Vacuum Reviews

I bought this vacuum cleaner (two, actually) for one specific purpose, to clean up cat litter, and it does just that. I picked this model because it's cordless, has a long handle so I don't have to stoop, and has a wide nozzle so I don't have to sweep as much. The one real problem with this cleaner is that the nozzle is about two millimeters off the floor, so anything larger than that (like cat food) won't be picked up. If you try to raise it any, then the weak suction will fail to pick up anything at all.

This cleaner works better on carpet than on bare floor. I can pick up about 90% of what my normal cleaner can pick up, although I have to go slower with it. Overall, I'm pleased with this product, but it would be nice if I could also pick up cat food. That's why I gave it four instead of five stars.

I purchased this vacuum to pick up the small stuff (e.g., cat hair, dirt from outside) in between thorough vacuuming sessions. I picked this one based on Consumer Reports' testing and ratings.

It does a good job of picking up the debris it was intended to pick up. And since I have hard wood floors, I appreciate the carpet and floor options -- it even picks up cat hair equally well on both. And it's so handy - I don't have to lug around the huge vacuum to pick up a small mess upstairs, I don't have to stoop to use the handvac, and it has a brush so it picks up hair much better than a handvac.

It sounds like one of the reviewers purchased this expecting it to be a full-fledged vacuum cleaner. It isn't, but I'm really surprised at how close it comes - especially for the price and the convenience. I even think it'd be an appropriate choice as the only vac for a small apartment with hardwood floors (I don't know if it'd be right for an apartment with wall-to-wall carpeting).

I would never think of writing a review for a product, but this time I make an exception. This nifty little tool is the business! Light-weight, quiet, SO easy to use, and it picks up the dirt like nothing I've ever seen. Cat litter seems to be its specialty, and it's so quiet it doesn't even scare the cats. My folks have a DirtDevil broom vac that is good on bare floors, but this little Hoover does the job on carpets. Must be the beater brush. How a rechargable battery can have so much power I do not know, but I definitely recommend this product.

I actually liked this thing - bought it last Christmas, and with a 3 year old and 2 dogs, plenty of reasons to have it. The thing I really like about this Vac is that it *really* sucks the liquid out of the carpet/upholstered fabrics. The only real bummer is that the hose split after about 6 months. I don't know how it happened, someone might have stepped on it, but with a split hose it doesn't work. I did jury rig it with some duct tape, but that just shouldn't be necessary.

I was shopping for a carpet steam cleaner for two main reasons: 1 - my kids were making messes all over the rugs in the house, and 2 - I always seem to be cleaning up the carpets in my cars fairly often. I needed something that was portable enough to let me room the house in search for stains and I also needed something that didn't require a hot-water hookup so I could use it in the garage. This little unit fits the bill perfectly. My wife & I are totally amazed at how well it removes stains (we were able to shampoo out a 4 month old orange juice stain on the carpet that endless hand-scrubbing couln't budge). Some people might be skeptical about not having a hot-water hook up, but I just get the hottest tap water I can find and then go right to work. This little machine did wonders in the cars removing grease and oil stains from the floor mats! I love this machine!

I bought this machine two years ago. One of the locking clips just broke and I've ordered another Steamvac Jr. as replacement. I want to share with everyone our experience with this machine.

We've used it on cat vomit (we've got two cats and the long-haired one always stays indoors), dog accidents, all sorts of stains from children and grownups alike. We use it exclusively on carpeted areas of the house. It does clean and does a better job, in my mind, than the spot-cleaners that come in pressurized cans, because this machine leaves little residue and requires less scrubbing than SpotShot.

It does not come with a heating element, which means that one must put in hot hot tap water. Often, there is hot-water left over. One has to either dump the left-over detergent solution, or use it next time cold or luke warm. We've done both. And it does not seem to have made a major different in its effectiveness, though I feel that with hot water the cleaned spot dries up faster. I do have to regularly use bleach to clean up the interior of the machine (the hose, the filter, as well as the dirty water container), esp. in the summer time. I also ordered spare filters, as the filter gets yellow quickly (we do clean quite a bit of cat vomit). Overall, we are glad we have it.

