Carpet Cleaner Reviews

Just purchased the Hoover SteamVac Plus F5878-900. Nice machine, does a good job of cleaning, lightweight and easy to manuver. The 15 ft cord is far too short and a extention must be used for almost any room but that is minor. The machine is sturdy and well built, has a nice wide path, the tanks are easily removed and are easy to clean. The 5 brushes seem easy to remove and clean, and the placement of the water tanks make the machine well balanced and easy to transport.

But I am absolutely amazed that Hoover didn't bother to include the Nozzle Clean-Out Tool, a small piece of plastic (I assume, since tool was missing), this small item IS necessary to clean the debris that gathers between the suction nozzle hood and the housing. This is a very tight area and the booklet tells one 'how' to use clean-out tool (which is NOT supplied). The booklet then goes on about pouring two cups of water on non-carpeted floor and sucking that through the machine several times - a cumbersome and inefficient method plus requiring a surface suitable to pour water onto which in my case requires hauling the cleaner out to the garage.

The price of this little item in the Accessories List is [money]. ... - plus [money] to ship it. This minor item is almost enough to cause me not to purchase from Hoover again. Very shortsighted of Hoover, if I may say so...

I was surprised (pleasantly so) at how much dirt comes up as I am a daily vacuumer, leaves the carpeting fresh and nice smelling, it is just the lack of that clean-out tool that does indeed trouble me.

this thing works.
end of discussion.
it's an excellent product.

it might be little pricey, for as often as the average person might use it, but the investment is well worth it.

if your home is carpeted, this is something i can't imagine you could do without.
we have oak upstairs, and Pergo downstairs, so we use a lot of
area rugs.
the SteamVac is perfect.
we assemble the parts, add hot water, plug it in, and we're cleaning.
the dirty water, when we're done, tells the whole story.

i can't really think of any meaningful negatives.
it might be a little heavy for a woman, moving it around the house.
it can take a few minutes to assemble each time you decide to use
it, and another few minutes to take it apart and clean it before
you put it away again, but nothing compared to the time it would take to rent one.
and then have to return it.

it's probably not practical for small spills or spots.
but when your rugs and carpets need a good professional-style

cleaning, this SteamVac is definitely the ticket.

I had the little Hoover Steam cleaner and wanted to try the full size one. I could not be more delighted. When I moved in a year ago the three year old carpet was professionally cleaned. I used this machine and the carpets looked better than when the pros cleaned it. It was easy to assemble and use. I haven't used the the bare floor attachment, but that's next on my tile floors. I would highly recommend this machine

We bought our widepath 4 years ago when we purchased our house. Cleaning companies charged more than the cleaner cost to clean the entire house. We were very happy with it, and still are as the hard floor attachment is great on our hardwood. After having a puppy that is now a 3 yr. old dog, it has been a great asset to have. Most of the messes have come up although there have been a few stains that just won't come out.

I'm only giving this four stars, even though it has been a great product. The reason being is that we have noticed that the hose attachment has cracked all the way through on the interior part of the machine. You pretty much have to lay the thing flat to put in the water take-up tank and at the bottom where you see the hose is where it has cracked.

The spin brush attachment was excellent on stairs, as our carpeting is around 12 years old and still in good condition. It brought the nap back up and has helped us put off replacing carpeting.

I will probably invest in a smaller carry around unit, like a Little Green Machine for the stairs as I think this will also be good for the car as well. As long as the hose on it works, I wouldn't buy another cleaner, but since mine failed, I think it might not be worth it to have it repaired as I think it will eventually crack again.

This is probably the best home product purchase I have ever made! I have two dogs and a 7-year-old house, yet my carpets looks great! This rug cleaner has rotating heads that scrub the cleaning solution lightly into your rug, and powerful suction that sucks the solution and dirt right out -- keeping the rugs immaculate and the pile of the carpeting straight. Yes, it does leave a little moisture behind, but if you use hot water with your cleaning solution, the carpet dries fast. My Hoover Steam Vac is a few years old and still going strong. If it ever died, I would gladly purchase a new one and know that I was making a wise purchase. Buy it, you'll love it too!

