Mod. 94 electro-hygeine

[Doug-O]

Hello, I’m new, and just dug out my late grandmothers mod. 94 electro hygiene up-right. It’s been sitting in my basement for years, thought I might somewhat re-store it. Any tips appreciated. Bag is shot, still has the dirt in it from 50 years ago! What can I use to clean the hammered finish on this machine? I’ve restored cars, but this will be my 1st vacuum.
Winter project. What do I do for a bag? Are there any parts sources? I’ve not plugged it in yet, working up some courage.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Good luck! Plug it in without the bag on so dust doesn't get blown out of the holes.

 

[hygiene903]

Hello, I’m new, and just dug out my late grandmothers mod. 94 electro hygiene up-right. It’s been sitting in my basement for years, thought I might somewhat re-store it. Any tips appreciated. Bag is shot, still has the dirt in it from 50 years ago! What can I use to clean the hammered finish on this machine? I’ve restored cars, but this will be my 1st vacuum.
Winter project. What do I do for a bag? Are there any parts sources? I’ve not plugged it in yet, working up some courage.

Welcome aboard Doug! I also replied to your other post in the New Member's Forum. Electro-Hygiene is kind of a specialty of mine, and I'll be glad to help you if I can. For the hammered finish, a little Mother's Mag, some green 3M scrubbing pads or fine steel wool, and some "elbow grease" will make it look beautiful! The 94 was the ONLY model that had that finish, the models before (80) and after it (230) had smooth finishes. As for the bag, just about any Royal or Electro-Hygiene bag will fit, but I would recommend keeping the original bag, unless it is far beyond repair, as the original bag for the 94 is quite rare. I actually found a generic gray Royal or Electro-Hygiene shakeout bag on ebay a couple years ago that I intend to dye black and have the logo silkscreened on it for my model 80 which was the first model of Electro-Hygiene and also my first restoration project. VacPartsPlus, which is the online store of the Henry Company, might carry them, as they have a good variety of Royal parts. Jimmy Martin, who is rugsucker here in Vacuumland, might also be able to help. And if you happen to live in the Canton area, you might want to check with Morrison's Sweeper Place on Wertz Ave. They used to have a lot of parts for all makes, but it's been quite a while since I've been there.
Glad you haven't plugged it in yet, as there are a couple things you should check before you try it out. First check the cord. If it's bad, you can bypass it by unplugging the pigtail coming from the motor and plugging it into an extension cord. Next, remove the nozzle and check with your finger to see if the fan turns freely. If it's hard to turn or doesn't turn at all, you will need to use either WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports along with working it back & forth until it turns freely. If the fan already turns freely DO NOT use WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports. Instead, put several drops of either SAE30 motor oil or 3-In-1 Electric Motor Oil in each port. It is a special blend they make for electric motors up to 1/4 HP. DO NOT use regular 3-In-1 oil, as it is too thin. Next, check the motor brushes. If they are not at least 1/4" long, I would recommend replacing them before you try to run it. Fortunately, MOST Royal and Electro-Hygiene uprights use the same motor brushes, so finding replacements shouldn't be a problem. After making these checks, you should be ready to cross your fingers and fire it up! Hope this info helps, and here are a few pics. first one is the generic bag I told you about, next is my model 80 Electro-Hygiene, and the 3rd is one of 2 94's that I have. Original bag on the 94 was beyond saving, so the previous owner saved the section of the bag with the logo and sewed it onto one of the gray generic bags. Good luck with your restoration,
Jeff

 

[centralsweeper63]

I knew you could help, Hygiene903. Sorry I forgot your username on my original post.

 

[huskyvacs]

You can fit any Royal or comparable bag with that twist-lock bag coupler onto any machine. I put a 1990's Royal bag on a 1920's Health-Mor vacuum and wouldn't you know it's a perfect fit. It's incredible! If it has a matte finish just soap and water and a soft brush, if it's a polished finish there's many people with Kirby polishing tutorials on youtube that have videos.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Good designs used to last.

 

[cheesewonton]

God designs used to last.

They still do. The original Whirlpool design for the first geared belt driven Kenmore Powermate power nozzle introduced in 1981 has lived on to this day. It was produced by Whirlpool from 1981-1990, by Panasonic from 1990-2016 and now by Suzhou Cleva Electric Appliance Co Ltd and sold by Titan as their T7 power nozzle for central vacuums and with the Titan T9200 canister vacuum.

I have more than one of those original, noisy, geared belt Powermates with the old fashioned beater bar brush roll and last year I updated one from 1982 with the motor, quiet poly v-belt and modern chevron pattern brush roll from Titan and every part dropped right in. The color of the plastic has changed but the necks, height adjusters, overload protection, basic wiring and headlights haven't really changed in 45 years.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Yes, but not as often.

