Using the Rainbow

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new Rainbow

I have the NEW black rainbow, and I LOVE it! I leave it running on low speed daily, 7 days a week. I use the scents that I get from Rainbow my house always smells great and the level of dust is much reduced. Plus it helps to humidify the air.

I have a cat and a dog and I know that I am removing the hair and stuff because I see it when I empty it. I also have the 4 quart basin which i use for cleaning, I use the 2 quart for purifying the air.
 
I've thought about

leaving mine on 24/7, but I never have as of yet because I seem to get pretty much most the dust when I do a good cleaning. I did leave it on for a few days on low speed once, but the water stayed pretty clear, so I figured why bother (other than the good smell). I have found that My nose becomes accustomed to whatever scent after a while and I can no longer smell it anyway. My main problem in my home is not dust, but cat hair from my two cats

Rob - I don't take way too long. (LOL)

For example. Underneath the Rainbow (when you're done) that seal that intake area where it meets the basin has a seal on it. I wipe that off and the intake area before putting it away because it has dirt on it. It isn't necessary, but it BUGS me, so I clean it off. Takes 15 seconds. I also take the separator off and clean it in the grooves every single time even though it may not need it. Why? Because that's the main reason (other than not changing water if it's too dirty) that the fans on the rainbow can get dirty. Over time, those separator grooves will get dirt in them and if you keep them clean, the fans will stay clean.
 
Using the Rainbow

Robert,
I did the same thing. I have the basin that came with the machine and I bought an extra one from Ken Bashford JUST for air cleaning. It does make such a difference in the house dust after a few months use.
It dawned on me that when I used one of my regular machines-no matter how great it was cleaning the carpets or how strong the suction-it was thowing dust back into the air to settle on the blinds,furniture and table tops. I was CREATING the endless cyle of cleaning and redistrubuting the dust back over everything again.

I can tell the difference when we use another vacuum upstairs and there will be a fine layer of dust on the bed side chests the very next morning.
Not sure how long you have had your Rainbow but the longer you use it,you will notice the difference in the house dust if you switch to another type of machine.
I was a HARD sell on this concept.
Try this sometime: Empty one of the bagless machines as careful as you can and have your Rainbow running in the same room in the air cleaning mode. You will be amazed how much dust flys back in the air just from emptying the bin because the the dust is in the DRY state.
I use mine every morning on the low speed to clear the odors from cooking.
There just is never any odor from my machine and I can not say that about any other machine I have used even with the hepa and charcoal filters. It really helped my allergies over time.
Good luck with your machine.

williamr1248++1-17-2013-06-22-8.jpg
 
Rainbow SE

I have owned a LOT of vacuum cleaners in my life, but until recently I never owned a rainbow. About a week ago I bought a used SE model from eBay because I simply didn't want to spend out on a brand new one in case I decided it just wasn't for me. With that said, I took it home last night and cleaned the entire house with it. Keep in mind, on Saturday I had fully vacuumed every room with either an Electrolux Silverado or a Kirby G5 (both of which I think do a great job!)......to say the least I was SHOCKED when I went to dump the basin after I finished. I can see how the in-home demonstrations could completely shame you into buying a new one!!! Oh my goodness! I was completely floored at how filthy the water was and how much fuzz/debris was in the tank! It had even sucked up one of the baby's toys and I didn't realize it until I dumped it!

I agree with you all when you say the Rainbow system isn't for everyone, it does require a little extra work at the end, dumping/rinsing/drying the basin, cleaning the seperator, etc. but for those who don't mind that it is an AMAZING machine. I and my daughter both suffer tremendously from allergies and the first thing I noticed about it was that when I turned it on, there was no funky "smell" that I have noticed from other machines when I turn them on. I can put a brand new bag in my Silverado and when I turn it on, I still get an odor that eminates from it. I did NOT get that with the Rainbow and the house seemed to have a cleaner feel to it when I was finished! Most likely that "feeling" was simply that and not a reality, but I do believe that continued use of this Rainbow could help alleviate a lot of our allergy issues! Just my two cents worth, but I certainly do not regret my purchase!
 
Cats and the Rainbow ...

... I just saw a video on YouTube about what happens to the Rainbow after it picks up even a little bit of kitty litter.

CLAY.

Stuck inside the water pan like cement.

Apparently not *everything* your vacuum sucks up should go into water.
 