I got one of these for Chistmas 2001 and Have been using it atleast once a month since then. My carpets have never been cleaner to say the least. I am a renter and you never know what the person that lived here before spilt on the floor and all I can say is that whatever it was is gone. You'll never know how truly nasty your carpets and for that matter upholstry are until you use this thing. It sucks everything out so well. I used it in my car too on the upholstery, floor and even the floormats and my 12 yr old car looks brand new. I am now the envy of both sides of my husband and I's families or atleast my carpets are. Every time we call and say we are going to visit they ask me to bring my Steam Vac. This is so much easier to handle then renting a rug doctor and does't hurt your back and much more convienient too so you use it more, OK alot more. Not only that, it works a [heck] of a lot better too and the attachments are great!! It even fluffs up your carpet and once totally flattened old carpet looks so much better. My husband works in the oil field and always gets very dirty with sand and oil ect.. and I only let him sit in his recliner when he gets home because it's gross and his chair , if it was'nt for this Steam vac would be in the [garbage] by now. It gets every filth and grime you can imagine out and makes the upholstery look brand new. I highly highly highly recommend this product !! I honestly could not be happier . Hoover has truly put out a great product in this Baby!

This is an excellent carpet cleaner! I just purchased one to take care of my new carpeting which is cream colored and in a house with 2 kids and two dogs. I had an extra piece of carpet bound and use it as a mat at the front door so people could take off their shoes. Even with all of the precautions it is amazing at how much dirt builds up! When I took the mat up to clean the carpet, the carpet under the mat was a good two shades lighter than the rest of the room. I used the Hoover, and now the whole room matches the color of the carpet that was covered! I did have a noticeable line in the carpet where the mat ended. Two passes with the clean surge button and the dirt was out. I was a little concerned with the amount I spent on the machine, but considering how much carpeting costs and how well this machine made the cream colored carpet look like it was just installed, I think it is well worth the money!! I would suggest this machine to anyone, the only drawback to the machines I used to rent is the water capacity is about a gallon which means more trips to the sink to empty and refill, but because the tanks are easy to remove and put back this is tolerable because it doesn't take too long to do. As far as cleaning it is superb!

My hubby and I had been seriously considering new carpet a few months ago due to very worn looking, dull (once light colored) carpet, but don't ring up my sale yet carpet man! I finally gave in to spending money on a carpet cleaner to replace my old Kirby shampooer, and now I wish I'd bought this Hoover Steam Vac a long time ago! It is amazing! My carpet, that I was ready to rip up myself, looks like the day we moved in..brand, spankin' new! I am so impressed with this machine! Very easy to use- easy to fill and dump water tanks- even the attachment hose is easy to clean out when you're finished. It looks heavy, but pulls itself along just fine when running and tilts back on the wheels very lightly to move from room to room. I really enjoy cleaning my carpets now, and as another reviewer stated, it is not much more than vacuuming-very easy and not time consuming. I was so impressed the first time I used it that I took all my floor mats out of my van and shampooed those, too! They were beautifully clean in about 10 minutes! I LOVE THIS STEAM VAC!
Great machine! Go buy it now! Mine's going with me to grandma's next trip so I can clean her floors too!

This is probably the best purchase I've ever made for my home. I have two dogs and an 8-year-old house, yet my carpets looks great! This rug cleaner has rotating heads that scrub the hot water and cleaning solution into your carpet and powerful suction that sucks the solution and dirt right out -- keeping the rugs immaculate and the pile of the carpeting straight. Yes, it does leave a little moisture behind, but if you use hot water with your cleaning solution, the carpet dries fast -- the carpet dries in just a few hours. Though the brochures say this machine also will clean bare floors I find it too cumbersome to attempt -- easier to use an old fashioned mop than to get the machine ready for flat floor cleaning. One of the great things about this machine is the gentle furniture scrubbing brush attachment -- the bristles are slightly softer and gently scrub your furniture leaving it looking nearly new. This is a GREAT machine. I wouldn't own a home without it!

2 kids a dog and "oatmeal" carpet, this purchase was long overdue. Not only does it get out everyday dust and dirt, it works on juice spills, dog tracks, and red GA clay. The upholstery/stair attachment works great on the upholstery, stairs. I have used this on the car interior and it works perfectly! I highly recommend this model: it is affordable and will pay for itself the second time you use it. The only draw back is that the cord is a bit short, and the hose attachment is too short to reach my stairs: probably a sacrifice to the amount of suction the attachment provides.

