2.9.2014

* MODEL : VAX W86-DP-BCOLOUR : GREY with ORANGEI should say that this is my first ever experience of such a machine so I have nothing to compare this to.The opportunity came at just the right time as I had been getting quotes from various carpet cleaning companies.I tested the VAX out on my hall, landing & study immediately prior to going on holiday to give the carpeting a chance to completely dry out with no one home.The colour-coordinated box, measuring around 50 cm x 41 cm x 37 cm, was incredibly well packed to the point that I wondered if there was a full size cleaner inside!Getting the outfit out was a bit of a test but was made easier by opening the top,turning upside down and gently teasing the cardboard inner encasing out.Inside were:* Machine* Handle* 2.7 L Clean water tank (Top)* 1.5 L Dirty water tank (Bottom)* 3 locking screws* 250 ml starter size bottle of cleaning fluid* 'Let's get started' User Guide* VAX 2 year guarantee detail leaflet'ooOooGeneral Detail:* 'Dual rotating brushbars lift tough, deep down dirt from your carpets* Twin tank technology separates clean water from dirty, meaning the Vax Dual Power is easy to fill and empty* Lightweight and easy to carry with a wide cleaning nozzle so you can clean larger areas quickly.* 30 cm wide cleaning nozzle enables you to clean larger areas quickly.ooOooIt was simple to assemble the cleaner in literally a few minutes with the user guide booklet.It was lighter to pick up and move around (advertised at just over 6 kg) than I expected.Wattage is 800W.There is around 8 metres of power cable which can be neatly wound away and clicked in place.Fully assembled the unit stands around 110 cm tall x 33 cm x 31 cm.The HANDLE RELEASE is the orange button on one side at the back and the ON/OFF switch is on the other.Before starting, it is advised to test the carpet for colourfastness and to do a trial run on a small piece that doesn't show.It may seem obvious but it is necessary to vacuum carpets, well, prior to using the carpet washer.I was shocked at how much gunge was collected on the bottom after the first main run despite having 'hoovered' twice beforehand with my old faithful, who is normally very obedient!The required measurement is 40 ml per 1 litre of warm water.The maximum recommended is 40°C.The orange top on the VAX ULTRA+ cleaning solution starter bottle holds around 25 ml so can be used if you don't have a small measurer to hand with this fine a scale.I used 1 litre of water for the first trial and this covered around 7 sq metres of carpet so had to be refilled quite quickly.This may sound obvious but when using it is useful to start at the furthest point and work backwards so as not to walk over the just cleaned, damp carpet! (No further comment here from a novice!)* Turn the cleaner on, then it is a squeeze & release process, i.e. squeeze the ORANGE trigger on the handle to action the cleaning liquid while moving forward and release when pulling back to suck up.There is clearly a knack to this as the carpet was definitely wetter in places than others (and I ran out of cleaner before the end of the task in hand so had to stop before I could perfect the process!).There is a float in the dirty water tank, which needs monitoring, as it shuts off the suction at the floor nozzle and I may have been lax on this, even though the noise of the machine apparently changes.* After use, both tanks need emptying out and air drying before storing. The brush-bar may well need cleaning, too, depending on the efficiency of the vacuuming run beforehand.After finishing there was a fair amount of wet pile stuck in the area around the rollers which was a bit awkward to remove, so had to lie the machine on its back to get at this area by hand.I haven't had a chance (fortunately) to try out:* 'Vax Dual Power W86-DP-B can be used to clear up spills straight away, avoiding the build-up of stains'.After a fortnight away the carpets are bone dry and I am reasonably impressed with the overall result. I wouldn't say they are noticeably 'fluffed up' after the experience but this could well be down to what they are made of in terms of wool/material mix % of which I have no idea.They are definitely cleaner looking but stubborn marks are still there most likely as an indication of time on a light colour in a heavy tread area than the power of the VAX, I would imagine.The only real negative is that there is no obvious way to clean the stairs with this model, so I will clearly have to invest some money and some more time on this 'project'.

