A fascinating vintage Hoover Floor Washer video

electrolux137 · Feb 3, 2015

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I saw this video on YouTube (link below). It's really interesting and there are some views of the attentive homemaker's Hoover Convertible vacuum cleaner and floor polisher in her cleaning closet.

I've never used a Floor Washer; never even seen one. I am wondering how efficient it really can be at scrubbing floors with no spinning or revolving brushes. I guess its greater advantage is that it sucks up the dirty water. However, as long as you don't slop water all over the place and over-drench your floors when you scrub them with an electric floor scrubber, mopping up the water is not really a huge chore.

I do have a Hoover Floormate, which seems to be a more modern version of the Floor Washer and it does have some small revolving scrub brushes. I've never actually used it but a dear old man gave it to me so I've kept it.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqGOkJtaYV4

centralvacs1928 · Feb 3, 2015

Very cool! What a neat machine.

My God, that music though! Wish it had the original sound.

Thanks for sharing it!

gottahaveahoove · Feb 3, 2015

I have both the blue and yellow one.

I never used them. They were called, "Hoover's" Edsel. BUT, I know guys who say they were far under rated. They were the forerunner to the Floormate. I must try mine.
Yes, that music has to go!!

electrolux137 · Feb 3, 2015

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I agree about the awful "new-age" music. I just turned down the audio!

caligula · Feb 3, 2015

Hoover Floor Washer.

Hi Charles Richard, and Gottahaveahoove:

When I lived in Naperville, Illinois, I used this every week to wash my hardwood floors. A little Murphy's oil soap and the hardwoods sparkled. If I ever find another one, it too will be put to good use, that thing was fantastic. And on a personal note, Don Krammes, husband of Stacy who's responsible for the creation of the V.C.C.C. was the engineer who designed it.

Alex Taber.

gottahaveahoove · Feb 3, 2015

Thanks for adding that

Alex.

caligula · Feb 3, 2015

Your welcome John.

Mine was yellow, and if you ever find another one let me know, cause I want it to do the hardwoods here!

tazcatsdad · Feb 4, 2015

Hate the music,

<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva;">love the video. And I love my FloorMate! This machine certainly does appear to be its predecessor. I found the original film on the Internet Archive: it seems to be a little bit clearer there (and, it doesn't have that ghastly music), so for me it was a bit more enjoyable. Here's the link if anyone wants to try it out.</span>

<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva;">Bill W.</span>

http://https//archive.org/details/1221_Its_a_Wonderful_World

aeoliandave · Feb 4, 2015

Those that have and use a Floor Washer/Dryer love them. I have...um...4.
Having seen one in ads here and at fellow collector's homes I went searching. At the time they began falling from the sky.
First picture is from 2010.
Other pictures show a replacement nozzle I made up from an obscure floor tool with all-around close-packed bristles that was in the bin. The machine was missing the nozzle but that wasn't going to stop me.
Works as well as an original. Frequently the flor washers found are missing the brush strips and the anti-suds sponge. Easily rectified with thoughtful iongenuity.

packardmanken · Feb 5, 2015

Floor washer

Thanks for all the info regarding the vintage Hoover floor washer! I have one and had no idea how to work it, nor was motivated to actually use it until seeing all the info in this thread. I will give it a try and post the results. My only question is will most cleaners work in the water mixture or are there any I should avoid that may damage the machine?

caligula · Feb 5, 2015

Hi packardmanken:

DON'T PICK UP WATER WITH A VACUUM CLEANER! The Hoover Floor washer is designed to keep the water away from ALL electrical parts. First the clean water is in a plastic container and fed through a tube to the floor. Second, the dirty watergoes into a special plastic bag. The Floor washer was produced in 1959, and back then Hoover had strict rules for safety.

When I met with Skip Marquadt, head of endineering in September of 1980, he showed me the inner workings of the floor washer, among other things. I was not a Hoover enthusiest at the time, but after that weekend, I was a staunch Hoover collector.

So use the floor washer, it's great, But DON'T pick up water with any vacuum cleaner not designed for that job.

Alex Taber.

sensotronic · Feb 5, 2015

I think packardmanken was asking about the solution to put in the floor washer he owns, not suggesting he would use a vacuum not designed for wet use. I believe you should avoid anything bleach or pine based as they can damage the plastics. I would have thought modern Hoover solution designed for the Floormate should be OK or a mild floor cleaner properly diluted.

aeoliandave · Feb 5, 2015

This scan of an original Owner's Manual will answer questions.

ronni · Feb 6, 2015

Very cool. It seems to me that these were manufactured until 1966--perhaps being replaced by the Floor-A-Matics?

Here are some 1959 ads I found online:

kirbyloverdan · Feb 6, 2015

I love my

Floor mate my good friend John Gregory from Sweeper Central Hoover .

Dan

packardmanken · Feb 8, 2015

Floor Mate Instructions

Thanks so much for the input. I will give the machine a try this week. And no, I would never try to vacuum up water!! I did mean "solution" for the machine when I said "cleaners" LOL!! Thanks for clarifying that Sensotronic!

gottahaveahoove · Feb 8, 2015

You've inspired me!

I think I'll use one of mine this week too. I even have the powdered "Spic and Span".

packardmanken · Mar 13, 2015

Used the Hoover Floor Mate!

I promised to post the results when I used my Yellow Hoover Floor Mate. It had been in the mud room for about a year and was tired of tripping over it and was going to drop it off at the goodwill when I read the thread. I loved the way it looked, but was not even sure what it was until reading the postings.
I looked at the local Kroger and could not find spic and span (?) so used Mr Clean with Febreeze and it did a beautiful job. A few false starts with regard to the operating of it. Did the kitchen, bathrooms and foyer on one tank of cleaner. What a great machine!!! Thanks again for all of the info.

ozhoover · Mar 14, 2015

NIB

Posted this before a few years ago, but I was lucky enough to find a NIB Hoover floor washer on ebay in Germany about 7 years ago.....

Its never be used and still has the defoamer

Mark