mark40511
Well-known member
I know "they are out there" but it's rare to find.
I actually don't mind doing it myself.
I actually don't mind doing it myself.
question about getting a new rainbow
- Thread starter kirbyeureka95
- Start date
Help Support VacuumLand:
With all of this-just use the Rainbow,Kirby or whatever --myself.I really just don't trust "strangers" in my home-esp alone.And I would NOT have the janitorial service answer my phone-that what answering machines and services are for.I have read too many horror stories above.and outside janitorial services can be a security risk-just make sure ALL valuable items are out of sight and LOCKED UP!And have your computer shut off-prefrably locked off when the janitors are there and alone-otherwise you may find they are surfing the net and not doing the cleaning work.Happens a LOT in offices!
magic-clean
Well-known member
Compact / Tri Star
canisters have provided great service for a friend with a very active household and an overworked cleaning person. Previously, they would replace various canisters every couple of years due to various problems brought on by abuse.
Now with the Compacts (a couple of the NIB vintage units from the seller in Ohio) the cleaning service person:
*can easily see when the bag is full and just drop a new one in place
*has yet to damage any of the attachments or the hose
*wraps the cord around the machine.....no cord reel to break
In this case, the simpler the better. No need for anything fancy. If it breaks, it'll be easily repaired. Plus the cleaners do a great job. Same can be said for the Kirby G4 they have for their carpets.
L.P.
canisters have provided great service for a friend with a very active household and an overworked cleaning person. Previously, they would replace various canisters every couple of years due to various problems brought on by abuse.
Now with the Compacts (a couple of the NIB vintage units from the seller in Ohio) the cleaning service person:
*can easily see when the bag is full and just drop a new one in place
*has yet to damage any of the attachments or the hose
*wraps the cord around the machine.....no cord reel to break
In this case, the simpler the better. No need for anything fancy. If it breaks, it'll be easily repaired. Plus the cleaners do a great job. Same can be said for the Kirby G4 they have for their carpets.
L.P.
Tolivac this topic was about letting the maid use an expensive vacuum the collector can't afford to buy for himself but would like to have for his collection. To get the machine in question he must get the family to buy it and let it be used as the primary vacuum for the residence. Nothing was said about the honesty of the maid. Or the need for armed guards to protect the valuables in the home. Alternative equiment was suggested as a way to meet everyones needs as the equipment on hand is in need of replacement. And also to have the poster assess his personal feelings about someone else use something he feels strongly about. Any Home or commercial cleaning service does back ground checks on employees and hold certificates of insurance to protect against losses. Yes someone can slip thru the cracks at times. Focus on the question at hand. SHOULD THE VACUUM BE PURCHASED BUY THE FAMILY FOR CARE OF THE FAMILY RESIDENCE AND AVAILAIBLE FOR ALL TO USE? OR SHOULD THE COLLECTOR SAVE UP AND BUY IT FOR HIMSELF FOR HIS PERSONAL USE AND COLLECTION?
The differeces... and a solution?
between a personally employed household cleaning person vs someone sent via a commercial cleaning service. The former comes with a bond of personal recommendation and the trust of a clientele who value and treat the person like a family member. They may carry a surety bond on themselves, and that is reflected in the charge for their services. The latter comes with a automatic background check but also performs a lesser range of services. Someone in the first category might be amenable to using a machine like a Kirby or a Rainbow. Cleaning personnel from a service will bring and use the equipment supplied by the corporation which employes them and perform the prescribed list of services. Period.
I happen to be someone who is valued highly by my clients. I answer the land line because they get a lot of calls they want to respond to immediately, and not have to play phone tag. There are cleaning people who are trustworthy enough to have keys to clients homes, and to lump them together with people from a janitorial service who barely pass muster for employment is demeaning and insulting to us.
Perhaps the maid would be amenable to learning to use the Rainbow. A water basin stored on every floor would be a nice way of ensuring the water was dumped after a level was cleaned, the machine being carried without the basin, so there is no chance of splashing in the machine/hose. It also makes the machine lighter to carry without the water.
between a personally employed household cleaning person vs someone sent via a commercial cleaning service. The former comes with a bond of personal recommendation and the trust of a clientele who value and treat the person like a family member. They may carry a surety bond on themselves, and that is reflected in the charge for their services. The latter comes with a automatic background check but also performs a lesser range of services. Someone in the first category might be amenable to using a machine like a Kirby or a Rainbow. Cleaning personnel from a service will bring and use the equipment supplied by the corporation which employes them and perform the prescribed list of services. Period.
I happen to be someone who is valued highly by my clients. I answer the land line because they get a lot of calls they want to respond to immediately, and not have to play phone tag. There are cleaning people who are trustworthy enough to have keys to clients homes, and to lump them together with people from a janitorial service who barely pass muster for employment is demeaning and insulting to us.
Perhaps the maid would be amenable to learning to use the Rainbow. A water basin stored on every floor would be a nice way of ensuring the water was dumped after a level was cleaned, the machine being carried without the basin, so there is no chance of splashing in the machine/hose. It also makes the machine lighter to carry without the water.