25.8.2014

Just a week ago I was discussing with my wife that we could really do with a carpet cleaner as our living room carpet was looking tired. It’s a good quality carpet and we vacuum it regularly but it was looking like it needed a shampoo wash. Lo and behold the following week we were offered one to review – so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it to try! Here are my findings:It is delivered in a squarish (cuboid?) box – so needs fitting together – but this is a simple process of putting the main part and the water holding parts together and then attaching the handle. Three screws are then screwed in place to hold it all together. It takes less than 3 minutes to do this!It has a number of safety instructions in the booklet you need to adhere to.It comes complete with 250ml of VAX “Ultra+ Carpet Cleaning Solution” – which does the job well but won’t last all that long. The instruction booklet says that if you do not use VAX’s own brand carpet cleaning solution then you may invalidate their 2 year warranty! I am not sure I will be paying £13 for a 1.5 litre pot – but will try out other ranges of cheaper solutions to see if they do as good a job – and will report back here my findings.At 5.8kg it is the lightest in the VAX range of carpet cleaners and is very easy to transport around from room to room or up and downstairs because of this.Areas it says it can’t clean is stairs, car interiors or hard floors (other models do these areas). Presumably these limitations are because it does not have a hose attachment. This is a bit of a shame - and a real turn-off for me to this model. Likewise it can't get behind sofas or other furniture easily because of this. I know these aren't necessarily the areas of the carpet you are most likely to clean but anyone with stairs (I live ina bungalow) may find this lack of hose feature a real nuisance.At 800 watts it is mid-range in power (the VAX carpet cleaners go from 600 to 1300 watts). The “Dual Power” in the title of this machine actually just means that it has “dual rotating brushbars”.Once assembled at first glance it just looks like a normal vacuum cleaner - but with two "compartments". These two separate sections are for water – a 2.7 litre capacity one for clean water and a 1.5 litre capacity unit for dirty water. This makes it easy to keep an eye on the levels and empty or refill as appropriate when levels are getting too full (or too empty!)The power cord is 8 metres long – so I can almost do the whole of my bungalow from one plug socket! It has a 30cm cleaning width which (as the blurb says) allows it to clean large areas easily.So, how does it actually function when tested? Firstly you must give the carpet a good old fashioned vacuum to get up any dust and debris. Then you are ready to start the clean…I was a little surprised that there are no markings on the clean water tank for the capacity when you are filling it up. Nowhere does it say that it is 2.7 litres on the side of the tank or in the instructions so I had to remind myself by looking at the advert on Amazon! Mix the cleaning solution with warm water (not hotter than 40 degrees C) and put around 2 1/2 litres in the clean water tank (that's the one at the top). Fit it back in place.Now you need to turn on the carpet cleaner and pull the trigger while walking forward with it (thus releasing cleaning water solution) and then release the trigger on the backstroke (which then sucks up the dirty water debris). It's all quite simple once you get used to it although, because I have a touch of RSI in my wrist, I found the constant pulling the trigger on and off a little painful. I gave my living room two coverages and at the end there was a marked improvement on the cleanliness of the carpet - it really brought it up nicely and this was underlined by the fact that I had a full tank of dark grey liquid in the dirty water tank. Just turn the machine off and wash out the two tanks and leave to dry. Job done!So, what is my verdict? Other than a couple of slight niggles (lack of measurements of capacity of water) and the trigger thing I was more than happy with this VAC Carpet Cleaner. It really has brought up the living room carpet nicely.Two days later and I gave the hall and a bedroom the same treatment with the same excellent results. In fact my bedroom carpet looks brand new! Now you can't argue with that! Other than the slight niggle with the "no show hose" which I would get you to seriously consider if you have stairs, I recommend this product whole-heartedly!

