21.2.2015

VAX W85-PP-T Dual Power Pro, 1200 WAs a "modern" couple, we try to share the housework ,so this is a dual review so apologies for the length of it!Over the years we have tried many methods of carpet cleaning ranging from straight vacuum to dry powders to wet cleaners. We still have an original VAX wet cleaner ( orange , tublike , more than 15 years old - an original version of the newer 6131T) ) but used to find it somewhat messy and difficult to dry the carpets after cleaning. Dry cleaning was excellent - until the Dyson upright system came alongWe are revisiting carpet cleaning with this new upright VAX system. We live in a bungalow in a red clay soil area so the potential for carpet soiling simply from the outside is high.We have no pets however.. We have a range of carpet colours ranging from russet red to green to pink to a gold. All carpets could do with a good deep clean after some 12years in the bungalow. Normal dry cleaning is via an upright Dyson DC01.This unit weighs similar to the DC01 ( somewhat heavy) but wheels around easily - albeit in straight linesThe particular areas selected for the wet cleaning tests wereA) In front of chairs / settees , at the side of bedsB) Walkway areas ( halls)C) (Stairs - not available in this house ( bungalow)) - units are available and were tested on areas of carpetThese were to be compared with original carpet ( under beds or settees) for colour and texture ( softness) .The dirt removed could be assessed by the colour of the cleaning solutions to be disposed of. You add the water preheated to 40C . A drying cycle is mentioned but we could not detect any additional heater for drying .Cleaning fluids used - the unit comes with 2 x 250ml VAX Ultra Plus - The solution bottles suggest a dilution of 40ml in 1L warm water ca 40C or below BUT the machine actually mixes it for you - concentrate put in one tank , clean water at ca 40C in the other.(Other compatible recommended solutions are 1.5lUltra+ cleaning solution ; Ultra + 1.5l Pet carpet cleaning 1.5l ; Ultra + refresh and revitalise ; Ultra+ Allergen 1.5l ; Ultra+ sanitise 1.5L - all available from VAX online or from Amazon )Her comments:-Having had an earlier version of a Vax Vacuum and washer as a 2 in 1, some 20 years ago, when my Husband showed me this on the Vine programme, I said yes let's give it a try, as I was keen to see how the technology had changed over the years.When the W85 arrived it was in a large box so expected it to be bigger than my Dyson Vacuum. In fact it is only about 2 inches wider at the front end and not much heavier, without the solution and water in it.It took 2 of us to get it out of the box, (for ease) and we found it easy to put together.We then waited for a relatively dry warm day to tackle a stain on the living room carpet as our trial, before moving on to the rest of the Home.This was a trial on a 100% woollen carpet, and I had previously done a patch test for colour run, which was fine.Before filling any tanks, I took a few minutes, to familiarise myself on how to take off both the water tank and the solution tank so as not to have any spills when full and found it relatively easy to and replaced them.The instructions were a little misleading as to how much cleaner to put in to the solution tank against water in the water tank, on the bottle of cleaning solution as it said on the bottle to add 40ml of it and in the instruction booklet it suggested all of it. I decided to go with what the bottle said at around 40ml, with a full tank of clean warm water.I had earlier vacuumed the carpet so all was free of debris. I then wheeled the cleaner into the living room and plugged it in. I made sure the machine was on wash and pressed the release pedal to tilt the cleaner and the then on/off pedal and off I went. It was easy to push and the solution flowed equally across the carpet on the passes and then suction was good on the return. After a few passes in either direction, I turned the machine off and turned the switch to rinse, then went over the same section again. On finishing, the carpet was warm to the touch, which I expected would help with the drying.I was gobsmacked by the amount of dirty water from the cleaning of such a small part of the carpet and it had got up most of