We should really be hired to test vacuum and carpet cleaners, but even so the price of this dream clean machine gave me some pause (okay, a lot). With 2 kids, 3 dogs, and 2 cats and fairly light carpets, we put our cleaners to the test. I have gone through SEVERAL carpet cleaners (roughly 1 every 2 years) and have also had the carpets professionally cleaned. Honestly, this carpet cleaner cleaned as well if not better than the pros, and worlds better than our current Hoover F6207-900 SteamVac Lite Carpet Cleaner with Heated Cleaning.
Pros:
1) Handle can lay back fully with no strain on the hose I mention this after replacing the hoses several times on previous Hoovers
2) You do NOT have to mix the detergent!!!! Wow what a great feature, no waste!
3) 2 separate rollers actually scrub the carpet amazingly well
4) No fuss dial system incredibly easy to go between standard clean, spot clean (does not pick up so you can scrub, scrub, scrub away the years of bad carpet cleaners), and rinse (the water rinse is GREAT!)
5) Easy to follow indicator lights let you know if you know when it is cleaning (detergent), rinsing (water only), or drying (neither light on)
6) Spot clean is easy to follow actually squirts out the front so you can actually see the spot you are hitting (2 settings, spray or stream)
7) My previous Hoovers had this obnoxious detachable hose reel, and then when the clips that hold it on break, you find yourself dragging accessories around the house this one is not detachable.
8) The hose remains attached, you don't have to plug it in, so no hose door to break and lose (yeah, I've done that too)
9) Scrubber assembly comes off easily for cleaning (but not the front roller, which might be a problem if you don't maintain it)
10) generous cord longer than previous Hoovers
11) 6 year warranty makes it cheaper than replacing 3 $200 Hoovers with 1 year warranties (just check where your service center is ours is about 30 miles away and always very responsive)
12) Since it is clear plastic (opposed to grey or purple) it is easier to see when the water being picked up becomes fairly clear indicating you have extracted the maximum amount of dirt you can
Cons:
1) It's big and heavy and I have tons of stairs
2) Blue light shining on carpet this gives me eye strain after a while
3) Waste container there's no delicate way to dump it it's opening is like a big bucket and it gets everywhere. I suppose it will get better with practice, and it is easier to clean this way, but I think it was a step backward
4) Very small holes to pour in the detergent and water buy a funnel since the detergent is pricey
5) Detergent guzzler
Eh's (take 'em or leave 'em):
1) Heat I don't think it really did much (It didn't feel substantial)
2) Waste container sensor doesn't detect the detergent well, with the clear plastic, it's pretty obvious when they need emptying/filling
3) Blue light why blue simulated uv? It doesn't actually illuminate anything.
4) Carry handle it's made of molded plastic and is in the back, so... yeah, pretty awkward hoisting it up and down the stairs. But, I really don't have a better option, so am not putting it as a con.
How did it do???
If I had known how well it would do, I would have taken pictures or video, because it is unbelievable. I cleaned my ancient 15 year old carpets (about 1600 sq. feet worth) and actually managed to get them back very near their original color. Shockingly old stains that my kidlets provided that were not removed by the pros or the old cleaners are gone. One caveat here is that I used around 64 ounces of detergent. I started with the professional grade, but used the cheap stuff in the kids' rooms (smells better anyway). Based on the amount used and lack of discernable difference, I cannot recommend the "professional" cleaner but instead Hoover 40321130 Premium Pet Formula Carpet/Upholstery Detergent, 128-Ounce, which has what I would call a lemony scent. If you are scent sensitive, then try Hoover 40321128 Deep Cleansing Carpet/Upholstery Detergent, 128-Ounce. I use the 4-for-3 to really make it a great buy. In any event, I took my time actually read the directions for once and made sure I did several dry passes. I took advantage of the spot clean followed by rinse only for high traffic areas, used the powered hand tool on the stairs, and the upholstery brush on our chairs. All works admirably providing results that made the initial investment worth it. The carpets look amazing and were dry within two hours (aided along by a hot day).