Recently, one of the locking clips broke. Without the locking clip, one cannot pick up the unit by its handle, so we have to carried the whole unit from the base all over the house in order to use it. It seems we can't live without it. I researched the web and various stores looking for an alternative model, thinking that with so much cleaning to do, we might be better off with a more powerful model, perhaps one that uses steam rather than hot water to clean.

However, there is nothing on the market that is as light-weight and portable as this one, not to mention there are few models that are remotely in the same price range--other than a hard-floor cleaner. The Steamvac Jr. cleans carpet!

Given the fact that we exclusively use it for spot cleaning, not for house-wide steam-cleaning, we decided to get another Steamvac Jr. We figured that its price is well-worth two years' of constant heavy use.

We hope your Steamvac serves you well.

I bought this vacuum because I really didn't need a big bulky vacuum in our apartment. I should have figured it wouldn't be that great since it was cheap. I only have one rug in my house that I need to vacuum and it still doesn't get it clean. The broom cleans the rug better. This vacuum will shoot dirt and dust out of the air vents. I will never buy another Eureka again.

I love this vacuum!! The vacuum is small, lightweight and gets into tight spots my larger upright can't fit into easily. This vacuum doesn't make dust in the air, a plus for the allergic. The vacuum has very good sucking power for a machine of it's size. I especially like the fact that the filter can be cleaned, it is bagless, with a visible dirt cup and it is an atractive color. The long power cord makes cleaning more quick and convenient. :-D!! The only reason I did not give the vacuum 5 stars is it is a bit difficult to adjust the handle to a different height, if need be. A great vacuum at a great price! It cleans my area rugs beautifully, that my larger vacuum keeps trying to eat up, even when I adjust the suction!!! You can't go wrong with this vacuum!!!

I was recently in the market for a new vacuum after my 10 year old Bissell died, so I decided to give this Eureka a try since it was on sale. It has turned out to be a great value for my money. I have two cats that I'm always cleaning up after and the Eureka easily sucks up pet hair, cat litter, and bits of dry cat food that sometimes make their way to the floor or carpet. And it does a much better job on the stairs than my old Bissell ever did. Best of all the Eureka is lightweight and does not take up much storage space, definitely a plus for me as I live in an apartment. On the other hand if you live in a house you may just want to have this for quick jobs where you don't need to use your big vacuum, as the dust cup has to sometimes be emptied midway through vacuuming one room. In all I highly recommend it.

This is my first time using a carpet shampooer. It gets the job done and very easy to clean the machine. I help with saving stray cats and get them homes. I have to clean the porch and shampoo the rugs every week. I was amazed the first time. I was alittle concerned cause the machine wasnt big,heavy or bulky. I really didnt think it would get the job done. It did! If your looking to simplify cleaning carpets this is for you.

I bought one of these a few years ago when they first came out and it is still going strong. I had a bulky hoover prior to purchasing the dirt devil. I hated it because it was so bulky and difficult to fill and empty. The dirt devil is much easier to use. It is perfect for apartment dwellers such as myself. It's light and easy to pull out for the occasional spill. I'm allergic to dust so I do the entire apartment every two or three months and it works great. I love that it is small and light weight.

I've read some of the other reviews and disagree. I have two cats and find that as long as you vacuum prior to shampooing, there are no issues with it becoming clogged. If you do your research, you'll find that very few actually heat the water -- those that do are in the $300+ price range. I paid close to that for the hoover (it didn't heat the water either) and ended up giving it to a friend of mine to put in a garage sale. I've also used a few brands of shampoo and find that as long as you follow the mixing instructions, it doesn't suds up.

If you are looking for a low-hassle carpet cleaner, this is the one for you. Especially if you have kids or pets. This is an affordable unit that does a great job and is easy to use.

I have been looking for a light weight easy to handle carpet cleaner since my back surgery fusion...This Is It!!! It glides across my Berber carpet and cleans beautifully. The water extractor allows my carpet to dry within one hour. Easy to put together, fill and empty. I recommend it highly and am purchasing one for my Mother-In-Law.