I agree Trebor I'm and operations mgr. for a janitorial service. We do commercial buildings along with schools. Tolivac hit a nerve with me also. Just because we swab toilets and mop floors doesn't make us the scum of the earth. We provide a valuable service to many. We have many loyal employees that are an asset to our organization. And there for Loyal customers that see the value of the services we preform.
bimmer740
Well-known member
I have never used a Rainbow, but they look like a wonderful machine and I too would love to purchase one. However, they do appear to be a machine that does require a little bit of extra care in order to keep them running their best for many years. While I have no doubt that a Rainbow can probably handle some of the abuse of a maid, I dont think this is the ideal machine to have the maid use. We have had several housekeepers over the past 15+ years and while the last one was absolutely the best around, I dont think she would have been to keen using a Rainbow. Maria, was the housekeeper that came with stellar references and she was the one that had a waiting list of future clients. If you have a live-in housekeeper I think it might be a different story, but for someone that cleans more than one home a day, this would add to the time they spend in your home. This would hamper their ability to quickly move through your house and on to the next one. We have had Electrolux canisters for years, and every housekeeper we have ever had have told us most of their other clients had Electrolux canisters too. I think a high end bagged canister might be the better choice as it gives your maid the ability to pull it out of the closet, plug it in and vacuum away, then put it back in the cloest as soon as they are done.
One other option is to install a central vacuum system. When I installed one in the house at the time my family and the housekeeper were using a Miele Blue Moon and Red Velvet. When Maria found out that I put a central vac in she was so happy. She liked all the previous machines that I had, but the central vac she was just head over heals about. A nice unit can be purchased and installed, along with the right accessories for your own home for probably around the same price of a new Rainbow, plus it can add to the value of your home.
One other option is to install a central vacuum system. When I installed one in the house at the time my family and the housekeeper were using a Miele Blue Moon and Red Velvet. When Maria found out that I put a central vac in she was so happy. She liked all the previous machines that I had, but the central vac she was just head over heals about. A nice unit can be purchased and installed, along with the right accessories for your own home for probably around the same price of a new Rainbow, plus it can add to the value of your home.
I am sorry if I offended commercial janitorial services-They provide a valuable service to offices that can't do the cleaning or janitor work on their own.I have used janitor services when moving out of a home for cleaning.But don't need them when I am in the home.Most of the janitorial services I know of provide their own equipment.the one I know uses a Riccar Superlite uprite and a Riccar 1500 canister for her work.she has several household and commerical clients.she stays away from the computers at workplaces.she wants to do the cleaning and nothing elese.I would trust her.I can agree for a janitor person if you have to provide the machine-provide them with a machine thats easy to use-and bagged.Don't think they would want to be burdened with a bagless or watertrap vacuum.I realize most janitorial services provide honest,proper work.But sometimes you may run into "sour apples"the manager of a service I knew of-he would dismiss anyone that violated the simple security and safety measures.And he mentioned it was difficult for him to find people who would want to do commercial cleaning work as a career.I feel many janitorial people are underpaid.It is a skill.Its easier to track the dirt into a home or building than remove it!Somewhere I read how many hours it takes to remove 1 pound of dirt tracked into a place-was high!
mark40511
Well-known member
I too am sorry. I didn't mean to offend any janitorial service and or housekeepers. I have the time to do it myself and even before when I was working as a telephone operator six days a week, I still found time to clean everything high and low myself.....I H A T E D the chore of doing it all but I can't help it. I want it done and done right and it's hard for me to trust anyone. I guess because growing up, I've helped clean and watched how others did a complete half ass job and it's just burnt into my brain I guess.
bimmer740
Well-known member
@kirbyeureka95:<span style="color: #000000;"> I know that you stated you already own an Electrolux Epic upright, and there for I assume you are familiar with how easy it is to change the bag in that machine. Like everyone else here, I have owned numberous vacuums over the years but for a "non vacuum enthusiast" not all vacuum bags are easy to change. While I have never found that any vacuum that I have owned has a bag that is difficult to change, I can see why some people might have difficultly changing the bag is something like a Kirby or even a Miele canister. You must be careful when closing the lid of the Miele after changing the bags inorder to be sure that the spring loaded bag clip lines up the bag collar properly with the hose inlet, or else you will wind up with a mess inside the bag chamber. My mother changed the bag in one of my Miele's once and while she has used canister vacs for the past 30+ years, and I nearly killed her when I opened the machine to find that it had not sealed properly on the hose inlet. </span>
<span style="color: #000000;"> </span>
<span style="color: #000000;">Anyway, the point to my little rant is that when it comes to maintaining a machine, no other machine that I know of has an easier bag to change than an Electrolux tank. They are self-sealing, and all anyone needs to do is pull out the old one and pop in a new one. The way I see it, it couldnt possibly be more idiot proof, I mean no offense in anyway to your maid, but it ensures that your unit will not be damaged by installing the bag incorrectly or by the maid putting off changing the bag because its a hassle.</span>
<span style="color: #000000;"> </span>
<span style="color: #000000;">Anyway, the point to my little rant is that when it comes to maintaining a machine, no other machine that I know of has an easier bag to change than an Electrolux tank. They are self-sealing, and all anyone needs to do is pull out the old one and pop in a new one. The way I see it, it couldnt possibly be more idiot proof, I mean no offense in anyway to your maid, but it ensures that your unit will not be damaged by installing the bag incorrectly or by the maid putting off changing the bag because its a hassle.</span>