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I bought this cleaner yesterday after reading many reviews. My little Bissel steam cleaner stopped vacuuming up the solution after just using it 10 times, so I decided to invest in something I won't have to replace once a year. I was nervous at first because the cleaner is very expensive compared to other cleaners, and putting it together, I was terrified it would break, as it's made of plastic which doesn't feel very strong to me. It was simple to put together and get started, and once I started cleaning, I knew I'd made a good choice. I cleaned the carpet in my 17 month old son's room, and was shocked at how differently this cleaner worked compared to my Bissel. With my Bissel, an entire gallon of solution was sprayed onto my carpet, but only a few ounces of the solution was vacuumed up. I contacted Bissel and they assured me this was normal, as I have thick carpets. However, the carpets sometimes took 24 hours or more to dry, which is very frustrating. Needless to say, I hardly used the Bissel cleaner as it was a pain to wait an entire day for the carpets to dry. With this Hoover cleaner, though, nearly ALL the solution was vaccumed back out of the carpet! It took about 5 hours for the carpet to dry (very thick carpet!) and the dirty water was BLACK when I was done. I'm disgusted at what a terrible job my Bissel did, and grateful that this cleaner works so well!
What I love about this cleaner:
You don't have to mix the detergent in water, the machine mixes it for you, making it easier to clean small areas if needed without making an entire gallon of solution
I'm a small woman and this machine is pretty big, but it's easy to push, I had no problems with it
The LED light on the front reveals conspicuous stains the carpet
The machine rinses and partially dries the carpet, without leaving an overwhelming smell of chemicals in the room
It comes with a 6 year limited warranty. Other Hoover cleaners come with a 1 year warranty. (Hopefully this means that they are confident with this machine, and not that they anticipate problems, I'm quite cynical)
The dirty water bin is VERY easy to clean. My Bissel was terrible to clean, it took me half an hour to clean it because of the design.
The suction is great, it actually vacuums up nearly all the water out of the carpet
It actually gets my carpet clean! Finally!
What I don't like:
The machine appears to be sturdy, but I'm still a little nervous about all the plastic parts. I keep thinking something might break off if I'm not careful. It's an expensive machine and I can't afford for anything to break.
You can use any Hoover detergent in the machine, but the the platinum detergent that comes with it is VERY expensive, much more than Hoover's original detergent. I've contacted them to see what exactly the difference is and if the Platinum detergent actually works better or if the original detergent will do just as well.
Edit: Hoover got back to me and told me that the "Recommended" shampoos for this machine are the Platinum detergent and the Hoover SteamVac Ultra carpet and upholstry detergent. They said the other brands might foam too much and cause problems. The ultra detergent is about half the price of the platinum, so I bought 4 bottles of it with the buy 4, get 1 free deal on amazon. I just used the detergent last night on a fresh chocolate milk stain and it didn't get it out, but I don't know if the platinum would have, either. Seems like decent detergent, though! And a lot more affordable!
Extra Edit: After using this cleaner for several months, I still don't regret buying it because it cleans so well, but I do have a few comments on cleaning it. The rotating brushes on the underside of the cleaner pick up a lot of lint, hair, and gunk that vacuums do not pick up, and the junk gets really nasty in the brushes. I've actually had to take my cleaner outside, turn it over, and pull everything out of the brushes. Very gross, but it keeps from spreading on my carpet. Just wanted to mention the fact. This is still a wonderful cleaner and does a great job, but cleaning the brushes is a bit more extensive than other carpet cleaners I've owned.
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I have dogs so I'm always on the lookout for a better and easier way to clean my carpets. I bought this top-of-the-line Hoover Platinum Carpet Cleaner a few months ago. I used it no more than 5 times for some quick clean ups in the first couple of weeks and was very impressed. It did such a good job making "clean spots" that I took it out on the weekend to do the whole carpet.