I have two cats, a dog and two small child that I try to protect from hair. I was so excited to buy a new vacum, and when I arrived home I had to try the vacum right away. Big mistake, because I was wearing shorts. All the dirt that was by my front door was now projecting on to my legs. This vacum did not work pick up any dirt. The hair it did pick up was all cloged by the filter.

I just got this vacuum cleaner as a replacement for a huge, heavy Fantom vac. It maneuvers easily, has great suction, and does a good job of picking up pet hair. (Of course, I would loooovvve to have a Dyson, but they're about 5 times as much.)

One of the things I like best is the weight of the machine. I used to have a backache after vacuuming with my old vac, but not this one. Also: the headlight really is bright, as claimed on the carton, and helps illuminate clumps you might not see.

The foldaway handle is brilliant - I just wish Hoover would go one step further and make the cord retractable.

I have two dogs that shed a lot (Shelties) and this has done a really good job with the pet hair on my carpet, my area rugs, and - with the hose and attachments - on my furniture.

Yes, you have to empty the dirt cup fairly often, but it's so easy to dump the dirt and shake the filter that I don't mind. Also, remember that any vacuum will require some user maintenance like cleaning the agitator brushes and cleaning/changing filters if you want it last for a long time. It's part of being a responsible appliance owner.

Great vacuum with unique features at a reasonable price.

When I opened the box from Amazon.com and saw this vacuum, I was amazed at how much smaller it was than my Dirt Devil Bagless. I was a little worried that it wasn't what I expected and that I would have to return it but I was completely unprepared for the power of the little vacuum.
The first thing that I noticed was that it almost propelled itself across my carpet. Then I was amazed how much quieter it is than my previous vacuums. The kids weren't scared of the loud noise and my baby slept through it.
The fold down handle is SO convenient. I don't have a lot of storage room and in the past it was a pain to have to take my vacuum into the basement to store. It fits perfectly in my bedroom closet and I don't even notice it. As for the previous reviews that I read before purchasing it that stated it was a pain to clean the vacuum after you vacuum, that isn't true at all. The easy handle on the canister makes it a breeze to just take outside and dump into my trash can. I never have had to "vacuum off the vacuum when done" as some of the other reviews have stated. However, I did plug it up but that was my own fault for trying to make it suck up dry expanded foam insulation that was a foot high and I just wanted to see if it could do it. It did it but I caught a piece that was way too big and it lodged inside the hose. Compared to the hours that I have spent trying to unplug a clog in a dirt devil bagless, this was no big deal at all!!! The hose is somewhat transparent and I could spot right away where the clog was. I just squeezed the hose to break the large piece of insulation and it cleared right up. I have not needed to empty it everytime I vacuum like another review stated and I even have kids that drag cereal and such all over the carpet. My kids recently decided to pour out 2 boxes of Kix cereal on the floor while I was potty training another and boy, was I thankful for this vacuum. It is so easy to use that my 4 year old loves to vacuum his room although it is still a little big for him.
Overall, I am absolutely delighted and in love with this vacuum!! It fits right in with a busy house of children and is perfect for a home with limited storage space. It is so much quieter than the larger vacuums and has so much more power.
Shelene Wilhelm

This is the best vacuum I've had yet for hard wood floors. I have 1 child, 2 cats ,a dog and a bird and it literally was a breeze on all of their mess, such as candy wrappers, hair, cat litter and seeds. We have a large townhouse and I could do the first-floor and steps without having to replug somewhere else. The dirt canister is larger than I thought it would be and the suction was great! It's also very easy to clean. It is lightweight and easy to handle and the micro-fresh filter only needs to be replaced 2 times a year ... (Now that makes me breathe easy). The only thing I can come up with that I would change on this vac is that it does not have a retractable cord.

The perfect vacuum in this price range for hardwood floors and tile. Great design, long power cord, light (so it's easy to actually carry around, vs. dragging on the floor). Comes with handy attachments for getting into nooks and crannies.

Although I rated it 5 stars, this is NOT the vacuum for you if you have rugs or carpet. There is no "spinning brush" on this vacuum, so moving it across carpet is difficult and won't clean nearly as well as a vacuum designed for that purpose. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier with it.