the ingrained dirt from a nasty stain.Cleaning the machine is relatively easy as most parts of the washer come off for rinsing out and there was still some cleaning fluid in the container which has gone back into the bottle for the next use.We also removed some carpet fibres from the brush barAs the carpet cooled down I noticed is was a little damper than expected, but this maybe because it is a natural 100% wool carpet and not a synthetic or wool mix type, which may have dried quicker.Overall I am very impressed with this machine even on a small test and will wait until the warmer months before carrying on the good work it does.It is a 5 out of 5 for me!His comments:-Assembly - Out of the box the unit is relatively easy to put togetherGeneral Test results* Spot testing for absence of damage - made up a solution of 10ml of the cleaner in 250ml warm water and tested all carpets and upholstery with a with a white cloth. Apart from dirt removal ,saw no sign of any discoloration of the carpets or upholstery.* Ease of use and general noiseThe machine is about the same size , weight and noise levels as Dyson DC1. Whilst it' s easy to use , DO read the instructions carefully first. Start with the dual water tank blender set up with the mix in the " wash" positionFor this test we put 40ml of concentrate in the smaller tank and filled the water tank ( which supplies water for the wash and the rinse) with water ( ca 3L) at 40C ( cool enough to wash a baby - remember the elbow test?).* Coverage per cleaning solutionOur test piece was a 15year old woollen carpet under chairs at a table - really grubby. We did a deep clean of a section 1.4m x 1.4m , including a rinse. This used some 25ml of the cleaner and 2.5L of the water. Recovering the unused concentrate is fiddly but possible - use a large jug with a pouring spout or put back into the bottle from the jug with a small funnel. "Guestimate" using at least a 250ml bottle of concentrate per 20m2 on wool if a deep clean is necessary , possibly less on carpets with synthetic fibres / blends. Will report larger tests in due course* Colour of cleaning solution and cleanliness of carpets/upholsteryAs expected, the dirty used solution was very grubby but the carpet seemed to have been well cleaned. We noted that there was a reasonable amount of the wool " fluff" on the cleaning heads which we stripped off by hand* Dryness of carpets / upholsteryThe woollen carpet seemed somewhat wet after rinse/dry so we didn't do the full carpet at this stage but opened the room windows to assist drying. As this was winter , with temperatures below 16C this took some time ( h).The other tools for hard surfaces ( tiles ) and upholstery worked OK but the results were rather too wet for us. Suggest doing a major clean in summer when it is warmer and the windows can be left openSpecial stains - wine ( red) - Not willing to test on original carpets in the house ( had to replace a carpet once before!) so we will ,in the future, be testing on old fragments of carpet known to stain.Price / cost effectiveness of the unitNote that this is a Carpet Washer, NOT a vacuum cleaner with Carpet cleaning capability. You need to compare the cost / performance of the unit with hiring a professional cleaner. It is also somewhat bulky to storeWho is the unit for / How many times are you likely to use a unit of this type? Certainly those with young families/pets are likely to have a regular need. It would also be useful if you are moving into a new property ( if you are retaining the carpets)However , if you are strapped for cash and need the vacuum cleaner capability you could always try out the VAX orange tub cylinder 6131T ( based on the original 1979 model) - a dual dry wet unit. at 25% of the price of this unit.Overall Rating 5 star.27th Oct 2015 Update - a friend requested help with an old kitchen carpet strip and a pet soiled rug.I was concerned about possible damage to the pile of a rug but the unit ( in standard cleaner mode) worked perfectly and cleaned both. Used ca 200ml cleaning solution on a deep clean of a 2 x 6ft kitchen carpet ( greasy with spots) and a dog soiled beige rug ( 6 x 10ft) - brought up nearly as new and also revitalised the pile without any real stripping of fluff.Friend very impressed