I used the cleaner as indicated in the manual, and I used only Hoover Platinum cleaning solutions. After cleaning about 120 square feet, in mid-clean, the steamer stopped dead. There was no problem with the outlet; the machine was totally unresponsive. I cleaned it out, put it away, and tried it again the next morning thinking it might have overheated. Still dead, so I returned it. I expected a lot more from a top-of-the-line product from a reputable company.
My experience may not be typical; the cleaner might have been defective. It has a lot of good features, but it also has drawbacks. Factor in the high cost, the PROs and CONs, and make your own decision.
PROs:
1. Minimal assembly. The upper handle attaches with just two nuts and bolts. That's it.
2. 6-year warranty.
3. 30 foot power cord.
4. Spot clean function. You can dispense a thin stream of cleaning fluid or a wider spray and then the brushes will scrub at any set in stains for as long as you want before you set it to extract.
5. DualScrub technology. There are two rows of brushes, a SpinScrub brush and a power groomer brush (like a traditional beater bar brush) located right next to each other. What one brush doesn't get, the other will.
6. MaxExtract technology. This is a heavy machine with significant suction. Despite the weight, it's easy to push and pull and does not leave the carpet saturated.
7. Tank full / tank empty indicator lights let you know when the dirty water recovery tank is full and when the clean water and soap tanks are empty.
8. Powered hand tool with SpinScrub brushes, upholstery tool, and crevice tool on board. Switching over to use the on-board tools is simple and easy.
9. AutoRinse technology. Depress the trigger and push the machine forward and it dispenses the cleaning solution and scrubs the carpet. Keep pressing the trigger as you pull it back toward you and it extracts the dirty water and dispenses a clean water rinse. Release the trigger and do another pass or two back and forth and the Platinum extracts any liquid in the carpet.
10. The soap and clean water are stored in separate tanks and the machine mixes them automatically depending on the type of cleaning you select. This cleaner actually uses less soap than the other carpet cleaners I've owned, which is good since the detergent is quite expensive.
11. A computer-controlled panel that looks like it would be at home on a star ship and lets you know exactly what the machine is doing. Cool and distracting at the same time.
12. The SpinScrub brush bar detaches easily for cleaning.
CONs:
1. The price: $400.
2.The electric blue LED headlight. This is supposed to help illuminate stains, but I found it blinding. The one thing it absolutely did not do was make it easier to see stains. I couldn't even tell where I had cleaned because everything was bathed in this eerie bright blue light. This feature was beyond annoying.
3. Very expensive cleaning fluid. The detergents made exclusively for the Platinum ("professional strength") come in small 50 ounce bottles and cost between $18-$22.
4. If you don't use the Platinum formula detergent, the control panel light indicates that the soap tank is empty because it doesn't "recognize" other detergents. The machine will still work. Hoover says that other less expensive detergents might foam excessively and damage the cleaner.
5. The Direct Heat Drying feature. This just seems like machine exhaust directed at the carpet. It's supposed to help the carpet dry more quickly, but I don't see how a couple of quick passes over a wet carpet blowing some hot air will make a difference.
6. This cleaner is heavy, almost 29 pounds before you add water and cleaning solution, which brings the weight up to near 40 pounds.
7. The clean water tank is 128 ounces (1 gallon) and the dirty water recovery tank is 96 ounces (3 quarts). Because it is so small, it requires frequent emptying, and the timing does not coincide with when the detergent and clean water tanks need refilling. Annoying.
8. It's challenging to get the soap tank, clean water tank, and dirty water recovery tank to slide back on the machine easily. When the clean water tank is full of water, the handle on the tank seems way too flimsy to support the weight of the tank. The bottom of the dirty water tank is not flat and takes a few attempts to get it seated correctly.
9. The soap tank is poorly designed. There are three compartments -the center one that holds the soap and two empty "wings" on either side. It looks like you have more soap in there than you do because 2/3 of the tank is empty. This makes no sense functionally.