This is the greatest little vacuum that I have used in a long time. It does wonderful job of sucking up pet hair, fir needles, lint, and dirt in no time. The attachments are conveniently placed on the hose wand for the small jobs that come along as you are tackling the hardwood, laminate, tile, and linoleum floors. The Dirt Devil Breeze is the perfect vacuum for use in cleaning the furniture, RV, auto, and home. I highly recommend it.

I bought this vacuum less than a year ago. I am most disappointed in how EXTREMELY loud this machine. Perhaps the dirt devil people should include a set of ear plugs for each family member with purchase. In addition to the jet engine sound it creates, the machine is pretty heavy, the hose seem to pop off several times per use, and recently the belt broke. I'm only using the vacuum for my upstairs (three bedrooms and a hallway) so it's not like I'm asking a lot from this machine! Overall, I'm really disappointed.

I bought this vacuum because of the great price and the Dirt Devil brand. It is very heavy and hard to move (the back wheels are small and narrow swivel wheels). Once it is set on the correct height (bare floor/high pile) it works great. Changing these settings is somewhat difficult (you have to lean the vacuum back with one hand and change the knob on the bottom with the other). It does do very well with pet hair, I have three dogs in the house and it gets up their fur! The attachments are nice (the hose is a bit hard to pull out, but it might be that it's still new and not worn in). If I had it to do over I'd probably buy a self propelled or lighter vacuum, your arms will get a great workout using this vacuum! Overall it's okay, it does it's job, but I know there are easier, lighter ones out there.

After searching high and low, I decided to go with this model. I am in awe at how amazing it works, and how reasonably priced it was. Suction is great, the onboard tools are fun and easy to utilize, and it works great for pet hair. I love it and highly recommend it to anyone!!!!

I was in the market for a new coffeemaker and had decided on Bodum, when I read the good review Cook's Illustrated gave this coffeemaker. For $30 less, similar design, hotter coffee and better reviews the VB100 seemed the smarter option. Wrong!
What's wrong with it? Let me count the ways.
It is advertised as being clear but only the bottom carafe is clear, the upper basket is an opaque milky white, not unattractive but it doesn't allow you to see the action. You have to use a LOT of pressure to seal the upper basket with the lower carafe, and I'm no weakling. It's awkward and not as easy as one would think. It won't work if the seal is off as I found out a couple of mornings when I wandered in bleary eyed for that first morning cup. It unseals more easily but you still must carefully negotiate the separation otherwise the basket cover goes one way and the grounds another. Twice, both times on the automatic setting, the brewed coffee remained in the basket and did not flow down. I'm still not sure why. I tried different coffee grinds but it still happened. The VB100 uses way too much coffee for an uninteresting cup of coffee. I like full-bodied coffees, generally a blend of columbian and french roast with maybe a little espresso thrown in but the brewed coffee was consistently too light with little body.
I'm am an avid coffee drinker. I own drip, perc, espresso pots and a few others, this made the worst coffee hands down and I tried different roasts and and different grinds, it made no difference.
When all you want is a good cup of coffee in the morning this was just too much work for too little return!

I returned the previous unit because the coffee was not hot enough--only 180 degrees. The new unit (which arrived very promptly) only heated the coffee to 175 degrees. Also, the on-off switch was defective, since it did not toggle cleanly between "on" and "off" and the indicator light did not turn on when it was brewing. I was (somewhat) willing to try a third time, but customer service tells me the problems with this model are widespread.

I first came across this coffee maker in the pages of Cook's Illustrated. They pointed it out as a best value in a review on vacuum coffee makers. Being both a coffee snob and a tightwad, I put it in the back of my mind as a possible future purchase.

Ended up buying one for my Mom as a gift last year. Recently, when my ol' reliable model gave up the ghost, I decided it was time to put a VB100 in my kitchen.

First, the good: This thing -does- make very good coffee. It uses an optimal 4 minute extraction time, which if you didn't already know, is the "correct" amount of time to brew coffee for maximum flavor and minimum biterness.