10.2.2015

I have not got any experience of using carpet cleaners, so have nothing to compare this to, but it seems quite impressive upon first impressions.I had an unfortunate incident where a bottle of fake tan split (without me noticing) and the whole bottle went onto a medium toned carpet, and was there long enough to dry, so I couldn't clean much of it successfully. It's VERY obvious, being solid dark brown and about 25cm square.*** GETTING STARTEDThe Vax unit is in a big heavy box and needs assembly, though this is only 5 minutes work and easy enough to do, though there is a very helpful and detailed instruction booklet with pictures if you do get stuck. Within 10 minutes I had it set up,tanks filled and ready to unleash its power! It has 2 separate tanks, one for putting warm water in and the other for the cleaning solution (of which you get 2 bottles included).It says you don't need to worry about how much solution you use as nothing is wasted due to the unit mixing the solution and warm water automatically, and that it can be emptied back into the container (this is true, though pouring stuff back out of the unit is difficult).*** DOING THE DEEDI only had one minor mishap when I started the machine. I plugged it in, but squeezed the handle expecting it to power up the unit, but instead this just dispensed a load of water on to my carpet. Oops! I quickly realised and switched it on at the base, sucking up the water soon after.The shampoo dispensed well and immediately I could see the fake tan dissolving into the solution and being sucked up. The unit is easy enough to move around, with the usual option vacuums have of pressing a button to enable you to push it along at an angle. You can see that it's slightly soapy on the surface but true to their claims the shampoo is low-foaming and does not leave any visible evidence when you finish.It's quite a noisy machine, but I think that's to be expected with this sort of thing. One thing I didn't expect was for dirty water to splash on the wall, which it did. Other people may not have this problem cleaning minor stains but with the dark brown fake tan stain there were several marks on the wall, which luckily I noticed and cleaned off straight away before it stained.I tried the unit over a faded minor old stain on the carpet (older than 2 years old as it was there when we moved in) and it didn't shift it, but a small newer stain lifted well.*** AFTER TREATMENTThe carpet is left quite damp, but certainly not soaking wet. It dries quickly, as I applied the treatment early evening and by the next morning it was dry.The water unit is easily detached from the main unit to enable you to empty the dirty water into a sink or drain. It was quite satisfying seeing the near-black water knowing that less of the stain was on the carpet!All in all, after completing the cleaning I think I've noticed a 50% improvement in a very bad stain. It does say that you may have to repeat treatment on bad stains, which I will do.*** ACCESSORIES2 x 250ml bottles of Vax shampoo solutionAn extension hose attachment for stairs and upholstery*** OVERALL OPINIONThe solution does not last very long, with nearly 1/2 a bottle being used on only a smallish (1 metre squared) area of my bedroom. However I did go over the stain many times in the single treatment, so perhaps for a light clean on a whole carpet it may not be so bad, but worth bearing in mind with bottles costing £17 for 1.5LI guess the economy of this unit will ultimately have to be compared with hiring out a professional cleaner, and how often you would find yourself doing that. It may be cost effective if you find yourself with frequent stains.Also, it is a BIG unit. Bigger than your standard vacuum cleaner, so you definitely need a decent amount of storage space in which to keep it.It's worth mentioning that this Vax cleaner has a 6 year warranty - which is obviously a verrrry long time and great for peace of mind.

15.2.2015

I am new to cleaning carpets and the ones in my house have needed cleaning for a long while now but I could never find anyone with a carpet cleaner to borrow from, enter the Vax W85-PPT.First off this cleaner is heavy and this is something I will touch upon later. Out of the box your new cleaner comes with some assembly required (See picture) fear not this is very simple to do and if you need help the instruction manual provides a small guide.3-5 minutes later and you are ready to go! I don't know why but I can't seem to get the wire on the back of the cleaner to wind where the plug holder is but this is a miner thing and probably my fault.The Vax comes with two cleaning bottles which should be enough to last a few routine cleans,the instruction manual says that none of the solution is wasted because it mixes with the warm water separately and any unused solution can poured back into the bottle. While this is true it's not very easy to do so and may take a patient person.Once you have filled up your cleaner with warm water and solution you are ready to go. The manual does tell you to add a spot of the solution to a rag and use it on a small hidden piece of carpet before use just to be sure that there is no color damage. After a short waiting period the carpet should be vacuumed first so the cleaner can do a better job.I chose to do the stairs first so I plugged in the hose attachment with a spinning brush attachment and went to work. The attachment has it's own solution spray which can be triggered by you which is handy so you are not overusing the solution, first thing i noticed that the attachment works well at getting into the area's around each stair case and the stretch hose length is enough to get you to the middle stairs however the size and weight of the cleaner may cause some issues for some people when carrying it up the staircase. I found the cleaner had picked up a scary amount of dirt and the brush attachment and the hose were covered in it, once I got to the top I removed the hose and started on the hallway using the whole system which I found extremely easy despite it's size. The carpet is left slightly damp but once left overnight everything the next day was dry to the touch.The middle of the cleaner removes allowing you to empty out the dirty water from all the dirty collected, the brushes at the bottom can be removed with a few screws allowing quick and easy cleaning. Only issue I found here was cleaning out the hose which still seems to be wet inside after 4 days since use.The VAX W85-PP-T Dual Power Pro is a noisy heavy machine but does what it's designed for very well and with little trouble. I have never used a carpet cleaner before but some quick research lets me know that they are all heavy and noisy bits of equipment and therefore I feel comfortable awarding top marks.Couple of point's I would like to finish off with and that's storage could be a huge problem with those with smaller houses, this isn't your typical Vacuum and you probably won't use it very often unless you have pets or children, the attachments can't be connected to the machine either so you will need room for these too. The other is that this comes with a 6 year Warranty which I know will bring comfort for those making an investment.

