Arm & Hammer Carpet Odor Eliminator -- Thoughts?

[niclonnic]

I originally posted this on thread #25338, but I don't think anybody saw this, so I'll repost some of what I posted 2 weeks ago:

OK, so I was at my mom's apartment today, waiting for furniture delivery. We used this Arm & Hammer Carpet Odor Eliminator on her bedroom carpet to try and get her Dyson DC07 to smell better. It worked well, however I noticed some problems:

1. I heard a change in the noise of the vacuum. More specifically, the cyclone assembly was making less of a "howling" noise the more I vacuumed.

2. Some of the powder made its way to the pre-motor filter.

3. The HEPA filter lid (where the canister sits) was getting unusually hot.

However, the machine still had strong suction. So, what are your thoughts on this product, or any powdered carpet freshener for this matter?

Here is a pic of the stuff we used. The second pic shows the pre-motor filter after 1 use of this product. After vacuuming, I dragged my finger over the filter and got a small coating of powder on my finger; that is how much of the powder got to the filter.

 

[parwaz786]

I used Shake and vac carpet freshener which is very fine with the following Dysons I owned:
DC01
DC02
DC03
DC04
DC05
DC07
DC08
DC14
DC25
The bloody product made cloudy bins in my Dysons which were clearer before. And the filter may get dusty, but the full suction is there, and that's about it. The vacuum shouldn't get any hotter unless the suction is a bit less

 

[sebo_fan]

Here is the link for all: http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?25338

You can't really use freshener powder with any vacuum cleaner, really. It clogs bags, it clogs motors if they are not sealed and they do a lot of damage to bagless and Dyson filters etc, cue your example.

The best kind of fresheners if you must use them are the capsule, gel, non-powdery type, or scented powder sachets provided the powder is kept intact in the envelope.

 

[dustin]

I've never had an issue with any carpet freshener powder, but it does clog bags and filters, so it's best to change the bag/clean the filters soon after using it. Never had any machine damaged by it though.

 

[niclonnic]

Thanks!

Although I noticed a change in the tone of the noise from the cyclones, and the filter got dirty too, the machine still had strong suction, thanks to the Root Cyclone technology. I can now see why Dyson says that fine dust should only be picked up sparingly.

Here is an excerpt from the manual from here: http://www.dyson.com/medialibrary/F...Floorcare/manuals/DC07_OPMAN_07112011 pdf.pdf

"This machine is intended for domestic use only. Fine dust such as plaster dust or flour should only be vacuumed in small amounts."

This makes me worry that carpet freshening powder could potentially destroy a Dyson. I may have to wash the filter after going through all that powder.

As for a different kind of freshener, if you have a Bissell vacuum, Bissell has teamed up with Febreze to make cleaning products that help eliminate odors. Some of their products include vacuum bags and filters. I downloaded the manual for the Bissell Powerforce Bagged, and the Febreze bags have a small scent tag located near the bottom. A tab must be pulled off in order to experience the "freshness" of Febreze.

http://www.bissell.com/febreze/

 

[suckolux]

I tried a couple of those Febreeze bags, boy they did not filter well

 

[sebo_fan]

Miele warn against using any scents in their vacuums when filters such as the AAC or HEPA are fitted. It makes sense. When scented things hit charcoal, the charcoal absorbing effect gets wasted and worn down by the scents. So, even IF a powdery type can mean motors get clogged up OR any part of the vacuum where airflow is concerned and the slightest gap, fresheners can't always be used in a vacuum cleaner, even if there's a tight sealed suction unit but usage of charcoal filters.

 

[niclonnic]

Yeah

I would NEVER use any kind of carpet freshening powder in my Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet. It features a HEPA filter with a layer of charcoal to absorb pet odors. I agree with you, Sebo_fan, on this matter.

Here are some pics of said filter.

 

[sebo_fan]

Thanks. Experience speaks volumes, where long term ownership of both vintage and modern vacs are concerned.

 

[super-sweeper]

root cyclone technology,

Reminds me of another cyclonic-action vacuum....

 


I've used the stuff before, the bag (a nice Frebreze bag,too, I for one like them!) Had a leak in it, the bag compartment was coated in the stuff! At-least it smelt nice!

 

[niclonnic]

Actually...

Fantom and Dyson use two entirely different technologies: dual-cyclonic and multi-cyclonic.

Fantom used dual-cyclonic technology under license from Dyson. The Fantoms had a big outer cyclone to catch the larger debris, plus a smaller inner cyclone to separate the fine dust. With those two cyclones working together, plus a screen to deflect the debris, the suction power is a lot more consistent.

