Vacuum for the weekender

[Lonnie]

I will add my 2-cents about using a shop vac as a water extractor when cleaning fabric or carpets: DON`T DO IT! While many shop vacs are indeed wet/dry and can be used to suck up water, it is better if you use a dedicated extractor, even if it an inexpensive (AKA, cheap) one like the Bissel Little Green Machine.

I have a 10-year-old (Wow, time flies) Sear`s Craftsmen 6 Peak Horsepower- 16 gallon shop vac with a 2-1/2" hose and various attachments that works well for me as a hobbyist. I liked Craftsmen because they were (past tense) a good value (not overly-expensive) and readily available. However, with Sears/Kmart demise as a viable retailer store (both have closed in the Green Bay area, sad to say) and the selling of its Craftsmen name to Stanley Tool, I can still find filters and hose attachments at retailers like Lowe`s or Ace Hardware (albeit at hardware store prices).

So when this one gives out, the suggestions I see in this thread will need to be given some thought and consideration.

A good (or great) vacuum is an essential tool in detailing, and it is one of those frequently asked question in this forum, "What is the best shop vac for my needs?" It also goes without saying, "What can you afford?" and "You get what you pay for."

Also, if you power any shop vac with an extension cord, make sure it is the 12-gauge wire type and not some a light 16 or 20 gauge (AWG), especially if it is 50 feet long! They really put a crimp on electric motor`s life expectancy if used for an extended time, like 2-hours of continuous use in warm weather.

[Accumulator]

In regards to the blower function and using compressed / forced air on the interior. Is it standard practice to sweep first or use compressed / forced air to move particulate to the carpet area and then sweep?

I only do the blowing with floormats, and I take them out of the vehicle and usually also *out of the shop*. I vacuum first, and generally find that`s sufficient and the blowing isn`t called for anyhow, but every now and then I do blow them off and re-vacuum.

Maybe somebody who uses the compressed air/etc. approach will chime in; I just don`t do that the way others do (e.g., blowing dust back into dash vents, blowing stuff out from under seats) as I don`t want to stir up dust/etc. and have it go...wherever it wants (only to need cleaned up from *there* afterwards). Although yeah, I will do it on a new-to-me vehicle during the initial Big Detail if it`s necessary. It`s hardly ever necessary after that as long as I don`t slack off with the regular tidying (every interior gets vacummed pretty regularly, like at least weekly; I do the dog-haulers every time I use them for that).

..i won`t not plan to actually have the seats or carpets / mats wet - more damp to the touch. With stating that does a wet purpose version of a shop vac have to auction to aid in "drying" the damp to touch feel?

Not really IME, but then maybe I quit doing it before you would. Once things are "merely a little damp" I`m usually done. But other than the mats I hardly ever do that degree of cleaning as again, it`s just not necessary. If I were driving a cloth-upholstered Work Truck to job sites every day that`d sure be different, but our interiors just don`t get dirty enough to need it.

..[I gotta consider the ]..availability of filter bags, but a search on Amazon shows the readily available..

Some of the generic vacuum bags I got from an online retailer are at least as good, sometimes better, than the name-brand ones.

[Accumulator]

I will add my 2-cents about using a shop vac as a water extractor when cleaning fabric or carpets: DON`T DO IT! While many shop vacs are indeed wet/dry and can be used to suck up water, it is better if you use a dedicated extractor, even if it an inexpensive (AKA, cheap) one like the Bissel Little Green Machine...

While I do tend to just use an extractor for such stuff, I gotta say that some of my extractors are functionally identical to my wet/dry vacuums. Like...there`s simply zero difference other than the labels on them. Those Craftsman shopvacs that I generally *don`t* use for this actually work better than my oldest Bissel, and before their "Carpet Extraction Accessory Kit" broke in a terminal way, it was one of the best (single motor) carpet extractors I`d ever used.

..I have a 10-year-old (Wow, time flies) Sear`s Craftsmen 6 Peak Horsepower- 16 gallon shop vac with a 2-1/2" hose and various attachments that works well for me as a hobbyist...So when this one gives out, the suggestions I see in this thread will need to be given some thought and consideration..

Heh heh, it might never give out. I`ve yet to kill a Craftsman shopvac and all of mine are well over 20YO, one is from the `80s and it still works like new. I figure that swapping out the filters regularly when using it in "Dry" mode helps. In "Wet" mode I try to remember to put some liquid in it *before* use to hopefully capture some dirt that would otherwise make its way into the motor (mine generally don`t use filters for Wet).

Heh heh, when I consolidated my old shop and stuff from my dad`s estate into my current place, I auctioned off some extra shopvacs and I still ended up with four of `em! No reason to "keep some spares for when one dies" since they never do die!