2.12.2015

I got this for £62.00. Couldn't believe it. I was expecting a scaled down and perhaps compromised version of a carpet cleaner. Just enough to soak up spills and clean the carpet. It's not a new carpet but the same throughout the house. Cream/beige colour. It was fitted by the previous occupier. It is the type with square motifs.As someone who uses paint in creative projects. I had spilled and had a few accidents where I sit and paint or use polyurethane to bind pieces together.I had used bleach to try and get the colours out of the carpet and then soaked it up with a clean towel. Of course - this is never going to remove the deeper levels of paint. I should state that I often use acrylic paint - which is permanent and varnish too.I'm not a house obsessed person but I am a clean one. So I always had in mind - buying a carpet cleaner. Never got round to it.Taking this thing out of the box. It's clear this is NOT a LITE version of a product. This is a fully fledged and very grown up carpet cleaner. It has two power brush bars that are very powerful and get deep into the carpet. It is a heavy unity - but at 800 W rated motor for suction - this is a superb value cleaner.I couldn't believe how easy it was to clean the carpets. And even though it doesn't have a handheld cleaning function. It doesn't matter - because the wider cleaning brushes cut down the amount of time and effort.Just press than handle button and the solution comes out evenly and covers the dirty carpet uniformly. Release the button and the suction is by default. And boy - it removes huge amount of dirt. I couldn't believe how much dirt. And it removed a great deal of the liquid. Only about one third of the solution remained in the carpet. I have a small two bedroom bungalow and my house now feels cleaner and fresher. And changing the dirty water tank 5 times !! proved to me - just how dirty the carpet was.With the heating on - the carpets dried in about 50 minutes. And I walked on them immediately. No problems.What about those varnish and paint stains? That's what surprised me the most. i didn't expect much - but it brought up the very sad and stained part of carpet beneath where I usually sit: to its original shade. I could see the dissolved paint and dirt in the waste water tank.Not only that. But I copied a trick I had seen on youtube. Poured very hot water over a couple of the stains and waited a couple of minutes and the Vax sucked up the excess and a lot more of the dirt. But DO NOT use hot or boiling water with your vax - it will ruin it. Use ONLY once the heat has dissipated enough. Use only warm water in the solution chamber. You can effectively "pre-treat" your carpets with a spray bottle and solution. Before bringing out the Vax. (another tip).That was my first run. No fuss. No mess. No disapointment. This is a superb product.The tanks themselves are designed for instant removal. And they are brilliantly designed for instant emptying or filling.How long you hold that release trigger for solution - depends on how many times you will need to refill it. But it takes literally - one minute to do so.I should state that the vax switches to no suction automatically - when it detects the waste water tank is full enough. Brilliant ! It means you don't need to watch it or have spills of dirty water. (and believe me - your carpet is dirty if it has never been washed).I was also surprised by how much physical debris and fine sand was in the dirty water container.One tip: instead of vacuuming your whole house before using the vax (as must be done); use a bissell carpet sweeper (£9.99) - to go over your carpets. These little beauties are incredible and light and easy. They also work ! One look at the dust chambers will tell you how underrated these little sweepers are. (not just for grannies).So. In conclusion.The Vax is a serious piece of kit. Incredible value for money at the price I paid and even if it is a little more expensive - it's design and power. And effectiveness will be clear to you.I just activated my 2 year guarantee online. (needed the serial number on the chassis of the machine). Simples.Quick. Effective. Powerful. Robust. Quality. And ease of use."don't work harder - just smarter". :)