3.3.2015

The Vax W85-PP-T Dual Pro arrived in a large very heavy box, on opening the box I could see that the Vax Cleaner came in three parts and would require some assembly (my husband did this with no problem), it was simply a matter of connecting the handle to the base and attaching the water tank.Also included in the box was:A hoseAn accessory bagSpinScrub toolWash toolHard floor toolInstruction bookletand 2 x 250ml bottles of carpet cleaning solutionAs far as carpet cleaners are concerned more brushes result in a more thorough cleaning and some of the best have two or more brushes for agitating and lifting ingrained dirt. The Vax W85-PP-T has a full length brush bar, side brushes and 7 rotating (spinscrub technology)brushes, meaning it is incredibly powerful at removing embedded dirt.Prepping the machine for use is very easy. It has three water chambers, the first is for the cleaning solution, the second is for the warm water (max temp should be 40 degrees) and the third chamber is for the dirty water that is sucked up from the carpets etc.After preparing the machine we plugged it into a socket in our sitting room and off we went. I have to say I did find the machine quite noisy, not unbearably so, but noisy enough. The good thing about this Vax Dual Pro is that it has a wide cleaning nozzle which reduces the amount of forward and backward strokes required.Washing your carpets is simply a matter of turning the wash/rinse dial to wash, pressing a trigger on the handle on the forward stroke (this pushes the shampoo into the carpet) and releasing the trigger on the backward stroke (this is when the machine will suck up the dirty solution from your carpets. After shampooing you need to turn the dial to rinse and repeat the forward/backward strokes.I found the cleaner a bit too heavy for me, I have COPD and I find any heavy work difficult. My husband on the other hand found the cleaning process a piece of cake and had finished the whole room (26' x 15') in about 20 minutes.The carpet wasn't completely touch dry (I hadn't really expected it to be so) however it certainly wasn't as wet as other carpet shampooing machines had left it. The carpet did appear to be completely dry the next day.Result?The carpet looked as good as new.We have also successfully cleaned our stair carpet using the SpinScrub tool and our settee using the wash tool. We were extremely pleased with the results of both.I do have a couple of negative points however, the first being the fact that the machine is quite heavy to manouver which might be a problem to the elderly etc.My second point is because the machine automatically mixes the cleaning solution with the water as required, my guess is that you will probably get through more cleaning solution this way whereas when you add the solution directly to the warm water, you are in charge of the amount to be added and you may wish for a weaker solution if you wanted to simply freshen up a carpet for example.My overall impression of the Vax W85-PP-T ...Although the machine can be a bit heavy for some people to use with ease it is a much cheaper option than using a professional carpet cleaning firm and the cleaning results are equally as good.