..
Also, if you power any shop vac with an extension cord, make sure it is the 12-gauge wire type and not some a light 16 or 20 gauge (AWG), especially if it is 50 feet long!

Props for posting that! Using a proper (i.e., nice and thick) gauge extension cord is a topic that gets little attention here. For my Extractors/Garage Vacs I use a really thick gauge cord made for things like Washing Machines, something I can also use for the Steamer/etc. It`s not a 4 or anything, but it`s bigger than a 12.

[Accumulator]

Oh, and IMO everybody oughta have one of those "micro attachment" kits with the little nozzles/brushes/etc. I use mine all the time, both in the shop and in the house. I taped up some of the vent holes for more suction...which is undoubtedly very hard on the vacuums` motors, but again, zero issues and I`ve been using that stuff for decades.

[dcjredline]

Ive had my Craftsman shop vac since the 90s also.

I would like further discussion why a Bissel little green machine would be better than a shop vac at extracting? I would disagree. I had a LGM and it DIDNT suck (which for an extractor is bad) any where near as well as my old faithful shop vac does. I generally do not soak vehicle carpets down and extract them BUT I do the carpeted floor mats ALL THE TIME with the shop vac extract and it works awesome.

[Lonnie]

The reason I do not use a Wet/Dry shop vac for extracting is getting filter wet and then forgetting to take care of it when done. I suppose you could use two different filters, but leaving a wet filter in a shop vac could get moldy in the summer if you live in a humid climate environment. I dislike (AKA hate) vacuuming up anything wet with my shop vac, but sometimes it cannot be helped, like dirty winter garage floors with melting snow or wet car interiors when someone leaves a side window down in a rainstorm. The muck that accrues in the attachments and hose needs to be washed out with various brushes OR my home-made cleaning string tool that I pull though my vacuum hose that looks like something clarinet musicians use.

Yes, the Bissel Green Machine is NOT a powerful suction machine, but you get what you pay for. I borrowed mine out once and it can back because it did not "work" the way the individual thought it would. Not for cleaning an entire house of floor carpets on your hands and knees, anyway! By the way, I see the Autopia Store is now selling the "commercial" version of the Bissell BigGreen Deep Cleaning Machine: https://www.autopia-carcare.com/biss...l#.XdVYjpNKj3g
Anyone have this machine yet for a car-cleaning extractor and how well it works for that??

I think Rasky1 has the method of cleaning dirty carpet material floor mats with a power washer, drip drying as much as possible by vertically holding them with heavy spring clamps on a plastic-wrapped wire cable clothes line or workhorse, and then vacuuming them. Few stains survive a power washer and cleaning soap.

[dcjredline]

The reason I do not use a Wet/Dry shop vac for extracting is getting filter wet and then forgetting to take care of it when done. I suppose you could use two different filters, but leaving a wet filter in a shop vac could get moldy in the summer if you live in a humid climate environment. I dislike (AKA hate) vacuuming up anything wet with my shop vac, but sometimes it cannot be helped, like dirty winter garage floors with melting snow or wet car interiors when someone leaves a side window down in a rainstorm. The muck that accrues in the attachments and hose needs to be washed out with various brushes OR my home-made cleaning string tool that I pull though my vacuum hose that looks like something clarinet musicians use.

Yes, the Bissel Green Machine is NOT a powerful suction machine, but you get what you pay for. I borrowed mine out once and it can back because it did not "work" the way the individual thought it would. Not for cleaning an entire house of floor carpets on your hands and knees, anyway! By the way, I see the Autopia Store is now selling the "commercial" version of the Bissell BigGreen Deep Cleaning Machine: https://www.autopia-carcare.com/biss...l#.XdVYjpNKj3g
Anyone have this machine yet for a car-cleaning extractor and how well it works for that??

I think Rasky1 has the method of cleaning dirty carpet material floor mats with a power washer, drip drying as much as possible by vertically holding them with heavy spring clamps on a plastic-wrapped wire cable clothes line or workhorse, and then vacuuming them. Few stains survive a power washer and cleaning soap.

OK, I see. So its not about the vacuum not being good for the job its about maintenance afterwards. I just dump the vac bucket and havent had a filter on it for over 10 years. I dont do much dry vacuuming with it so having no filter is much easier maintenance wise.

[SuperBuick]

Im shoccked that autopians haven`t "found out" about the Numatic vacuums from england (that are available in USA now). In particular the "George" model is like a vacuum they designed specifically for autopians. Wet/Dry capability, hepa filtration (and a BAG) for dry capability, and wet extraction capability. Ultra quiet, ultra powerful, ultra durable (they have like a 2000 hour motor life). I sound like a salesman but i`m not, just an extremely happy purchaser of one that ive had about a year and a half now.