Using my Rainbow

NYCWrite,
I remember that YOUTUBE! That was so funny. Who in their right mind would pick up kitty litter in ANY nice machine? I cannot believe you would spend that kind of money and then pick up something like kitty litter?
I almost ruined one of my uprights years ago when trying to use the tools and pick up a very small amount of fire place ash. I had compleley cleaned out my fireplace with a wisk broom and was going to use the dusting brush to just finish up. Within seconds the motor started laboring and the bag burst. What a mess and the poor machine was never right again. Who would want nasty kitty litter in their vacuum?
Kitty litter is designed to pick and absorb moisture. Why would anyone think to try and add that to a vacuum bag,bin or in this case a water basin?
 
Cats & a Rainbow

Yes! I know that video you're talking about.

I don't use clay cat litter. I use Feline pine (pine pellets). It's the best cat litter I have ever used. If I used clay litter I would be afraid to vacuum with a rainbow. Common sense would tell me now to vacuum up clay litter in a water filtration vacuum anyway, but this guy doesn't allow comments on his video

I have used the feline pine long before I had a rainbow because I have always heard that cats ingest some of it when they clean themselves because it sticks to their paws and it will swell in their system and could cause health problems. It made sense to me so I stopped using it - even though people have been successfully using it for a long time.
 
Rainbow is my ALL TIME FAVORITE!! The new ones really look great! I have an E2, but I really like the older ones better. I have a D4SE that I use around the house.
 
Using My Rainbow

Zach,
Not sure if Rainbow is favorite but I can sure say they last and last and helped my alergies.. I had my oldest Rexair out yesterday using it and it picked up a basin full of grit and sand that had been tracked in during the week. Not a hint of dusty odor or dust even under the top section of the motor.
They sure knew how to build the old Hoover's,Lux's,Air-Ways and Rexairs's.
I don't think we will see any of the cheap plastic vacs of today still working this good in 50 years. The motor is just so smooth and quiet.
I am always amazed at the design of the rug tool and how it concentrates the suction. The machine itself is very light and easy to carry.
I have noticed when you read the reports that customers put on the internet,you find many families who have owned a Rexair for decades and still getting excellent service.

williamr1248++1-18-2013-05-05-7.jpg
 
Kitty Litter ...

"Kitty litter is designed to pick and absorb moisture. Why would anyone think to try and add that to a vacuum bag,bin or in this case a water basin?"

"Common sense would tell me now to vacuum up clay litter in a water filtration vacuum anyway"

Um, WRONG.

"Common sense" would tell me that I should be able to sweep up anything and everything with my $3000 Rainbow that I used to with my Fantom or Hoover.

You apparently have never owned cats. We're not talking about sucking up the whole damn litter box; we're talking about sucking up the stray *clean* litter that kitty tracks all around the house.

So if you own a cat, apparently that headlight on the power nozzle is now of VITAL importance; as you're sweeping, if you see ANY grains of kitty litter on the carpet or floor, you must immediately shut off the Rainbow and fetch your OTHER vacuum to finish the job?
 
Using My Rainbow

NYCWriter,
You would need to understand that most posters on this web site collect and love their machines, so no matter what make or model I would not pick up kitty litter in one of my machines be it a Hoover or Fantom or Rainbow.
As we were talking about earlier,I don't think this particular make machine would be a good fit for your requirements.
I am sure any make machine would be able to pick up a reasonable amount of kitty litter and even with a Rainbow IF the user has followed instructions and emptied the machine and rinsed the basin,there would be no reason it would have been that difficult to clean out.
The same idea with a substance like cement dust or fireplace ash. I COULD pick it up with any machine but I would not do it as it stops up the bags pores and filters and in the case of the Rainbow the cement dust would mix with water.

As you saw in my pictures I have used my Rainbow to clean the dirt from my garage floor for years but I never left it in the basin just the same as I would not leave dirt dirt in a paper bag or bin to breed bacteria and odors in a beautiful old Hoover or Electrolux.
 
Kitty litter ...

"You would need to understand that most posters on this web site collect and love their machines, so no matter what make or model I would not pick up kitty litter in one of my machines be it a Hoover or Fantom or Rainbow. "

So what would you pick up the kitty litter with, if not a vacuum?
 
NYCwriter

I do own two cats and so if clay cat litter is made to absorb moisture and clump into balls of clay, that's no common sense? MMMMKKK

Take your 900 dollar Miele and clean out the fireplace ashes with it. It's a vacuum, right? That's what it's made for!
 