27.8.2019

Before you even switch this machine on to use it, you will notice that the carrying handle is just about the most sensibly positioned you've ever encountered, which means that the height of the machine was considered. Engineers have always considered that simplicity is synonymous with ingenuity, and its true. This little VAX doesn't have pumps, venturis and turbo this or that, it works on gravity for goodness sake. What could be simpler or more reliable than gravity? 10/10 for that.If you push this machine forward, it cleans your carpet twice, if you pull it back over the same spot, it will have scrubbed your carpet clean four times. If you release the cleaning agent as you push it forward,it leaves the liquid in the carpet to soak. If you pull it back, it scrubs and removes the liquid as it goes.Unlike some other machines, it doesn't skimp on the cleaning agent, but it holds about 3-litres and will cover approximately 500 square feet, just over 152 square metres per filling. The instruction manual gives the user quite a few good tips too.I have a very old professional vacuum cleaner, designed for hotels and the like. It sucks the carpet off the floor and then flays the life out of it. I have a Labrador dog that moults like there's no tomorrow, especially in the heat of summer, brush it, bath it, do what you will ... it still moults. You can vacuum your carpet all day long, but this little VAX will still fill its 'chops' with animal fur. From this respect, whilst you may consider your home truly clean, the VAX may prove otherwise.Animal smells disappear from the floor and you only need to wash the cushion covers and furniture covers to complete the job to a truly immaculate standard.This VAX does such a good job, it. will make you feel really proud of your home and even husbands like using this machine, because it makes them feel useful, they having made a difference.In this instance, I think VAX have got just about everything right, the price, the quality, the reliability, its being simple to use, clean and care for, notwithstanding the ergonomics. Don't spend a fortune, this little machine will serve you well, believe me.The kids love it, as they can play with the water, the bubbles and pull a lever ... and they stay clean too. Under supervision, they won't come to any harm. Highly recommended for family use, especially where tiny tots are crawling around on the floor most of their waking hours. Stay clean, stay healthy is what I say.Yes ... a sensible product designed by sensible people. I don't work for this company, I'm retired and have been for many years. I'm simply gob-smacked by this little machine i.e. one which I can actually afford. My carpets get an extraordinary amount of wear, what with kids traipsing mud in from the garden, the dog going bananas, not to mention the numerous accidents with cup spillage. Since owning this machine, you would never believe I had any visitors. You won't be disappointed with this product. VAX have done me proud, and I'm truly grateful.

16.7.2020

Got this yesterday, put it together, which was very easy, just three screws.Read the instruction manual front to back and also watched instruction videos on youtube, so I was familiar with it and how to operate it.My carpet has been vacuumed for the past three years but never washed, and I'm sorry to say there was quite bad staining near where I normally sit, with spillages of drinks etc. which haven't been properly cleaned up. That area had become very bad.I vacuumed my carpet thoroughly, to make sure there was no loose dirt or hair in the carpet. Filled the tank halfway with water and shampoo, as I only did half the room today. Doing the other half tomorrow.This was so easy to use.

17.9.2014

The Vax Dual Power Carpet Cleaner is the first dedicated carpet washer I've used and I was a little dubious that a domestic cleaner would really produce a decent result. Happily I my doubts were unfounded.The cleaner comes in 3 parts which are simple to clip together to form a pretty slimline unit held securely by the three screws provided. The larger top clean water tank holds 2.7l and the bottom waste water tank 1.5l so there's decent capacity to complete a room without too many refills. The unit comes with 250mls of Vax's proprietary regular cleaning solution and to be honest I don't think it would last any great length of time before having to purchase the pretty expensive refill packs.

10.4.2020

+ NOT SUITABLE FOR HARD FLOORS +My mum's carpets had got a bit grubby however due to her health issues and logistical problems, getting them replaced would have been very difficult so I bought one of these. It came in a smaller box than anticipated but assembly was just a question of affixing the handle and inserting three screws. One would not go in fully which was slightly disconcerting however it does not affect use as the saying goes. Talking of “use”, that is really easy :You fill the top reservoir with warm water (at up to 40 deg celsius) and then add 40ml of cleaning fluid per litre of water. The tank is umarked so I got my Sharpie out to mark one and two litre levels and just add the fluid after.

8.2.2014

We were really interested to see how this performed as our older machine is veryefficient but extremely heavy.It's very easy to put together, and easy to fill with solution/water. The tanks go back into place easily if placed in the position shown in the instructions under 'Operating your carpet washer' - tilted slightly forward and the base of it set in place, and thenstraightened upright until it clicks into place.We needed to clean a wide hallway carpet that is a medium duck egg blue, but had become very dull and grimy with people and dogs walking over it frequently.Using it is easy, and it's amazing just how well a carpet is cleaned with just onepass over of solution and then suction.One area was particularly dirty due to an air cleaner having been stood there forsome time,