Check out the Numatic George - its 100% what I would buy again, and bear in mind I have a vacumaid garage vac, a Metro Vac n Blo professional, and a Miele canister vac - so I`m comparing it to some legit and pricey options.

[Accumulator]

That may well have been Rasky1 (RaskyR1? why do I think that`s his username? Oh man, I`m embarrassed that I don`t know for sure having shared these Forums with him for so long ) who pressure washed his mats, I can`t quite recall. I remember that the (now MIA but still highly respected) ScottWax would really *soak* mats too, and I`ve done that a few times with the oe ones in the A8 (yes, still using them after 19 years and we leave `em in during the winter too).

Be a little careful if pressure washing them, no way I`m gonna kill those A8 mats by being that aggressive, but hey they`ve been through a lot. But generally, yeah...you can get them awfully wet and they still come out OK (dunno about using really hard water though, might leave mineral residue).

SuperBuick- Thanks for posting about the Numatic, With the other units you have you`re certainly in a great position to offer an opinion!

I myself would possibly choke up over the cost/availability of filters/bags for it, wonder if those are available (cheap ) from the aftermarket...

Lonnie- Thanks for explaining, makes perfect sense as yes indeed damp filters make for a nasty situation. Sorta like dcjredline, I dedicate my shopvacs to wet/dry use, easy for *me* to do since I have so [darn] many of them, but undoubtedly not feasible for everybody.

While I haven`t used the Bissel upright you linked, IME few upright extractors work all that well when you switch them to the "Hose/Tools" configuration. That one *appears* to be the same model you can rent from various places (I didn`t research the actual model#), so maybe somebody will do that to Test Drive it. I thought about getting one like that when our last upright died, but ended up just buying another consumer-level model (a Hoover) that`s more suitable for our particular needs in the house.

Heh heh, I sometimes feel silly having, uhm..accumulated..so many vacuums and extractors, but I do use most of them frequently and I guess it`s like having plenty of screwdrivers...maybe

[SuperBuick]

SuperBuick- Thanks for posting about the Numatic, With the other units you have you`re certainly in a great position to offer an opinion!

I myself would possibly choke up over the cost/availability of filters/bags for it, wonder if those are available (cheap ) from the aftermarket...

It really is a great unit that does Dry, Wet, and Extraction as good as anything I`ve used separately.

The bags are huge - and with the way you and most autopians keep our cars, it would take a long time to fill even one up. 10 bags is under $20. I can`t even imagine using a bagless vacuum for anything - much less a shop vac. The filtration is wholly inadequate at a particle level. My health is too important than to breathe that junk in!

[Accumulator]

SuperBuick- Ah, OK...I`ll keep that in mind in the (hopefully unlikely!) event that I need a new one in this lifetime.

[Mr. Clean]

Well, my Craftsman 12 gallon 5 HP unit (at least from the 90s) must have "heard" this thread going on and decided it should retire itself in the middle of a vac session. It wasn`t without some warning, I have heard the sound of what might be a bearing going out after turning off the unit for the last couple of months. Alas, I caught whiff of something burning. Never saw smoke and no flames. I have maintained my unit with frequent filter (dry) rotations and cleaning the body as well as the hose/attachments regularly. Unfortunately, I still have a new HEPA filter and am hoping that I might find a unit that will accept it, probably not. It may be a coin toss between the Shop Vac 16 gallon 6.5 HP SVX2 (don`t know what that means to me) (75 inches of water lift) and the Ridgid 14 gallon 6.0 NXT (see above comment re SVX2) water lift unknown.

Count me among those who will scrub carpeted floor mats, rinse them, give them a quick blow with the leaf blower and then hang them to dry. I only employ that process during the summer months when temps assure a quick dry. During cooler months, like many others I "damp clean" extract what I can with the wet/dry vac, blow off with the leaf blower and finally if necessary mop up with MF towels.

[Arn560]

I have used a 9 gallon Ridgid shopVac from Home Depot for years. As long as the filter is kept relatively clean, the suction is enough to "lift" the carpets. I also use it in the house too.
I have learned to keep 2 filters which I clean and hose off with water and let air dry then just swap them out. Admittedly I have never used it as a wet vac!

[Accumulator]

Mr. Clean- Aw gee, sorry to hear the Craftsman finally died And yeah, a still-OK HEPA filter is a pricey thing to have no use for!

Arn560- Smart move with the spare filter.

And a belated Welcome to Autopia! Gotta admit a little curiosity regarding the "560" in your user name

[Accumulator]

Mr. Clean touched on a related topic- hanging the mats up. TOL used to sell some stainless clips you mount on the wall, but I never ended up doing that..wondering what others do?