mind-full's Full Review: Hoover F7220900 SteamVac V2 Upright Vacuum
The Hoover V2 SpinScrub Steam Vacuum F7220900 came into our home out of necessity rather than desire. How many people really want to own a steam cleaner? Yet, if you need one, you need to find a good one rather than just settling for what the local WalMart has in store.
The Pathetic Pleas from the Plush Pile ...
We have kids and we have a cat. Both tend toward the "spill and splatter" activities that make carpet cleaning a regular occurrence in many homes. Even water, when spilled on a carpet and dutifully blotted as dry as possible will turn into a dark spot sooner or later because dust and dirt attach themselves, and the water spill isn't so innocent anymore.
Our carpet, an off-white berber with a distinct design in the weaving (waffle marks here and there, also known as "dirt catchers") began to gray prematurely all over and beheld large spots and splashy-looking darker gray areas that made me cringe. I could draw the curtains and keep the lights very, very low, but with knowledge of what lay beneath our feet ...
And, while the family room carpet was the worst of the lot, other rooms in the house required some attention, too. Someone had to take action sometime, and I was as good a "someone" as any. We had carpets ranging from gross to good with a few spots here and there, and while I could call Stanley Steamer, I knew that steam cleaning at intervals throughout the year would come into play.
Why I Picked the V2 SpinScrub out of the Lot
I test-drove a Bissell steamer a year ago, borrowed from a friend. Not only was it ineffective on my carpets, it was difficult to assemble and had hoses and tubes all over the place that gave me the feeling of trying to push an octopus around on a hand truck, only heavier. It left LOTS of water in the carpet, too.
From that experience, I nixed the entire Bissell line and looked only at Hoover, mainly because I have a Hoover vacuum with which I'm quite happy, and also because of the descriptions of Hoover steamer experiences I've read here at Epinions.
The Hoover V2 5-Brush Steam Vacuum F7220900 is a dream cleaning machine with green trimming. It's not bad looking, if that counts for anything, and it allows a view of each and every tank and attachment without having to remove parts or open screw caps.
The main attractions to the V2 are:
• 5 spinning brushes that you can see working
• ample 1-gallon water tank and equal size recovery tank
• detergent tank attached to water tank (1 quart)
• spin-scrub attachment for upholstery cleaning and for corners, draperies, or whatever off-the-floor jobs you may have
• long hose for use with attachments (8 feet)
• excellent "full" sensor system which plugs the vacuum when pressure in the recovery tank reaches its maximum
The basics of the Hoover SpinScrub V2 are what I'd expect from any steam cleaner but have not found on similar models by other makers:
• easy to use trigger for dispensing liquid (cleaner or plain water, depending on use)
• Wash/Rinse switch and On/Off switch at front of handle for easy access
• Foot pedal for handle release at rear center of the base of the machine -- no accidental releases by someone bumping into it
• Quick release and replacement of water tank with press of the lever/handle on the tank
• Secure locking yet simple removal of recovery tank
• Switch at the base of the unit that allows you to stop the brushes from spinning in the event you use it only to recover a spill
• Removeable hose/tool caddy -- store it on the machine if you use these frequently, or remove the whole kit and kaboodle to a closet or hook for infrequent use
• Excellent suction when taking up water from carpets, requiring only about an hour of drying time which you can speed up with a fan
And, a main attraction: filters that work! The Hoover SpinScrub V2 offers a fine mesh filter behind the 5 cleaning brushes which slides in and out for easy cleaning (rinse with water). It provides another fine-mesh filter inside the recovery tank where dirty water enters and it. These filters trap lint, small pieces of stuff you didn't see, crumbs and animal fur.
HOWEVER, and that's a big however, the Hoover V2 SpinScrub is not a vacuum, nor should anyone ever use it as such. Vacuum carpets thoroughly before use or you'll gum up the works and have a huge mess inside the recovery tank.
The Box Arrives on My Door Step -- Now What?
Once UPS dropped the Hoover V2 at the end of my door it certainly didn't feel like Christmas morning to me. I had an interest in clean carpets but didn't intend to have feelings for the V2. I still don't, but it works and that's what matters.
Does anyone really want to steam clean carpets?
I plunged right in to opening the box and removing all the packing, laying out the pieces on the floor. The instructions are simple and offer illustrations which really do help when the assembler is not in the know on steam cleaner lingo, and the assembly itself is relatively fast and painless.
You do need a screw driver (Phillips head), but that's the only hardware you have to come up with on your own.
The body of the V2 SpinScrub comes fully assembled with your job being to add the top of the handle and the tanks, plus the attachment caddy, if you so choose. Placement of the handle, using the illustrations, takes about 3 minutes with the insertion of 4 screws. The longest assembly is the tool caddy and that's mainly due to the winding of the hose and attachment of clips to hold it together.
WARNING: The tanks are easy, easy, easy to place on the machine but you will make this hard for yourself at first. Always put the recover tank on first by laying the handle back onto the floor without the water tank attached and be sure to cock the handle of the recovery tank forward and secure the green clips on both sides of the base.
The water tank goes on last, and be sure to lock the handle in the upright position for this. Placing the bottom into the proper slots and pressing down on the handle then pushing back and letting the handle lock itself into place is quick -- unless you insist on trying to push the handle into place. This can cause the tank to resist -- as if it has the ability to disobey -- so just let it pop into place without man-handling it and you'll meet with success.