24.2.2015

Fantastic!This is a fantastic cleaner. Its very easy to put together (no screewdriver required) and it cleans beautifully.I've used carper cleaners before and usually you mix the detergent with water and add defoamer. This is different - as it mixes it for you with a separate container for detergent. It says that you can then pour any unused detergent back into the bottle but realistically this just isn't possible unless you somehow syphon it out! (Life's too short!)In terms of cleaning power - it certainly is as good as Rug Doctor and the Escort which previously I hired from my local DIY stores.I haven't done stairs yet and I will update as soon as I do.When the cleaner runs out I was thinkingthat I'd buy my usual favourite brand detergent and mix it according to instructions and put the detergent straight into the reservior topping up the detergent bottle with plain water.... but then I read that using other products invalidated the warranty ...so don't try that idea ....in case you damage your machine.This is certainly nowhere near other professional carpet cleaners that I've used. The nozzle is larger than most so the job should be quicker too. It has several rotating brushes that scrub stains making it more effective. This is brilliant! I've never seen this before on a carpet cleaner. For me this is a real plus.I have three minor grizzles. First, the cable is in a very silly place. Its very low down and you have to hold it, or wrap it around the handle to stop you tripping over it, or being sucked up! It would be better positioned higher up the handle like most vacuum cleaners.The other is that the 'on' lever to swtch the machine on with your foot, is smooth. this means if you are barefoot (as I am, in a no shoes household), your foot keeps slipping off the lever. It should have a non slip rubber gripper on it. It's not major - but it's annoying.Another gripe is that the edges of this machine are sharp. Its just the design for clean lines - but if you bang your food or leg on the edge of it (as I did a few times). It gonna hurt! A softer rounded design might be better for an item that can bang against you when carrying it down the stairs or moving it around.As domestic carpet cleaners go, its slightly more expensive than some, but it definitely feels robust and does clean really well. I actually think its priced about right. It's an excellent machine. I really love it. I had a rug I was going to throw away and it's rescued it! :)I do have a little tip to share. Once cleaned - spray any high traffic areas that get grimy with 'Scotchguard spray' (again test first) and it will repel stains in future (works on baby buggies too - but that's a review for another day!).Highly recommended carpet cleaner.

10.2.2015

I have previously used Rug Doctors and equivalent carpet cleaners so I was not sure how this would compare, but have come away impressed. The unit arrived in a large, heavy box and requires some assembly although no tools are required. It is supplied with a an extension hose attachments for stairs and upholstery, a brush bar for cleaning hard floors, 2 x 250ml bottles of Vax carpet shampoo and a well written instruction booklet.The cleaner has an impressive 6 year warranty and my experience of Vax customer care on other models is good however there is a clause that this requires the cleaner to only use Vax branded carpet shampoo which may be restrictive, especially as there are cheaper bulk options available.

13.2.2015

It may sound obvious but it is vital that potential purchasers of the `Vax W85-PP-T Power Pro' realise that it is a carpet washer using water and not a vacuum or rotary cleaner sucking up dirt. The machine is robust and well-constructed but it is worth noting that only Vax cleaning solutions - shampoo - should be used so as to not invalidate warranty, and that it is intended for household use only and not for commercial or industrial use. Having said all that it is a most powerful appliance and a 5-star performer - and Vax must be confident to offer a 6-year guarantee.The `Vax W85-PP-T Power Pro' does look like a vacuum cleaner but it has dual tanks - one for clean water and shampoo,

22.2.2015

This is a handy alternative to having to hire one of the big machines from a shop or supermarket. The idea of a carpet shampooer and useful spill washer, combined with an upholstery cleaner, might seem to be asking too much of one device, but Vax seem to have managed it. Fully assembled, you are presented with what looks like a very large (and heavy) upright vacuum cleaner. The operation is easy enough to work out. Add cleaning solution to one side of the tank, warm water to the other, and use like a vacuum. The solution mixes itself as you go, so no need to waste any unused cleaning fluid. Following the comprehensive instructions, make sure that the carpet to be cleaned is free of any pet hairs,

8.9.2016

This is my 4th and final Vax carpet cleaner. I will never purchase one again!Vax Rapide Classic - Number 1 - Decided to dump the contents of its clean water tank and flood my living room carpet! Returned it and paid extra for No 2Vax Rapide Deluxe - Number 2 - similar fault to number 1. Just stopped working properlyVax Dual Power Pro - First unit started smoking, called vax, they sent me another, and another and another! Being the honest guy I am, called them up and told them I didnt need all these. The spare ones were collected, then one of them was redelivered again! Called vax again they collected again! (seriously not making this up lol)I got a Vax steam mop at the same time as the carpet shampooer!