I researched carpet shampooers on the Internet and asked friends what they thought about theirs. After eliminating the shampooers that had more features than I needed, the shampooers that looked too complicated, and those that were too small, I decided on the Hoover Steam Vac Deluxe Carpet Cleaner. Shopping for the best price, I found mine at Target on cleanance for $139. Because the floor model was the only one left, I got an additional 10% off that price! Plus, the shampooer was already put together! Even though it didn't come with a manual, I easily down-loaded it off the Hoover website.

I took my shampooer home and immediately cleaned my formerly light beige berber carpet. With two small children and a husband, there are coffee and chocolate milk stains all over the floor. I used the cleaning solution at double strength and followed the directions. The next morning, I could tell the stains were much lighter than they had been! So, two days later, I cleaned the carpet again. My carpet is now the light beige it was when it was new five years ago! There was even a rather large spot where someone had left their sippy cup filled with chocolate milk in the floor and all the milk had drained into a puddle. That stain was lifted with relative ease!

My Hoover Steam Vac Deluxe Carpet Cleaner has changed the life of my floor. Now I am no longer embarrassed to have friends over for dinner!

This is one excellent cleaning machine. It cleans way better then any other cleaning machine or service I have ever used before, and I have used a lot them. This machine is so easy to use, all of its components are extremely accessible and easy to handle. The Hoover cleaning solution really works fantastic, it throughly cleaned my carpet without leaving any residue or odor in it. This solution had a wonderful citrus scent to it that made cleaning my carpet pleasurable, it left my carpet smelling fresh and clean. I was amazed at how the counter rotating brushes in conjunction with the Hoover solution restored the appearance and texture of my carpet, old stains and matted spots that would never come up before, just vanished. The drying time was really cut considerably, which was due to the efficiency of the machines strong suction power. My carpet dried in less then 2 hours and it looked like new. This is one cleaning machine that I will always enjoy to use.

My dad, myself, 2 sisters and 3 children all use the carpet cleaner my dad owns. It has been in the family for 5 years and is still going strong. It isn't as thorough as a comercial machine and probably takes longer but it does a good job. I spot treat with ispropyl alcohol and a spritz of Shout and then use about 1/2 the recommended soap in the machine. I also preheat the water on the stove so it is very hot. My dad has a wool carpet and I used cool water on it and the waste water was still very dirty. The water comes out in lines so it is important to overlap and go in different directions.

Well, so far so good. I was amazed at how dirty the water was when I emptied the container. Wow! Can't believe I waited this long. It cleaned well, but it's kind of heavy for me and I had a problem with the handle release. It seems stiff. Still has nothing to do with the cleaning job though. It's easy to fill and empty.

I bought this product for my heavily stained carpet (2 messy kids in the household) and it effectively cleaned the carpet and made it look almost new. The machine was comparable to the rental machines in its ability to clean the carpet, but it had two small drawbacks:

1) The one gallon tanks (for clean & dirty water)- means it has to be filled or emptied often.
2) The release handle was a bit stiff.

Otherwise, this machine did a wonderful job!

The good suction:
I have used this cleaner on my entire house. I must say that both the clean and the dirty tanks are easy to clean and fill. The extraction is so good that the carpets usually are dry in about 1/2 hour. I have successfully removed dried cat vomit, gooey unknown substances left by a 4 year old, as well as standard filth with this cleaner.

The bad suction:
I have had problems getting the dirty tank to remain snapped into place to get a proper vacuum for removal of the solution. The cleaner does NOT like going from carpet to linoleum - I have multiple areas where my carpet is set next to the linoleum with no running strip near it. The solution usually gets sprayed unusually heavy in patches on smooth surfaces, and the machine has a hard time switching from carpet to smooth surface for extraction (i.e. it leaves a puddle on the linoleum). The rotating brush attachment for stairs is a total disappointment. No matter how many times I try to use that thing (at least 10) - it will not pull an adequate vacuum for extraction. The manual says to "purge the air from the system" by holding your hand over the inlet - still doesn't work. I end up using the upholstery tool on the carpets with adequate results - it usually takes a couple of days for them to dry due to excess solution being left behind though. Also, it is VERY hard to clean the extraction part of the cleaner, especially if you have short haired cats. I cannot for the life of me remove all the hair, even with the little flexible tool that is intended for this purpose.

