VAX Appliances 6131 Canister Vacuum Cleaner

I moved into an old house that hadn't received much TLC. This included the carpets. At the Wife's insistence I agreed that the carpets needed a good clean but was reluctant to pay somneone else to do it for me. My compromise, after checking out the cost of a stranger to come into my home and clean my carpets, was to purchase a Vax 6131.

It's not what I expected but I have to concede that I expected miracles. It's all hoses and pipework and it can be infuriating when the pumped-water hose detaches when you're getting into the swing of things. Some of the fixings look as though they could get damaged if you're to being a little heavy-handed/clumsy but I haven't broken anything yet.

There is nothing to "agitate" the carpet fibres into giving up its load except for good old hard work. You do have to dig-in and work the suction head into the carpet to get much out. If you're not intending to get a little physical, this isn't the carpet cleaner for you.

Getting back to the "pumped water" facility, I found that the water flow isn't sufficient to really flush-out and clean a carpet. What I've done is to buy a water sprayer from Woolworth's for £5 and pre-treat the carpets with a strong shampoo solution 30 minutes before using the Vax. I absolutely drench them to get a good wash but you must be careful, depending on your carpet type, not to damage them by doing so. Otherwise, you can keep throwing on water until it sucks out clean.

It sucks up nicely but you can't expect it to fully dry the carpet. Depending on the fibre, it might remain damp to touch for another couple of days. (Another thing; be prepared for the smell that can come from a carpet when it's drying!)

It comes with some decent attachments that can clean just about anything. The unit moves easily on its wheels but could be awkward for some to carry up stairs. The dirty water tank is large enough to allow quite some work before you have to stop and empty out.

I have two toddlers who have discovered the joys of throwing food and drink at eachother. For the mess they make, this is an excellent unit. It spot-cleans nicely. You will be shocked at the filth that comes out of your carpet even when it looks quite clean. Just don't expect it to completely remove that week-old red wine stain.

The above may not sound too positive but it is a really good unit. It's rugged enough that you wouldn't be too bothered about unblocking sinks, clearing floods or generally knocking it about a bit. (I also have an upright Vax and feel this is far more "domestic use only" than the 6131.)

If you're buying a decent "graded" product at a fair price you can't go wrong. When your washing machine spills out over your kitchen floor you'll find it a god-send and worth every penny.

The recommended Vax shampoo is pretty expensive. I've bought a box of 6 on ebay for about £20, which is pretty good and this will last me a while.

Even though I bought the 6131 from Ebay, I've dealt with Vax customer services and found them to be excellent. They've a very good website that might give you some advice if thinking about buying.

In my case, it would have been best to rent a Rug-Docter for a couple of days to bring my carpets up to their best then use the Vax for continued maintenance and emergencies. (I've never considered using the 6131 as a normal vacuum cleaner as I've a Dyson.)

Overall, a good product once you understand that it doesn't work miracles.

I wanted a carpet cleaner that would actually get the dirt and stains out AND THIS IS IT!!
We are a busy household with four children so as you can imagine we get quite a few stains from food and drink spills and of course the children never take their shoes off when entering the house!!
Our deep pile in the dining room now looks like new again and due to the greater amount of food and drink spills in there it was ditched before with several stubborn stains.
I did alot of research on the Vax carpet cleaning models and the upright models (having borrowed the XL rapid and a cheaper variation of the same kind of vax product from family and friends previously) we found these didn't actually do anything except freshen up the carpet and leave them totally wet through after, so, after reading all the descriptions the retailers give about the range i decided to purchase the 6131 as its the only one that actually powers the water into your carpet with a pump meaning that it powers all the dirt out and leaves your carpet very noticeably cleaner and lifts the pile back up too, and its powerful suction means your carpets are also damp but not soaking after usage and dries totally within a few hours, the added bonus also being that this is a great everyday vacuum too with unbeatable suction, and if we ever get a small flood (ie washer etc)it has the ability to be able to cope with sucking up the mess, the only downside to this carpet cleaner is that it comes with alsorts of heads and attachments to vac up with but only the one type of head for washing which means its a bit hard to tackle the stair case with, but, my brother assures me that you can buy a stairs attachment to fit these direct from vax,
Its easy to set up very easy to refill and empty and we purchased our for just £85 new so i have to say its been 5 star all round from me on this purchase.

Please take a second of your time to rate this review after reading.
Thanks
Beth xx

I had a vax years ago, when the children were small,they are just so practical. I have used it for washing the carpets to sucking the water from my fountain (the bit the pump cannot reach!) oh and dont laugh - hoovering up the grass cuttings before I got a new mower!
My daughter recently got a puppy and I had purchased a vax from Ebay, she has now claimed it, so I managed to get another at a bargain price! my advice, put it on your favourite search and wait for a bargain!
The shampoo is priced on par with other known brands, and quite honestly when I went to get some ordinary shampoo for my sofa's there was none in the local large supermarket. So I also ordered shampoo for the vax off ebay! (oh and bags) so much easier than trawling around shops. My local hardware store closed down so things like hoover bags are far harder to get hold of!

I have used this both as a normal vacuum and for washing the carpet. To use as an everyday vvacuum I find it a bit cumbersome, but it is perfect for washing the carpet. With two pets who have not learnt to wipe their feet when they come in it is an ideal way of getting carpets clean!

Get it from Robert dyas at half the price just type it in google and use the online voucher for £79.99 next day delivery

This is a brilliant hoover for any household. I have 2 toddlers and find is especially helpful considering Im hoovering up a few times a day. I had the vax powa before this for 5 years and it was already about ten years old and well used when I got it, when it finally gave up on me I remained loyal. These machines are robust and hardwearing forget all these modern bagless machines these are by far the best. This version is lighter than the powa. You cant adjust the suction like on the powa but whos complaining. I wouldnt buy any other hoover. The bags go on for months unlike smaller models which saves pounds and if you look after them properly (i.e. regular filter changes and cleaning) they will last you years. I got mine on ebay for an absolute steal and I am still smiling great!!! Unlike a lot of things we buy these days these machines are well built. I went through about 3 cheap hoovers before I bought my first vax and they blew up on me. Ive never looked back. Highly recommended.