7.2.2014

Having used this carpet cleaner now for a few weeks I can honestly say it is the simplest one I have ever used.As an owner of the Rapide Ultra 2 pre-treatment and upholstery washer I really didn't see how this could compare.The duel Power is the little brother to the Rapide but with the cleaning power to match.Straight out of the box I had it up and running in 5 minutes.This looks and feels like an upright carpet cleaner rather than a carpet washer.The water tanks are removed like the dust containers and can slip back in to place as quickly.The dirty water tank is emptied by removing a plug like cap underneath it,is simple to clean and easy to remove any hair or fluff inside.I have cream/stone

20.4.2018

Over the years i have had many Vax washers and i have never been as impressed as i am with this modelLong power cable, and reasonably light to push the washer. Glides easily over carpets, even works well on carpet tiles.The real bonus for me is the front loading tanks and the power on off button being on the bottom and foot operatedAs an older person with slipped discs and serious spinal problems, the foot on/off is brilliant. No bendingThe front loading tanks are easy to remove, you can actually easily see how much solution is left in the shampoo tank. This is very different to other models i have owned where you have to try and see through a white plastic container,

4.8.2019

It looks like them old fashion vacuum cleaners that people used in 70s. Heavy, difficult to carry, specially when filled with water. Very hard to store. Ive always hated those big vacuums and now I've got this. Anyway.It does clean carpets and rugs as long as they are in a large flat surface. Goes through water and detergent like a thirsty day in the Sahara. Nightmare for stairs, really not appropriate.It doesn't leak which is a good thing. The extension cord is really good and it can reach most rooms from a single socket in a normal sized house. It's very noisy and particularly when the dirty water tank is full. My lawnmower is more silent. My dogs panic every time I use this cleaner.The water tanks are easy to remove and clean.

29.10.2018

I bought this cleaner on the recommendation of a friend. I have wanted a carpet cleaner for a while but thought that I couldn’t afford anything decent with my budget. I was wrong. It was really easy to put together with just three screws. It took me a minute to work out how to get the clean water tank into position but I soon worked it out. It came with a small bottle of cleaner which lasted a few washes. The only slight issue is that you have to change the clean water quite often but that’s the only issue I found. Considering our carpets hadn’t been cleaned in such a long time I was unsure how well it would worked but I was truly thrilled. It brought the carpets up left them beautifully clean.

23.8.2014

We received this carpet cleaner a few days ago, and immediately tried it out on what we considered to be the most heavily soiled area with the highest footfall: i.e the downstairs hall. Initial results were impressive with very noticeable improvement in the overall colour of the carpet. Of course, the dirty water gives you an indication that you are actually removing considerable amounts of dirt from your carpet, but I have to say after giving it 24 hours to dry out ( not that it is that damp afterwards anyway) that the results are very noticeable. Not only that, but the effects of washing and drying your carpet help give it a slightly "fluffed up" effect meaning that some of the pile effect is regained and your carpets look more fluffy & plumped up.

23.8.2014

Currently an excellent price for a Carpet Cleaner (under £100). We have now used this on all our carpets and rugs, although I had to buy and additional large bottle of cleaner because the small bottle included in the box is only sufficient for one medium sized room. The results are very good indeed. The dirt that came out of what looked to be reasonably clean carpets was amazing. The machine is very easy to fill and empty, and simple to use. Compared to other carpet cleaners I have used it is also very lightweight and easy to store away. The machine left the carpets and rugs a little damp, but they were completely dry after leaving the windows open for a few hours. Other more expensive machines extract more water,

7.9.2014

I received the Vax carpet cleaner and promptly opened the box and got the parts out. I read the assembly instructions, you will require a screw-driver to put in 3 x screws. The unit appears of quality build and construction, together with a 8M electric mains cable, about standard. In the box you get a VAX ultra+ cleaning solution.I have previously used a older VAX carpet cleaner and have some experience and idea how this should work and how it might compare. I use about 1 x cap full for around 10L of warm water. Off I went and did the landing and bathroom, the result is good. Push the button down when going forward and release the button and pull back.

Vax Dual Power Carpet Cleaner (W86DPB) - Reviews

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