For those with homes that do not have carpeted stairs - I think this cleaner would be fine, especially if you do not have unusual levels of filth from pets and kids. If you have stairs, keep looking.

I have had my SteamVac Widepath LS for approx. 2 months and have already used it 4 times. I have used it for regular carpet cleaning, cleaning car floor mats, and, more importantly, to remove VERY SCARY messes (if you have a child/dog you know what I mean). So far, I have been very satisfied w/ the results. For the scary messes, I have had success using the following approach: first, I use the SteamVac in the upright position to clean and then, when things are less scary/smelly, I get down on the floor and use the tools. I've done this twice now and both times my carpets have come completely clean - no stain or smell!

I have owned both a Bissell Big Green Clean Machine and Little Green Clean Machine - the SteamVac cleans much better and is easier to use and maintain. Also, I was just as happy w/ the results of using the SteamVac as I have been when I've paid to have my carpets professionally cleaned. I have recommended this product to all of my friends.

We have saved a lot of money and people can't believe how great our carpet looks. We used to rent the steam cleaners from the grocery store, but now we can clean it well any timw we want and not have to worry about bringing it back to the store. Just watch out because all your relatives and friends will want to borrow it!

This is the worst piece of equipment I have ever purchased. Mine is now in pieces at the bottom of our steps. I have only used it 5 times and it has never cleaned anything, gets glogged up when you look at it and I ended up on my hands and knees with my Bissel Little Green Machine trying to soak up the water it spewed all over my carpet. NEVER BUY THIS HOOVER PRODUCT.

I have pets and a messy husband, was tired of renting steam cleaners. You never finish before it is time to return them. I tried a canister first, but found it difficult to drag around. So I bought the Hoover Steam vac Deluxe. I love it. I am careful with it as it has many plastic parts, but I am very satisfied with how it cleans, for the money. Now I can take it out whenever I have the time..this will save you time and money. Won't be without one anymore.....

We took an afternoon and went shopping for steam vacs..... It is easy to use, very easy to clean, and we did a large room with only 3 changes of water. Neither of us had ever used a steam vac before, and we had no problems. From start to finish (including removing the vac from the box, assembling, moving the furniture from the room, and cleaning up afterward) it only took 2 hours to do a large room. We were very impressed with the quality of the cleaning, and couldn't be happier with our purchase. We can highly recommend this product.

It's does not vac at all. I am going to get a canister vac like my friends from Eurica, they worked great. Uprights are always too loud and does not clean well. My only good vac was the upright that's cordless. It does not clean very well, but does the everyday job of picking up dirt. My ex-wife got it and still using it. I need to get one. Wasted hundreds on Hoover and Dirt Devil's upright too. Purchase 3 Hoover in my life time and are not happy. 3 strikes, your out Hoover. I'll get a Eureka canister vac for sure.

I have two dogs and messy people in our home. After contacting a local carpet cleaner to do a wool area rug I have at the exhorbitant price of $180, I decided that for that price, I could get a steam cleaner and do it myself. I did a lot of research before getting this.

What a great machine this is because of the turbo brushes. They get deep down into the fibers and really scrub and clean the rug. The colors popped as if new again. I did every rug in the house. I too boiled some the water I added to the machine so it would stay hot while I worked. It is pretty easy to set up and use as well.

To the person who gave this a bad rating I say " This is not a Vacuum Cleaner." This is a carpet steamer/cleaner. You have to vacuum your rugs BEFORE your clean them..... Read the instructions.

I think you will use and like this machine and be very glad you got one.

I'm very pleased with the Hoover F5914-900 Steam Vac. This is my first home steam cleaner. I delayed purchasing one because I never thought a home cleaner could do as good of a job as the pros. But this Hoover made me a believer. I used it to clean up pet stains and the smell and stains are long gone. The suction and scrubbing are an A+.