Speaking of biterness, here's the source of mine: cleanup of this coffee maker is -very- annoying. Inside the plastic top piece (the part that sits on the caraffe) is a little filter device with a pull ring. The idea is, the filter fits snugly during brewing then pulls out for cleaning. Okay, sounds good. But there's a catch. To pull out the filter you must pull on it with some force. Not a lot, mind you - but it doesn't just come out by itself. When it does come out it releases very abruptly, even if you're pulling very carefully and slowly. Now, consider for a moment that when you remove this thing, the basket is typically full of spent coffee. Now consider the effect that spraying high-velocity coffee grounds might have on your kitchen surfaces. It's a mess, and it's happened to me four times since I purchased the coffee maker a couple of weeks ago.

Allow me a brief digression to add some context. I am an able-bodied person with above average motor skills and physical dexterity. I'm the guy that annoys other people because I always insist on using household products and tools "the right" way, with no excess force. In other words, I'm -very- careful when I clean this coffee maker. I'm not flinging it about the kitchen then blaming the manufacturer for my mistakes. Despite my best efforts I cannot prevent the coffee ground spray. "Wash it out first", you say. No, coffee grounds are very bad for your garbage disposal. "Dump it in the garbage first", maybe? Sure, but you won't get all the grounds that way. And what's left will soon be adorning your floor, countertop, cat, or whatever/whomever is downstream of your pulling motion. "Put the hand that's not pulling the filter out just above the filter, so that the filter only travels an inch or two." Well, I don't know about you but I only have -two- hands. Best I can tell, it would take three to hold the filter baset, pull the filter out, -and- ensure minimal filter travel. And even if you could ensure minimal filter travel, I don't think that would totally solve the problem. Might cut it down some, but you'd still be cleaning up after your cleanup.

Overall, if I had to make the purchase decision again I would spend more money and get a product that cleans up a lot easier. I have a strong suspcion that when I next visit my Mom's place, I won't see her VB100 out on the counter top. Sorry Mom, next time I'll spring for the better machine. In the meantime, though I'll enjoy the coffee and try to find someone else to clean it.

I bought my steamer almost two years ago, primarily to sanitize the ceramic tiles on my kitchen floor. And after all this time, I still have to say I am not terribly impressed with this product. In fact, this is my second review of it and my rating has not changed.

On the positive side, it's good for softening stuck-on food or stubborn spots on the kitchen floor. It was excellent for cleaning the oven grill. I also use it with one of the small nozzles to clean my wedding rings. But the reason it was able to do these jobs very well, in my view, is that it provided a steady stream of hot water NOT steam.

Another reviewer on this site seemed to think it was a lack of common sense or basic education which made other reviewers complain about the product spurting water, but I assure you it did and in significant quantities. I expected some steam condensate, but my Enviro-Steamer produces more hot water than it does steam. In fact, I get a continuous and messy flow of water, as opposed to the steam it is supposed to produce (no matter how long I wait for it to heat up). This makes it completely unsuitable for steaming clothes or using it on upholstery. I have tried it time and time again on our clothes, each time following the manual on what to do when it spurts water, but I have never been able to do anything more than drench the clothes. As a result, I would not chance using it on upholstery. It may simply be that I got a faulty unit, but I have to agree with the others who feel it spurts far too much water.

I also think that it is not powerful enough; i.e. the jet of steam was not powerful enough, which might be because it didn't produce a sufficient volume of steam to begin with.

In fact, I am so underwhelmed by my Enviro-Steamer that I am hoping that I just got a faulty unit and didn't actually waste my money on what seems to be an under-performing appliance. My advice would be to spend a little extra on a better steamer. I sure wish I had!

Very smart tool for cleaning just about anything. I cleaned my oven burners, floor tile, and have so much confidence in it that I will be cleaning my pool tile with it this weekend.

Floor Tile: I used the narrow brush tool to clean the .5" grout lines that I have in my kitchen and It looks like it removed a thin layer to make the them appear brand new. I went fairly slow and agitated with the brush while applying direct steam. I noticed a thin dust layer on the edges of the tile after I performed this which may be a the top layer of grout or the packed in dust - The grout looks fantastic, but I may need to limit how often I use this technique considering I may be taking off layers or the seal - but I'm very impressed with how effective this technique can be.