 

[Doug-O]

Welcome aboard Doug! I also replied to your other post in the New Member's Forum. Electro-Hygiene is kind of a specialty of mine, and I'll be glad to help you if I can. For the hammered finish, a little Mother's Mag, some green 3M scrubbing pads or fine steel wool, and some "elbow grease" will make it look beautiful! The 94 was the ONLY model that had that finish, the models before (80) and after it (230) had smooth finishes. As for the bag, just about any Royal or Electro-Hygiene bag will fit, but I would recommend keeping the original bag, unless it is far beyond repair, as the original bag for the 94 is quite rare. I actually found a generic gray Royal or Electro-Hygiene shakeout bag on ebay a couple years ago that I intend to dye black and have the logo silkscreened on it for my model 80 which was the first model of Electro-Hygiene and also my first restoration project. VacPartsPlus, which is the online store of the Henry Company, might carry them, as they have a good variety of Royal parts. Jimmy Martin, who is rugsucker here in Vacuumland, might also be able to help. And if you happen to live in the Canton area, you might want to check with Morrison's Sweeper Place on Wertz Ave. They used to have a lot of parts for all makes, but it's been quite a while since I've been there.
Glad you haven't plugged it in yet, as there are a couple things you should check before you try it out. First check the cord. If it's bad, you can bypass it by unplugging the pigtail coming from the motor and plugging it into an extension cord. Next, remove the nozzle and check with your finger to see if the fan turns freely. If it's hard to turn or doesn't turn at all, you will need to use either WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports along with working it back & forth until it turns freely. If the fan already turns freely DO NOT use WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports. Instead, put several drops of either SAE30 motor oil or 3-In-1 Electric Motor Oil in each port. It is a special blend they make for electric motors up to 1/4 HP. DO NOT use regular 3-In-1 oil, as it is too thin. Next, check the motor brushes. If they are not at least 1/4" long, I would recommend replacing them before you try to run it. Fortunately, MOST Royal and Electro-Hygiene uprights use the same motor brushes, so finding replacements shouldn't be a problem. After making these checks, you should be ready to cross your fingers and fire it up! Hope this info helps, and here are a few pics. first one is the generic bag I told you about, next is my model 80 Electro-Hygiene, and the 3rd is one of 2 94's that I have. Original bag on the 94 was beyond saving, so the previous owner saved the section of the bag with the logo and sewed it onto one of the gray generic bags. Good luck with your restoration,
Jeff
View attachment 172141View attachment 172143View attachment 172144

Welcome aboard Doug! I also replied to your other post in the New Member's Forum. Electro-Hygiene is kind of a specialty of mine, and I'll be glad to help you if I can. For the hammered finish, a little Mother's Mag, some green 3M scrubbing pads or fine steel wool, and some "elbow grease" will make it look beautiful! The 94 was the ONLY model that had that finish, the models before (80) and after it (230) had smooth finishes. As for the bag, just about any Royal or Electro-Hygiene bag will fit, but I would recommend keeping the original bag, unless it is far beyond repair, as the original bag for the 94 is quite rare. I actually found a generic gray Royal or Electro-Hygiene shakeout bag on ebay a couple years ago that I intend to dye black and have the logo silkscreened on it for my model 80 which was the first model of Electro-Hygiene and also my first restoration project. VacPartsPlus, which is the online store of the Henry Company, might carry them, as they have a good variety of Royal parts. Jimmy Martin, who is rugsucker here in Vacuumland, might also be able to help. And if you happen to live in the Canton area, you might want to check with Morrison's Sweeper Place on Wertz Ave. They used to have a lot of parts for all makes, but it's been quite a while since I've been there.
Glad you haven't plugged it in yet, as there are a couple things you should check before you try it out. First check the cord. If it's bad, you can bypass it by unplugging the pigtail coming from the motor and plugging it into an extension cord. Next, remove the nozzle and check with your finger to see if the fan turns freely. If it's hard to turn or doesn't turn at all, you will need to use either WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports along with working it back & forth until it turns freely. If the fan already turns freely DO NOT use WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports. Instead, put several drops of either SAE30 motor oil or 3-In-1 Electric Motor Oil in each port. It is a special blend they make for electric motors up to 1/4 HP. DO NOT use regular 3-In-1 oil, as it is too thin. Next, check the motor brushes. If they are not at least 1/4" long, I would recommend replacing them before you try to run it. Fortunately, MOST Royal and Electro-Hygiene uprights use the same motor brushes, so finding replacements shouldn't be a problem. After making these checks, you should be ready to cross your fingers and fire it up! Hope this info helps, and here are a few pics. first one is the generic bag I told you about, next is my model 80 Electro-Hygiene, and the 3rd is one of 2 94's that I have. Original bag on the 94 was beyond saving, so the previous owner saved the section of the bag with the logo and sewed it onto one of the gray generic bags. Good luck with your restoration,
Jeff
View attachment 172141View attachment 172143View attachment 172144

Thank you for the information. I have just started, so it will be a process. This was my grandmothers vacuum, and she loved it. I’d bought her a new Hoover but she would still use the electro.

