A LITTLE REVIEW OF THE NEW KIRBY AVALIR SHAMPOO SYSTEM

[jeschbac]

I used my Avalir Shampoo system for the first time this morning. I cleaned two rooms and got the feel of the system. It's different in several respects from older models. For me, the two biggest changes are the lift-out tray where the spent shampoo collects and the brush roll itself. I really welcome the lift-out tray. It's deep enough to collect an entire tank's worth of residue, and probably more. Detaching it from the unit itself is easy: It just lifts out, then balances itself so that no liquid spills from it. On older models, you had to detach the entire unit from the front - uncovered - and carefully thread through the house to the closest sink to empty. By just pulling up and removing the tray, the process is easier, with little risk of soiled water splashing about. The shape of the brush rows is different, and maybe another Kirby person can tell us what the advantage is to that. Also, the "rollers" that allow the brush to be attached to the unit are identical. I don't think it matters which way the brush is inserted.

My only reservation is the tube connecting the tank to the brush unit: it's in a fairly stiff rubber or plastic which makes it difficult to manipulate into position. I hope this feature is reconsidered by Kirby. Most definitely awkward, especially at first.

But the results were excellent: the carpet is clean and fresh, and dried in record time.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Very interesting.

Would you be ok having your review go into our next newsletter? Think about it.


 John

 

[pr-21]

I have used the Avalir Shampooer after I first got mine several months ago. I agree with you. It shampooed my carpet well, but Kirby needs to put back the flexible hose going from the tank to the shampooer. A shorter flexible version with the same ends that attach to the suds screen cap....would fix the problem.

I had to look in my manual to see the picture of how the brush should be installed. I too feel like it would work either way....


PR-21

 

[jeschbac]

John

Go right ahead.

I hope there are people from Kirby Headquarters that read these posts from time to time!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Actually....................

There are!!
John

 

[kirbylux77]

Call me crazy, but the shampooer is one part of the Kirby Avalir I feel should be discontinued. Carpet shampooing is so outdated & leaves so much dirt & detergent residue behind, & nowhere near as efficient as a carpet extractor. I would NEVER use my Kirby carpet shampooer kit, it's for show only. What Kirby should develop, is a way for the Kirby to scrub in a product such as Host dry carpet cleaner, or Capture.

Rob

 

[jeschbac]

Disagree

I've never had bad results, and my carpets don't resoil faster because of this process. The crap I pull out of those carpets every 6 months is amazing.

 

[charleskirby66]

Avalir Multi-Surface Shampoo System

I purchased the Avalir Multi-Surface Shampoo System for my Mom's Sentria II. I also found the shampoo delivery tube to be stiff and awkward to attach. I found that attaching it to the nozzle part first, then up into the tank, made it *slightly* easier to manipulate. Still tricky though.

I used the system to "mop" her kitchen floors, which are dark wood. I used the cleaning nozzle without any water in the tank, just sprayed the ready-to-use solution onto the floor and let the Kirby scrub it up. I thought it did a good job of loosening up tough grease,and oil. My mom, however, did NOT like the job it did. She complained that it left a residue on her floors, which she later mopped up by hand. Kinda disappointing, because I really wanted this system to provide her with some ease in keeping her kitchen floors immaculate, as she likes.

All in all, I am a fan of the new shampoo system. I would prefer a more flexible shampoo delivery tube, as we've all mentioned, however I love the job it does on carpets and really like the mop function, no matter what Mom says.

 

[jeschbac]

Charles

I haven't yet used the mop attachment. Sounds to me like the Kirby cleaning solution is leaving something behind. I wonder if you could mix up your own vinegar-water solution and use it instead of the Kirby product? I always mop with a vinegar solution and have no residue left behind.

 

[charleskirby66]

Jeschbac

I think your intuition is correct. There is probably some detergent residue being left behind. My Mom mops her floors with vinegar-water only, as well. I think that's probably a winning combination... vinegar-water and Kirby power.

I noticed that there were streaks left behind from the wheels, which occurred to me as food particles and such getting stuck to the wheels and tracked behind. However, given the ease of scrubbing while using the Kirby to mop, I would gladly hand-mop the left behind streaks in order to avoid hand-mopping the entire floor. We shall see, I really hope it works! Please do keep me updated as to your results!

 

[miskini]

Jeschbac

I agree with you on the new shampoo system. It works like a charm for me. As far as the hard floor cleaner goes, I can take it or leave it. It's easier for me to grab the Hoover floormate.

Alphonse

 

[kirbylux77]

Crap I pull out of those carpets every 6 months is amazing

Ha! Jeschbac, there ya go, you just contradicted yourself! How can you be pulling crap out of your carpets every 6 months with the Kirby shampooer if it doesn't leave a residue behind to attract dirt & cause re-soiling? You just proved by your own statement that it DOES leave a residue & causes re-soiling! Any dry foam carpet shampoo system, such as Kirby, Aerus Floor Pro & Koblenz, to name a few examples, are old & outdated, & so ineffective there should be consumer warnings about them. Capture & Host are much better alternatives for consumers to clean their carpets at home who are worried about using a extraction cleaner & over-wetting their carpets.