When Dyson came to America in late 2002, they introduced the "Root Cyclone" multi-cyclonic technology. Same principle as dual-cyclonic, but it replaces the single large inner cyclone with several smaller cyclones, making it even more efficient, so that less fine dust gets to the filter. I vacuumed with my Dyson DC07 Animal countless times when I had it, and the filter looked like new. That's how efficient the multi-cyclonic filtration is. However, if you're vacuuming up a lot of fine dust, such as carpet freshening powder, the filter WILL get dirty.

My Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet is dual-cyclonic, similar to the Fantoms. While it's a decent budget vacuum (actually free from the Amazon Vine program) and kicks butt on carpets, I was surprised at how quickly the pre-filter got clogged with hair and fluff after a few uses. And yes, it does have a good pre-filter that looks like a Dyson filter. Hoover suggests washing that filter every 2 months, which I follow, but I think once a month would be more accurate. Plus, it's messy to empty the dirt cup. Dust flies everywhere. But even with a dirty filter, the vacuum still has strong suction. However, I'll keep using this vacuum until the belt wears out or breaks. I'll try to get $140 out of it (or the cost of none). Still, it's not bad for a cheap-ish vacuum.

 

[fantomfan]

You have to remember though that a belt is regular wear

A belt is only $3-4. Most people think that the vacuum is broken, or done for when the brush stops turning. In reality, 9/10 it is the belt, and it is normal for it to stretch and/or break over 6 months to a year (usually). Almost every vacuum I buy or recieve needs a belt before I could use them. This vacuum isn't very old, so I would expect it to run for a couple more years with proper care (belts, servicing). If more people realized this, I bet we would see less vacuum cleaners in the trash, not to mention when people learn that their machine is clogged.

 

[niclonnic]

I know that

My Windtunnel still has the original belt from last year, and so far it's held up really well. But, because of the broken hinge on the dirt cup (which falls off every time I go to empty it), I want to make it my last Hoover once the belt wears down. I've went over that issue in thread #24995: http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?24995_96

Here's what I think of the Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet UH70831PC:

Pros:
- Excellent at cleaning carpets
- Excellent filtration
- Retractable cord
- Handy turbo brush, which features rubber blades instead of bristles

Cons:
- Short cord
- Short hose
- One short extension wand
- Small dirt cup
- Debris gets stuck in the dirt cup
- Pre-motor filter gets dirty fast
- Can't turn off brush roll for bare floors
- Cheap plastic parts break easily
- Not easy to use on stairs

This is my second bad experience with Hoover, so I want to stay away from them. I can't find a replacement dirt cup on Hoover.com, because they're out of stock. I don't know how that dirt cup design ever got past the QA testers, but Hoover has responded to a negative review on their website, stating that "Your dirt cup should never crack or break." Lies!

 

[sebo_fan]

Well bear in mind that quite a few current NLOS upright vacs now have "lifetime" or motorised belts that should not need that much replacing compared to the old replaceable smooth rubber drive belts.

 

[super-sweeper]

You're forgetting that,

The DC01 was a Dual-Cyclonic vacuum! Wasn't the DC04 Dual-Cyclonic, too? Leave it to the Fantom historian to know about Dyson!

 

[niclonnic]

Sebo_fan, yes, lots of uprights have this feature, starting in the US$150 range. Some vacuums in that range, such as Shark vacuums, use geared belts. More expensive vacuums, such as Dyson, also use those kinds of belts. Older Dysons utilize a clutch system that uses rubber belts.

Super_sweeper, the dual cyclonic Dysons (DC01--DC06) were sold only in the UK. They were not sold in the US until Fantom went out of business in October 2001. The following year was when Dyson came to America--and introduced Root Cyclone technology. In fact, Fantom never made any references to Dyson when they were still in business.

 

[super-sweeper]

Niclonnic,

That doesn't matter. They're both dual-Cyclonic vacuums from the same time period. They licenced the dual-cyclones from Dyson. When Fantom said no to Mr.Dyson's new filter stuff, he cancelled the license and Fantom went bankrupt. Guess who stepped in to fill Fantom's place? If you guessed Tom Cruise you're unbelievably wrong.

 

[niclonnic]

Yes

Fantom did use Dyson's patents, but the designs, motors, brush rolls etc. are different. The Fantom Thunder looks like a Dyson DC01, and the Lightning looks exactly like a DC02, but with a powerhead. The Fury and Cyclone XT, to my knowledge, do not appear to mimic a Dyson model.

 

[fantomfan]

The fury and cyclone xt were designed completely by fantom

The only thing they did not design on those machines was the dual cyclonic technology.