I remember many years ago my Dad scrubbing and cleaning our carpets before we went on holiday in the Summer. While carpet cleaners for the home were around in the 80’s, they weren’t very good and they were expensive. My Dad’s hope was that the carpet would be clean and dry by our return.
As we currently have cream carpets throughout our house, some of the more well trodden path ways were getting a little grubby. In truth, a carpet clean was long over due. The issue is that booking any professional carpet cleaning is still quite the job requiring a lot of furniture moving that you have to do yourself. You then still pay someone else a lot of money to work around the rooms. The alternatives are of course to rent or buy a carpet cleaner. It made sense that when we had an offer to buy a new Vax Rapid Power 2 model that had never been used for just £60, it was an offer we could not refuse. All we would then need to buy was the cleaning solution as the machine also came with a small sample cleaning solution bottle. The additional cleaning solutions cost us just under £20 which should keep us well stocked up for a while.
As we bought the machine second hand, it was already built but it would normally come in a few parts. The handle had already been connected to the main unit body and then three tanks were already in place. The different three tanks include one for the carpet solution, a water tank and finally a tank for the dirty water. It is absolutely essential all tanks are inserted and aligned correctly as otherwise the machine will not function correctly. The machine also came with a bag of additional hoses and attachments for stairs and awkward places.
Prior to using the VAX, while instruction manuals were provided, I watched some videos on You Tube that were more visual. Firstly, there was a playlist of about 7 official VAX videos which were all about 30 seconds long covering everything from assembly, using the machine and maintenance. I also found a You Tuber video by “MGTracey” that was pretty good and was more hands on giving advice. This video taught me tips like using hot water but not boiling water. Also the importance of thoroughly cleaning all machine parts after use and drying out to stop any mould (video here). Thanks to “MGTracey” who also provides links on his channel to buy via Amazon.
After research on how to use the machine, the tanks were filled up as required, I was ready to go. I filled the solution tank about half way as was not sure how much I would need and then the water tank was placed back into the unit with hot water from tap. It is important to hoover before using the machine. Then once switched on, you will see water flowing upwards within the machine as it sucks water back up from the carpet. If this doesn’t happen, just recheck the assembly of the tanks. Using the VAX is straightforward and within the handle is a lever to press when moving the machine forward to apply water and mix solution to the carpet. Then when pulling back the machine to you, a drying action occurs to speed up the process of the carpet drying. Sometimes I went back and forth several times to dry the carpet before pressing the lever on the forward action. I found the machine quite easy to move over the carpet and quite satisfying to see the dirty water being sucked up and filling the tank.
The cleaning leaves carpets smelling fresh and I our whole house took about 8 hours to do the job on three floors for what would be considered an average three storey town house of no great size. On the whole, the VAX was very effective and I was impressed but it was quite hard work. Attachments for the stairs were pretty good to use with a long hose. The most grubby section of carpet downstairs needed much more attention to get clean. With perseverance and lots of back and forth action, I started to see results. To be fair, some of the carpet was quite dirty so it was a case of constantly working the problem area. However, once the effort was put in, we were pretty happy with the overall finish. The downstairs hallway and front room once finished looked really good. The dining room carpet which I didn’t expect to clean that well was also looking good again and problem stains removed. Most of the carpet also dried quite quickly but also depended on how through I wished to clean and also which setting was used. You can alter the settings for a quick clean or deep clean. Upstairs I was able to use quick clean and downstairs I used the deep clean. The main difference appearing to be how much the carpet get soaked and as a result it takes longer to dry. I also noticed with the deep clean the dirty water tank fills very quickly and as you would expect and the water tank empties quickly. Just keep an eye on the tank levels and the solution for effective cleaning. Most of the time though it is obvious to spot as water will stop sucking up into the tank.
Each day that I used the machine, I washed all components and left it out to dry before packing away and storing. Cleaning the machine I found to be quite the art and the dirty water tank, I poured away outside to avoid any blockages in the sink as it ended up with quite a lot of cat hair mixed in.
Overall, I was pleased with the result for the cost and time. Clean and fresh looking carpets with the pile in most well trodden places now once again refreshed (upright rather than flat) due to the rotating brushes underneath the unit. The machine was solid to use and while plastic, appears well constructed. Be careful with these parts though as you don’t want to damage or crack anything which would then require spare parts which are likely not cheap.
We were lucky to get the machine at a great price. Currently on Amazon the machine costs between £220 and £300 new (different merchants) and £137 used. While fun to use initially, it doesn’t take long for it to feel harder work as you move furniture around and work with the hose and attachments on more difficult areas. Impressive results and for anyone who cleans their carpet more regularly in the first place, it is likely more easy to achieve excellent results quickly and maintain the look and feel of the carpet. Certainly I now need to at least clean the more well trodden section of the carpet more regularly to maintain its cleaner look. The other upstairs areas will likely need less attention.
I mentioned previously mentioned that the machine came with loads of attachments which were very useful for the stairs, awkward spots and furniture requiring a fabric clean. The attachments include a standard head, a head for pets hair, fabric cleaning and a decently long connecting hose that reaches easily to the top of the stairs. The only awkward experience was connecting the hose to the VAX for the first time and it needed to snap into place to create a tight seal. Once achieved, a button releases the connection of the hose to disconnect it. The hose with attachments is quite clever with the system allowing water and solution to still flow to the carpet when the attachments button is pressed and then providing suck action when depressed.
Learnings from using the machine include checking that water is being sucked up on initial operating. If it stops, or is not working, just align all the tanks that you set up and you should then be good to go. Then when cleaning the machine, tanks are easy to wash out and leave to dry once you become accustomed with best ways to clean out hair and left over particles with the supplied cleaning attachment. The tray underneath the machine which holds the brushes has a couple of buttons to push release and the front facing transparent heat blast section (the bit that sucks up the water) pulls off the machine. This section is slightly more tricky to clean and after use had quite a bit of dirt and hair caught. However, once all cleaned, I left all items out to dry. Lastly, this VAX model is fairly light but a little awkward to carry around the house when going up and down floors. It is likely wise to remove the dirty water and main water tank to make it easier.
A good purchase and handy for anyone wishing to self clean their carpets. Definitely do your research before using as it will make life easier and less problematic. Don’t expect miracles though if your carpets are already quite dirty unless you are prepared to put the work in to keep going over problem areas. In the gallery, I have posted one example before and after pic. Please do also share your own experiences and thoughts below.