Using My Rainbow

NYCWriter,

I got right on the phone and called a good friend that has 4 cats and asked him the same question. He is NOT a vac collector or has any interest in vacuums. He uses his non electric carpet sweeper on his carpets and a wisk broom and dust pan on the hard surface. He never uses any vacuum unless it is just a few particles from their paws as they leave the box.
It was funny as he could not imagine why I would ask such a question.
 
Using the Rainbow

NYCWriter,
I just thought this example mght help:

I cook 2 meals a day. If I were to let the dirty dishes and pot and pans sit they would be very hard to clean. As soon as dinner is done,I get up wash the dishes and put them away.

Same with dirty clothes. As soon as I get a load of dirty clothes they go right in the Magtag. If I were to let dirty gym clothes sit all week,they would be more difficult to clean.
Thats all I was trying to point out. I would not pick up kitty litter in any large quanity with any machine but it sure would not work in a water filtration system if you were not going to rinse out the basin after each use.
 
Rob, that Rexair looks great!! And I agree about the older vacuums being built good. I have a 46 Hoover and it still runs strong.
 
Fireplace ash and vacuums

Yes,you could use any vacuum for that matter to clean your fireplace-excepting a Rainbow and most bagless vacuums-IF you use the your bagged vacuum to clean out your fireplace----PLEASE for the sake of your home-or your LIFE and others in the house--remove the bag from the vacuum and put it in a METAL container OUTSIDE your house until trash pickup day.Fireplace embers can remain alive for weeks or even a month buried in ash-ash is an almost perfect heat insulator.Have seen more than one vacuum damaged beyond repair and houses burned down or almost burnt down from vacuuming ash and the householder put the vacuum away to find the embers vacuumed up fanned to being hot again from the airflow in the vacuum cleaner.And ash will clog and fill bags quickly.BEST -use the ash shovel and brush-and the metal ash container for fireplace-woodstove cleanups.
 
"there are just some things you don't want to vacuum up that isn't good for your vacuum."

But kitty litter that the cat has tracked all over the house is most definitely the "usual" stuff you need to vacuum up on a regular basis.
 
Using My Rainbow

Rex,
Thanks for the tip about the fireplace ash. I did not realize the embers would would last so long. I wwll sure be more careful about what I put them in now.
I have been guilty of dumping them in a plastic trash bin in the garage.
Good Advise!
 
Shop vacs

If you're vacing fireplace ash or clay kitty litter, use a Shop Vac!

I use either my 1988 Craftsman 8-gallon wet/dry or Ridgid WD1956 or WD1670 for those jobs that can ruin ordinary vacuums.
 
Shop vacs

If you're vacing fireplace ash or clay kitty litter, use a Shop Vac!

I use either my 1988 Craftsman 8-gallon wet/dry or Ridgid WD1956 or WD1670 for those jobs that can ruin ordinary vacuums.
 
Shop Vac for ash-if you use one of these-be sure to use a Shop-Vac Drywall paper bag inside-so much easier to get rid of the ash-The yellow colored bags you can find at Lowes.And be sure the vac has the pleated HEPA filter.Keeps ash residue out of the fans and motor and your room.Originally Shop Vacs weren't designed to filter real fine debris unless equipped with the proper bags and filters.If you use the Shop vacuum without the bag and the filters alone-it will clog quickly-and what a MESS!Ash is sticky-difficult to clean off filters and the vacuums drum.
 
williamr1248:I have seen so many fires caused in homes from people picking up ash from fireplaces and wood stoves in their homes-even ash that is a few months old.One vac dealer had a burnt Sharp upright on a pedistal in his shop and pictures of homes burned down from vacuuming ash--he used to say "Stupid People""They never learn!"This was when I lived in the Manassas,Va area near Wash DC.If you frequently clean fireplaces and stoves-all metal ash vacuums like what was discused for the cremations are available.Frequent woodstove users have them.It is amazing the insulating power of ash---after all--tiles made from ceramic "ash" insulated the Space Shuttle on ReEntry back to Earth!My Dad always used the metal ash shovel and brushes for cleaning his fireplace or stove-and he put the ash in the metal ash bucket.And then he put the ash in a metal trash can for trash pickup-even trash collectors can be leary of ash-it can cause trash truck fires!
 

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