Cleaning the tile is a joy as well - This unit comes with two cloths that hook on to the floor tool that basically act as a catcher for dirt and dust. I would still recommend sweeping floors with heavy dust or debris first as you would if you were going to use a mop - the cloth picks up objects that stick to it - but anything too big will be pushed around. These cloths are very durable and I have washed one several times and it seems as good as new.

I have not used the tool as a steamer for clothing yet, but I am pretty confident it will work to get all the wrinkles out.

The times between refills seem to be a little over a half an hour. The process of re-filling the tank can be a little tedious considering you have to wait for the unit to cool down before opening the tank - I would compare the annoyance factor to waiting for a slice of pizza to cool down before chowing it - not a big deal.

The 370 is fun to use, has tools to do about anything, and will kick the crud out of any stubborn stains or dirt that have been plaguing you. If this thing doesn't beat it it probably needed to be replaced and not cleaned in the first place.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars - I would have given it 5 if it had come with a remote control and I could clean things from my couch.

I had been shopping around for a while for a steamer hot and powerful enough to do more than de-wrinkle and this thing is it! It's a combination of a professional garment steamer (as used in clothing stores for displays) and a canister vacuum cleaner.

I read several reviews where people gripe about the time and tediousness to refill. Okay, while it's true if you follow the safety guidelines it can be. Having said that, it takes almost no time if you use your brain. Turn the unit off, lean away from it, and use a heavy duty oven mitt to open the water tank. Fill it with the funnel, close it and go. Only takes me three minutes. Of course safety first but product safety guidelines are written to keep the dumbest person from hurting themselves.

As to performance, I love it. Someone noted it only sprayed water on clothes. Well, if you read the directions and recall high school physics, condensation can form and so when you trigger the unit it spits out any condensed water. Takes two seconds. I've used it to clean an entire white bathroom, tile, tub, toilet, grout. Its best performance was on my sofa which has never cleaned easily unless I rented a big Rug Doctor.

If you want a steamer, this is the most versatile and affordable unit out there, way better than what Black & Decker offers and not as bulky as a Wet/Dry Vac. Don't expect the sun and moon, it's just steam.

And now if anyone at Amazon actually reads these, I"m sure my review will get thrown away for telling people this:
I just bought this unit at CostCo for [$$$] which means The Special Gold Box Price both sucks and blows.

The belt broke twice within three months of purchase.
The dust trap requires a fight every time to take it out and put it back in.
The rollers at the bottom front fall off every time I pick it up.
It is now resting peacefully, almost unused, in the garage less than six months after I got it.
Stay away, even if they pay you to use it.

I was AMAZED by the amount of filth this vacuum suckd up from my home.
For [the price that it is offered at] this is a tough deal to beat. I've been looking for a decent vacuum for a while but the prices have really turned me off...
That is until I ran across this model on Amazon... So what if it factory refurbished and has a few blemishes. What counts is it WORKS and it works well.
I thought the other commernts were [not true] when they were saying how much fun they had with the vacuum. Well, I'm proven wrong, I had fun using the vacuum, my wife had fun as well.
If you already have a good Hoover this may not be the vacuum for you, however if you have an old vacuum...I reccomend taking the chance in trying this vacuum cleaner. You will not be disappointed and who knows you allergies (if you have 'em ) may improve due to removing all of the YUCK from your carpet.
In addition the handle that converts to a suction wand with a flick of the switch is incredibly conveinent. It makes it really easy to suck the dirt out of those hard to reach corners and edges.

I am so pleased by this vacuum cleaner. I had read reviews about other fantoms and was concerned with quality and emptying the bin. There was no need, the quality is good and nothing could be easier to dump and replace than the collection bin. It cleans great and has great cord range. The fine dust pick up is wonderful.

The only weakness is in the on board tool hose suction, but there is not much of a drop. Which is good because otherwise it would be sucking up pictures and drapes. I love being able to go from carpet to bare floor with a single click.

This fantom cleans as well as my rainbow cleaner without all the muss and fuss of the water. It is so fun to use, I was up early the next morning to use it again. Since I live on a gravel road I will be using it a lot.