After reading all the reviews posted here I was excited to give this machine a try. I had only used about two thirds of a gallon of clean water solution when the motor started to smoke. Before I could hit the off switch with my foot sparks flew out, then a small flame, and finally puffs of black smoke out each side of the machine.

Needless to say it's going back in the box and being returned.

To Hoover's credit the water in the dirty water bucket was quite dirty so it was getting dirt up before it blew up.

I also tried calling customer service and had a hard time getting through. They were not very helpful and suggested I take this brand new machine into an authorized service agent. No thanks.

I always do a lot of research before I spend money on something like this - and this cleaner came up as a top buy. I have big dogs and cats that come in and out all day in all weather, and when we got new, lighter colored carpet(as opposed to our previous dirt-colored carpet) a cleaner that was easy to use, easy to store, and could handle the pressure of frequent use became a priority instead of a "one of these days" purchase. Now, I was lucky - because my in-laws purchased a similar model a year or so ago, so I got to try it out before buying.
But I still wasn't convinced this was the one until I did some checking, and surprisingly, more expensive *isn't* better. The more expensive models seemed more awkward to use, and I found lots of complaints about leaking, etc.
This machine keeps my light carpet looking great, and I have been very happy with it.

Okay, so maybe you're not like me. (Or maybe you are.) An impeccably clean house is just one of those things I take pride in. And while you can vacuum a carpet until you're blue in the face, let's face it: Some types of carpet soiling just does not and cannot disappear with a vacuum cleaner alone. Enter hot water extraction cleaners.

Like others here, I've previously used Bissell cleaners with mixed success. The canister style Bissell that I purchased a few years ago worked more or less. But it had a tendency to leave way too much water in the carpet with its anemic suction power. Plus the inconvenience of hooking the thing up to a faucet to use it (not to mention the clean-up process) meant that it lived in the closet more than it worked, and begged to be replaced with something better.

Despite that, when I began searching for something to replace it, I tended to look first at Bissell, thinking I'd give their self-contained cleaners a try. Thankfully I didn't limit my shopping to retail stores, and dropped by here not only to price the cleaners, but read the reviews. It saved me from making what could have been a mistake: another Bissell purchase.

Based on positive reviews of the Hoover, coupled with great experiences with Hoover vacuums, I decided to purchase one... Great decision. Why?

1. The Hoover has outstanding suction power, leaving the carpets barely damp after cleaning, and quick to dry completely. No waiting and waiting.

2. It works. You'll be amazed at what comes out of your carpets and into the cleaner's tank. (Or you'll just be grossed out.)

3. Clean-up is as easy as possible. None of these cleaners is (or could be) clean-up free. But the Hoover makes it as simple as I could imagine.

4. Hoover's cleaning solution -- unlike Bissell's -- leaves a nice, clean smell that's not too strong to start, but then dissipates as the carpet dries. No room-filling perfume scents that linger long after the cleaning's done (and rapidly become irritating).

I'll be the first to admit I have not tried Bissell's self-contained extraction cleaners, but my older, canister style Bissell extractor was a disappointment. In contrast, I love my Hoover SteamVac, and would highly recommend it for those who, like me, just sleep better at night knowing those floor coverings are as nice and tidy as possible.

Very Misleading carpet cleaner name "Steam Vac". Where is the steam? There is no steam, just hot water that gets cold very fast. I used mine around the house and it made the carpets wet...did not do much to the stains. I rented a steam Cleaner and it did a lot better. For the money I will just rent for a large job. For the small stuff a brush and a small bucket of carpet shampoo in hot water will do the same or better.

I wish I'd spent more and bought a better model with the power brushes. This model does an adequate job and is simple enough to operate that I use it frequently. I wish that they had made it so that the front cover over the area where the water is sucked up could be cleaned. I hate putting it away with the gunk like carpet fibers and lint in there (ok, so I'm a little obsessive).

I love the fact that Hoover knows how to make house cleaning easier. This was the first product my husband purchased for me and its jewel. I use it not only for carpets and furniture but to clean out my car carpets and seats. What could be simpler that pouring hot water and the solution into it and letting it do all the work. Way to go Hoover!