 

[centralsweeper63]

I hope it turns out well.

 

[hygiene903]

Thank you for the information. I have just started, so it will be a process. This was my grandmothers vacuum, and she loved it. I’d bought her a new Hoover but she would still use the electro.

Always glad to help when I can. I agree with you about taking your time with your restoration, you'll get better results that way. Don't know what model of Hoover you bought for your Grandmother, but I can understand why she preferred the Electro-Hygiene. They're lightweight, easy to maneuver, yet powerful. I've also had kind of a lifelong connection with Electro-Hygiene, with 2 of my Uncles selling them several years before I was born, 2 of my Aunts and one Great-Aunt had them when I was a kid and then selling them myself in 1974 and again in 1976. The Great-Aunt was so sold on them she actually had 3 of them, trading in about every 10 years or so. I now have 24 Electro-Hygienes in my collection, with 6 of them being straight suction models, including a model 80, 2 model 94's, a 230, and two 2-230's. Do you have attachments with your 94? The set pictured below goes with my model 80. A set for the 94 would have been almost identical, except that the small bag would have been different, and it would have also included a cord with an inline switch. To my knowledge, a dust brush, floor brush, and second wand weren't added until they restarted production (with the model 230) after the war.
I can also relate how special it is to have a Grandparent's vacuum, as I have my maternal Grandmother's model 82 Hoover Constellation! Grandpa bought it for her for their 40th Anniversary in April 1955, which sadly turned out to be their last anniversary before he passed away in `1956, just 4 months before I was born. She always took excellent care of it and brought it with her when she moved in with us just before I turned 9. It was only used to clean her room from then until she passed away, and I got it when Mom moved from the house into an apartment about 6 years later. It's all original and in great condition, except for the hose being permanently stretched from being hung up all those years, brush strip in the rug nozzle worn down, some scraping on the crevice tool, and the attachment caddy being worn. Here's a couple pics of it as well.
Jeff

 

[Doug-O]

Always glad to help when I can. I agree with you about taking your time with your restoration, you'll get better results that way. Don't know what model of Hoover you bought for your Grandmother, but I can understand why she preferred the Electro-Hygiene. They're lightweight, easy to maneuver, yet powerful. I've also had kind of a lifelong connection with Electro-Hygiene, with 2 of my Uncles selling them several years before I was born, 2 of my Aunts and one Great-Aunt had them when I was a kid and then selling them myself in 1974 and again in 1976. The Great-Aunt was so sold on them she actually had 3 of them, trading in about every 10 years or so. I now have 24 Electro-Hygienes in my collection, with 6 of them being straight suction models, including a model 80, 2 model 94's, a 230, and two 2-230's. Do you have attachments with your 94? The set pictured below goes with my model 80. A set for the 94 would have been almost identical, except that the small bag would have been different, and it would have also included a cord with an inline switch. To my knowledge, a dust brush, floor brush, and second wand weren't added until they restarted production (with the model 230) after the war.
I can also relate how special it is to have a Grandparent's vacuum, as I have my maternal Grandmother's model 82 Hoover Constellation! Grandpa bought it for her for their 40th Anniversary in April 1955, which sadly turned out to be their last anniversary before he passed away in `1956, just 4 months before I was born. She always took excellent care of it and brought it with her when she moved in with us just before I turned 9. It was only used to clean her room from then until she passed away, and I got it when Mom moved from the house into an apartment about 6 years later. It's all original and in great condition, except for the hose being permanently stretched from being hung up all those years, brush strip in the rug nozzle worn down, some scraping on the crevice tool, and the attachment caddy being worn. Here's a couple pics of it as well.
Jeff
View attachment 172190View attachment 172191

I picked up a constellation at an auction a couple years ago. Not sure of the year, but it was almost new. Came with most tools. When I worked at the Hoover company, for quite a few years my department made the wand and tube assemblies for all the Hoover products. I also ran the anodizing process for the aluminum tubing, before plastic came into play,

 

[Doug-O]

I can see this may be a new addiction for me! Already looking at e-bay for old vacuums. They don’t take up as much space as cars though.

 

[Doug-O]

What is the spring cap on the red part of the mod. 94 electro hygiene for?