Ready, Aim, CLEAN!
The first run of the V2 SpinScrub in our home (known as "Hulk" to Son of Mine who dubs anything green with that name) produced cries of surprise and delight from the user (that would be me). I couldn't believe I had a part in this large machine actually working, not to mention seeing a clean path on our carpet ... and I hadn't even chosen the worst specimen to begin!
The V2 SpinScrub suggests use of hot water in the main tank and it's own Hoover detergent in the detergent tank. Please submit to Hoover's will on this. I used OxiClean in the water tank and it ate the seals on the tank, causing unstoppable leaking of the tank even when not in use. Hoover gave me a new tank free of charge, even with my admission of guilt (thank you, Hoover!). I'll just guess they considered this a service under the one-year warranty.
The motor of the V2 is supposed to add to the steaming effect, which I can't confirm or deny. I can show off my clean carpets, however, so I'll agree with their statement.
Once you've filled the water tank, seated it on the machine properly and checked the recovery tank for lock and readiness, plug it in and get ready -- and make sure the brushes are set to "spin".
For cleaning:
1. Switch the machine to "clean"
2. Switch it on
3. Press the trigger on the underside of the handle and hold it in to release detergent into the system.
4. Begin slow forward and reverse motions of the steamer, working in small areas (4 by 4 feet is a good start) and allow at the most 2 complete forward and backward motions on each pass of the brushes. More than that and you could soak your carpet too much.
As you complete the cleaning portion you will see water entering the recovery tank. It's dirty, but not as dirty as you'll see later.
For Recovery (sucking up that dirty water):
1. Release the trigger on the handle to stop the flow of detergent. Repeat the forward and back motions in the area you just cleaned as many times as you like, but at least 2 times. The more you do this the more moisture you take up and the faster your drying time.
2. Watch the yellow "float" inside the recovery tank -- when it stops jittering and rises to plug the tank, stop, turn off the power and empty the tank. Likewise, you can watch the lid of the recovery tank to determine how dry your carpet is. At first, water will flow along the lid at a great rate.
Each time you empty the recovery tank it's a good idea to clean the filter. I rinse the tank, too, to keep debris from building up in it and taking away from the good looks of the V2. Just a vanity thing, I suppose, but I want something that is used for cleaning to be clean, not look as if it has just covered up a crime scene.
Rinsing
Hoover states that rinsing carpets isn't necessary, but I found it makes a difference. I didn't rinse one of the carpets and it became dirty faster than the others and it's not a high-traffic spot. I attribute this to the dirt particles attracting to the cleaner residue.
In other words, rinse, unless you want to steam clean often!
To rinse, just switch the machine to "Rinse" on the handle and proceed with steps 1 - 4 under "Cleaning". Move to steps 1 - 2 under "Recovery" to remove the rinse water.
And, don't forget to clean those filters!
I have used the V2 SpinScrub on the aforementioned berber, three different but very, very plush pile carpets, a "fluffy" pile carpet (loop type), and industrial style doormats (a type of carpet, but very, very thin) with fabulous results. The industrial mat actually offered more dirty water in the recovery tank than even my worse dense-pile carpet, and it didn't even look dirty to start with.
Attachments, Whether They're Attached or Not
This steamer has no real bells and whistles other than the powered hand tool (2 brushes) that needs to be hooked up to a special cord (provided) in order to have the spinning power, and it really does work. The steamer itself has the weight of the machine and water tank working for it in regard to the spinning brushes. The hand tool needs people power to produce similar effects, so a bit of elbow grease will help, but don't mash the poor thing into the couch! You'll not only crush the brushes, you'll put too much strain on the part and more than likely not make a friend out of it.
The plain old plain old brush attachment, like that of a standard vacuum, is good for non-scrubbing use but I haven't used it and don't know if I will.
Both attachments hook to the extension hose firmly and allow good suction from the machine, though I find it is diminished somewhat. The hose is the culprit here, requiring the suction to pull from several feet away, but it's still effective.
Follow the same procedures for the attachments as you would for the entire steamer. You always want to scrub well and remove as much water as possible, so don't change your ways just because you changed tools. It's not as easy to keep an eye on the recovery tank when using an attachment, but the sound of the motor will change with the float pops to the top, and you'll learn to listen for the sound.
Of course, finding that you're not picking up any water is a pretty good clue, too.
Hoover V2 Behooves Me To Keep My Carpets Clean
I must say that using the V2 is easy and the sight of so much dirty water entering the recovery tank is at once nauseating and satisfying. You know you are doing something right with this machine.
The V2 SpinScrub is a noisy thing, but it really can't be quiet with all it's doing. Scrubbing, water release and pick-up with powerful suction can't go around your house silently. It's not much louder than our WindTunnel vacuum, but it's much heavier, especially loaded with water. The machine weighs in at about 25 pounds, and if you're working upstairs, it might make sense to fill the water tank after transporting the V2 up the stairs, rather than entertain the possibility of a hernia.
The noise attracts my children who enjoy watching the brushes spin and seeing the clean swaths on the carpet. Cheap entertainment after the initial output for the purchase!
Now I just wait for the day when they're old enough to use it themselves.
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