10. You are not supposed to store the machine for any length of time with detergent left in the tank, but the design of the tank (fills from a small hole in the top) makes it almost impossible to empty without spilling soap all over the place, and it is way too expensive to waste. Everything about the soap tank is clunky -odd design, wasted space, lack of functionality. This could use a major redesign.
11. It is also challenging to empty the dirty water tank without making a mess. The plastic hinges on the lid are flimsy and a potential weak spot. I accidentally touched the release button for the lid on the dirty water tank while I was carrying it to dump out and it spilled out all over the floor. Draining dirty water out of the tank is so messy that I do it outside and even then, it's messy. It splatters all over the place.
12. The design of the lid on the dirty water tank and the recovery nozzle assembly (the plastic cover through which the water is extracted and from where the heated air comes) makes it hard to rinse clean without splashing water all over the place. Another outside job.
13. You cannot transport the cleaner by wheeling it in an upright position unless you empty the dirty water recovery tank first. If the machine tips back when you push it and the tank is near full, dirty water will slop out (yuck). This is a major design flaw and should have been corrected before Hoover ever released this product for sale to the public.
14. You can remove the SpinScrub brushes easily for cleaning, but not the beater bar-style brush next to it.
For the very short time the Platinum worked, it was a decent carpet cleaner. I love the automatic clean water rinse and the ease of using the tools. The Platinum detergents do a good job and the machine sips rather than gulps the cleaner, but I'm not convinced the soap does a better job than other available brands and it is very expensive. The electric blue headlight has got to go. Hoover should replace it with a clear LED. A really serious concern is how quickly my machine just stopped working altogether; I hadn't even owned it for 3 weeks. For the price and considering the Hoover name, I absolutely expected better. Based on my own experience, I just can't recommend this cleaner.
Honest reviews on Hoover Platinum Collection Carpet Cleaner with MaxExtract
My wife and I live in a split entry ranch (raised ranch) home. We have been in it since 1994. Wall to wall carpet with the exception of 2 baths, kitchen/dining room and the laundry room.
We put new carpet in the house when we moved in... and then again when we remodeled in 2004. We had a professional rug cleaner do it (previous to the remodel and currently) every spring and fall (upstairs spring, downstairs fall) until we called to make an appointment a few weeks ago and they were out of business.
We decide to research a home cleaner and give that a try instead of looking for a new company. I Googled "carpet cleaners" and the Bissell Pro Heat 2X 9500 seemed to be the one model that kept popping up and had many good reviews.
I go to one of our local department stores to purchase the Bissell... I asked the manager of this department what he thought of the Bissell and he said "since you asked and to be honest with you... the Bissell cleaners are the most returned model here at the store". I then asked what he recommended. He said "I have a Hoover Steam Cleaner myself and it works well and we hardly get any Hoover returns. We also just got this new Hoover Platinum Collection Cleaner in this past weekend."
So I went with the Hoover F8100900 Platinum Collection Carpet Cleaner and I did the upstairs and the stairs... and all I can state is "unbelievable on what a FANTASTIC JOB IT DID !!!".
It looks better than when the professional company had done it! It also dried as fast if not faster.
This machine does what it says it will do... and more!
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My Hoover Platinum Carpet Cleaner arrived last Saturday and I put it to work in less than an hour. I have and used both Hoover and Bissell in the past and this, by far, exceeded my expectations. I first cleaned all my area and throw rugs and they look like new. It also did a good job on old pet stains on my main carpet. Cleaning the unit is a snap, except for the horizontal roller! Fibers and pet hair wound up around it and I couldn't clean it without removal. Hoover instructions are silent on how to clean this roller. Being mechanically inclined, I removed 3 screws and detached the roller from it's bearings and belt drive. After cutting off the rolled up hair and carpet fibers and washing the bristles, I reassembled the roller back into the machine. This part of the cleaning took about 20 minutes. Despite this, I highly recommend the machine. It got out dirt I never dreamed was there!
