machine a minumum of every 12 months. I personally only like these machines for spot removal to rinse any cleaners out of the pile. if you are going to go this route do not use more cleaning agent than recommended by Bissel. Detergents are designed to attract dirt and any residue left behind will soil your carpet that much faster. This is typically where the complaint comes in from a carpet that was cleaned 6 months ago because in 6 months the carpet became dirtier than it did in the previous 18 months.

As far as the vacuums go, A CRI approved machine is a good way to go. As far as i know, shaw is the only one of the major manufacturers that has listed suction only for "shag" carpets however i do agree with them and i have seen a couple high end niche mills void warranties with the use of a dyson and maybe possibly an oreck(i am not 100% on this and this is how i came across this forum).These types of products have a very loose construction which allows the beater bar or rotating brushes to beat the heck out of the tufts unlike a dense plush that the tufts are packed in nice and tightly together. The most critcal thing about a vacuum on any carpet is being able to properly adjust the height of the brushes/beater bar. Suction only is the best way to go for frieze and shag carpet. for standard plush and loop style car the brush or bar should be set to a height where it barely touches the pile so it vibrates the pile no more than 6 inches away from the vacuum head. A carpet rake is a great tool to bring the pile up on frieze and shag styles before a suction only vacuum is used.

Lastly, matting and crushing are not covered by any warranty except on the extremely rare circumstance of a specific product. The texture retention warrantys refer to the fibers ability to maintain its shape and twist. matting and crushing is a result of the pile laying down from use and usually soil buitl up in the pile that has the fibers sticking together.

i hope this information is helpful.

Hi FloorGuru,

Thanks so much for the info but a lot of this we already know.  As a consumer I'd be glad to learn your suggestions or recommendations as to the best fit carpetwise for various household scenarios.

A single person or a couple without kids usually will find find that the sky's the limit in reard to choice as carpeting in such households generally suffers far less.  On the other hand, in a busy household with kids, pets, etc., there's a lot to deal with and maintenance routines may not always be the best despite even the best of intentions. Mom and pop both may be working and there's no room in the budget for outside help. What types of carpeting and carpet colors serve best there?

Thanks,

Venson

FloorGuru,

"a shampooer with agitating brushes will destroy your carpet"

Would you care to elaborate on your statement???  The recipe for carpet cleaning is: TACT  Time Agitation Chemical Temperature.  In the case of "restoration", (heavily soiled carpeting) some form of agitation is required, be it rotating brushes, or rotary extraction such as the rotovac or hydramster rx-20 to name a couple.  Could a power nozzle also be considered to have an agitating brush??  Any brush can be detrimental to a carpet depending on how stiff the brush is and how long you let it sit in one spot.  However, add a little bit of lubricant (water), the negatives can be greatly reduced. 

I have a training, reference and certification manual for cleaning professionals (carpet and rug care), agitation is discussed, and not frowned upon as you state. 

Your clarification on this would be greatly appreciated!

Vernon