Vax Rapide Deluxe V-026

**Introduction**

I bought this carpet cleaner 3 months ago after looking at various models but mainly just Vax and Bissell brands. I'd heard very good reports from friends about both brands, most people said that the carpets 'came up as new' so I decided to take the plunge and buy the middle of the range model from Vax. After shopping around I decided to buy the Vax Rapide Deluxe model for £94 + VAT and delivery from www.goshopdirect.co.uk, this included paying an extra £7 for next day delivery, I believe their normal delivery time is around 7-10 days. I was very impressed with the service from goshopdirect and the hoover arrived via courier on the given delivery date. After researching a few different carpet cleaners I chose the Rapide Deluxe because it has a twin motor setup, compared to cheaper models that have only a single motor, and a hand-held attachment which can be used for stairs or curtains.

**What I expected**

This is an important part as I expected the carpet cleaner to both clean and rejuvenate the carpet. The product outline states that the rotating brush technology will 'lift' the pile of the carpet, basically the brush spins around and catches the pile of the carpet and lifts it as the cleaner is pushed along. In terms of cleaning I expected the carpet to be nothing short of spotless, especially as the cleaner boasts that it removes ground in dirt as well as stains such as wine and coffee cup rings

**Does this carpet cleaner live up to its claims?**

My verdict..... No. Not quite, but still good results. My first test for the cleaner was a 5 year old rug that had never seen a carpet washer/cleaner before, it was full of loads of different types of stains ie tea, grease, mud etc. I started the cleaner, using the correct amount of solution advised in the instructions, and used it to clean just one quarter of the rug so I could see the difference. The outcome was slightly disappointing, the cleaner struggled to remove the stains, even after 20 minutes using it in just one quarter of the rug the stains were still there. However there was a visible difference between the cleaned area and the rest of the rug.

After this I tried the Vax on a standard beige bedroom carpet, again there's a minimal difference but to be fair the carpet does look fresher and cleaner. I think that if most people used the Vax and then looked at the dirty water that collects in the base then they would be amazed, the water on very dirty carpets comes out almost black, amazing to think that this dirt sits in your carpet through the year. I've even tried the cleaner on just a one month old carpet and still found that there's loads of dirt that comes out. I believe these are the greatest results you could hope for with a cleaner like this as you can clearly see what has been removed.

One other part to mention is that for people who have pets this Vax cleaner also removes smells, we have a dog and were keen not to have a house that smells of border terrier all the time. I have certainly noticed a difference in a room that has been cleaned, compared to other rooms that haven't.

Lastly the hand-held carpet cleaner isn't brilliant, I find that its practically useless for sofa's as it can't suck the water up properly due to the sofa being too soft. Also the water sprays out to fast and tends to go everywhere. There's also no way that you could use it for curtains if they weren't removed from the curtain pole and if they were you may as well just put them in the washing machine. The hand-held is good for stairs though, even if this does seem to be its only purpose in life.

**The downside**

Whilst this Vax cleaner is good there are a couple of things to note. You are not supposed to use it on a carpet that hasn't been hoovered, this is because the filter can get clogged. Secondly the rotating brush gets tangled with hair quickly - the first time I used the Vax the brush stopped spinning after about 30 minutes and I had to remove all the hair. I'm not able to give a verdict on how this cleaner would cope in a house with a long haird/shaggy dog but I would imagine that the carpet would need to be almost free of long hair to prevent it getting damaged. It also leaves carpets slightly damp after cleaning.

**Ease and cost of use**

My verdict.... average on both counts. The vax cleaner came with one bottle of solution, the instructions say to put two capfuls in the reservoir each time its filled, roughly speaking the reservoir holds about enough water to clean one room. So the cleaning solution will need to be purchased fairly regularly. I haven't had to buy any yet but I've seen a range of prices between £5-£9 per bottle, obviously there are a few different options available so its worth experimenting to see which is best.

The reservoir is easy to remove, fill and replace, as is the second reservoir which holds the dirty water, it simply clips on underneath a secure catch. The filter needs to be rinsed clean each time you empty the dirty water, this might sound like a lot of work but takes less than 2 minutes. The only thing I'm not keen on is the noise the vax makes, its definately louder than a standard hoover. Also its quite a heavy unit so it can be slightly cumbersome to move between rooms if you have to pick it up.

**Would I recommend**

Yes... but with certain conditions.

This carpet cleaner is great if you are prepared to use it on a fortnightly basis, its a great tool for giving a quick 'refresher' to your carpets and getting rid of stains that haven't quite set it, however its not a miracle cure for the red wine you spilled two years ago and won't come out, at best it would reduce this only slightly.

Its also quick to use, you could easily do a 3 bedroomed, 2 receptions house in about 2 hours and not feel exhausted. I think for £94 this represents good value for money, a cheap Dyson hoover costs £150 and doesn't wash carpets. If you consider that a professional carpet cleaning company charge anywhere between £25 - £40 for one room you can definately save money, and you can keep your carpets in tip-top condition with regular use.

Recommended.