31.12.2015

Purpose of buying this product was to tackle a favourite rug that I have had for 18 years. Not had any luck with previous carpet cleaners so, in a way, buying this (rather than renting) was a risk.Within half an hour of the product arriving this morning I assembled it, filled it with water and loaded some of the contents of one of the two bottles of Carpet shampoo which came with the product and I was away...If you're unsure on the measurements for the shampoo (as I can't be asked with all of that) then never fear - the product automatically works it out. If you have shampoo left in the product at the end of your cleaning frenzy, you can pour the excess back in to the shampoo bottle.The instructions on how to assemble the product were really easy,

25.8.2015

With a young child and a dog I'd noticed my carpets were looking a little grubby. I had planned to get a professional in but decided to give this Vax a go. I thought that it would be handy to have around and placed my order. The washer arrived the next day and was quickly assembled without any trouble.The washer came with two small bottles of cleaner and the instructions were easy to understand. After adding the solution and warm water it was ready to go. What a difference! My carpets weren't exactly filthy but the amount of dirt lifted was shocking. You're supposed to hoover the carpet before using the Vax but even after doing this,

10.10.2015

Purchased on 05/10/15 - dispatched from and sold by Amazon with a price point of £179.00.I decided to buy the VAX after spending similar money every 6 months for an external cleaning company to come into my house to clean my carpets.Very simple to put together and out the box took about 5 minutes to get up and running.I chose a hallway rug measuring 3 metres x 2 metres as a test. We are a shoes off when you come into the house kind of family, yet the results were fantastic in terms of the dirt removal and horrifying that my rug was this dirty ...... looked clean enough to my eye ..... and here I am sharing my shame with the world!The product comes supplied with 2 x 250ml bottles of Vax Ultra+

28.3.2015

Having just had building work done, 2 kids, and beige carpets, we were much in need of a carpet cleaner. Firstly, the instructions on this are easy peasy, very straightforward to set up and get started. You pretty much put some cleaner in (supplied) and warm water and off you go. 2 bottles of cleaner are included, and they will go quite a long way as you don't need much. Also, the cleaner and water are kept separate so any unused solution can be rebottled. At first I didn't think it was working particularly well, and then I emptied the 'sludge' and found that it had worked brilliantly it was just that my carpets were so dirty it was going to take a few attempts to get them clean.

17.6.2016

I bought this today at Curry's and tested it as soon as I got home on a Wool carpet. It cleaned well, but lifted a lot of the fibres from the carpet - In future, when cleaning any wool carpets in the house, I'll probably remove the circular scrubber bar before I begin. That's only for scrubbing really grubby carpets\floors and may be too much for such soft fibres.Cleaning the unit thoroughly took about 25-30 minutes (my first time taking it apart), but everything came apart fairly easily, rinsed out well under a running tap, and it went back together even easier. Emptying the solution tank was awkward until I discovered that it you press the little valve at the bottom,

4.2.2016

read all the reviews for all the machines across all the price ranges (yes it was a long job) and eventually settled on this Vax Dual Power Pro. I chose it mainly for two reasons, the price and the fact that it had rotating brushes. Very prompt delivery, very large box, very well packed, assembly of all the components was a doddle. I am 5 foot tall and well advanced in years, and yes it is a bit on the heavy side but that is only when it has the water in it. What I did do before I did anything else was to watch a demonstration on Utube and that was extremely helpful. Our main living room carpet was seriously dirty because we have to come from the street straight into the room, (no lobby).

Vax W85-PP-T Dual Power - Reviews

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