If you REALLY think your Kirby isn't leaving residue behind & causing re-soiling, here's a challenge for you....Go down to your local store & rent a Rug Doctor, use it to clean your carpeting & rinse afterwards with plain hot water, & then rent it again 6 months later. I bet it won't get up nearly as much dirt after 6 months have passed that you are getting with your Kirby shampooer now.

Rob

 

[charleskirby66]

"How can you pull crap out of your carpets every 6 month

@rob

How, you ask? They are intruders called "dust, dirt, grit, oils, and debris". They begin to accumulate on and in your carpets from the moment you finish vacuuming and/or shampooing. The carpets in a home act as indoor air filters. Anything that goes into the air of your home settles into your carpets. This includes cooking oils, polishes, hairspray, skin oil, dust, dead skin, dust mites and their faeces, etc. This is what Jeschbac is pulling out of carpets every 6 months.

 

[kirbylux77]

Charles

Yes, that's exactly right. And that's also the reason WHY dry foam shampoo systems are a poor choice to clean carpeting. The sticky residue they leave behind will definitely help attract dirt & cause carpet re-soiling much faster than using a extraction cleaner. The fact that you can rinse the carpet after extraction cleaning is a MAJOR advantage that method of carpet cleaning offers.

Rob

 

[jeschbac]

Sorry...

but there's a bunch of very shallow thinking going on around here. CharlesKirby got this exactly right. Crap accumulates starting immediately after the shampoo process finishes, especially for those of us with pets. I'll do you one better. If there is "sticky residue" as you maintain, a damp sponge wiped over the carpet surface would pick it up. I'll go do that test this evening, then a week later. I maintain that if the Kirby directions are followed explicitly, this is a safe and effective process. One must allow the carpet to dry completely: bone dry!! Then the dried surface has to be vacuumed thoroughly. Why would I want a second machine to store and use only every six months or so when one contraption does it all???

 

[charleskirby66]

"Sticky residue"

I have shampooed with different Kirby systems many times, on more than just my carpets. I have never experienced this "sticky residue" that is all the rage of this thread. I check the carpets' drying-progress after they are shampooed, with bare (clean) feet, and have never felt this "sticky residue" at all. However, I, like Jeschbac, am a stickler for following instructions explicitly to the letter.

I have heard of "over-foaming" due to using too much Kirby shampoo... I wonder if this is where the "sticky residue" is coming from, using too much Kirby suds solution?

 

[earthling177]

Jeschbac said: "Why would I want a second machine to store and use only every six months or so when one contraption does it all???"

It's not that the process you describe is not safe and effective. It's that the process you describe takes too long and is way more work than the Host/Capture.

That's why I chose to store a second machine: to begin with, carpets cleaned with the Host or Capture process stay cleaner longer (I usually clean my carpeting once a year). The carpet is not wet during the process, which means even if a pet or someone walks on the carpet before you vacuum, it doesn't get messed up, so the room is not out of commission until it's bone dry. The carpet is barely damp with the dry cleaning powders and is bone dry in 30-60 minutes. Just vacuum and you're done. The machine I use (Sebo Duo Brush Machine) is way smaller than a vacuum cleaner, you can brush the powder in an average room in no time at all. If you don't want to buy a machine, you can buy an ordinary brush and get more exercise on top of it... ;-)

Cheers,
-- Paulo.

 

[tolivac]

This brings us to ANOTHER thing the Kirby machine can do besides shampooing the carpet or floor-You can use it as a carpet dryer-and it doesn't take long.configure the machine as a blower.Put the wand on the hose connected to the Kirby blower opening.Now you have a carpet dryer.Start the unit and sweep the wand end over the area you want to dry-few min later----Its dry.Then you can vacuum with the Kirby to remove the residue.Host or Captue is a MAINTENACE system to be used in between shampooing and extractor cleaning.And you need to use the Host or Capture with the spotter activator spray.I use the machine designed for the Host or Capture cleaning.The one that can dispense,work in and vacuum it up in the dump bin.Or I pick up the Host or Capture with a Royal cleaner outfitted with a commercial dump bag.Saves on disposable bags.

 

[jeschbac]

Tolivac

You're brilliant! I'll try it! That said, I shampoo about 9pm, finish my evening in another room, go to bed, and by 8am, the shampooed carpets are ready for final vacuuming.

Now, as for the results of the white glove test:::: TA DA !!!!

I did swipe a pure white cloth over a 2 foot square area 48 hours after the shampooing. There was no trace of any kind of residue that would promote faster resoiling. I shampoo my carpets about every 6 months. Things get tracked in, pets shed. If you allow street shoes, it's just the nature of the thing. For my uses, the Kirby system is excellent, but only if directions are followed exactly.