Why don’t newer machines have carpet fluffers??

[rivstg1]

Here is one of my 3 Kirby’s w/carpet fluffers.....these work great on fluffing up beat down carpets . What do you think modern vacuum companies don’t have a similar product available? Perhaps there are, but I’m not aware of them. Curiously , even Kirby doesnt offer them anymore....was it just becacause they’ve fallen out of favor with the buying public ?

 

[luxkid1980]

Doesn't Kirby call this the Rug Renovator? I thought they were primarily for use after shampooing a carpet. There are some vacuum only machines that more or less "fluff" the carpet up as you vacuum, depending on the pile of the carpet. Orecks do a pretty good job of this. Electrolux/Aerus power nozzles also do a good job.

 

[rivstg1]

rug renovator

Yes, it is part of the Rug Renovator package....but the shampooer is separate ..... this rotating brush does more than powerful vacuum cleaners.....it brushes the carpet...raising it up. I have a Royal upright as well as Kirbys....they can really 'lift' the carpet they are so powerful, but, the brushing of the Renovator fluffer does even more.

 

[luxkid1980]

Interesting. I've never seen one in action. Perhaps they have fallen out of flavor with the buying public, sort of like those other attachments that used to be available on Electrolux vacuums like the vaporizer or add-on carpet shampooers. Consumers today will settle for junk sold at big box stores based on the pretty color of the plastic.

 

[vacuumdevil]

I think the short answer would be that most modern vacuums lift the carpet up without that. since a lot of new vacuums also have a different air flow /Air Lift pattern that dose the job .
Example SEBO x4

I would also ad wet carpet extraction tends to lift carpet very well.

 

[pr-21]

You can still find the floor polisher kits that can also be used as a carpet fluffer or you could


buy a new floor polisher brush that will fit any G or Sentria series and use it with the shampoo 


nozzle. I just used mine on my Kirby Avalir, last week. You do have to be careful not to damage


your carpet by fluffing too much or going over the same area too many times as it can damage


carpets. I only have plush carpet and would not use it on Frieze carpet ever......another way to lift


carpet nap is with an Electrolux shampooer that has what are called nap lifters.


 


PR-21


Bud

 

[huskyvacs]

I think a better question to ask would be; "why don't newer homes have carpet"

Thanks to most home improvement shows that describe of carpet as "high maintenance" and a "germ trap" and encourage people to replace carpet with hardwood floors.

I was looking at newer homes in my area that are for sale - none have wall to wall carpet. Just some expensive area rugs over 12 feet.

I'm guilty of the hardwood floor, but mine is 60 years old and was under the carpet since the house was built. Cats ruined my carpeting and it all had to go to remove the odor. I do have commercial low pile in my basement that is wall to wall though.

 

[tolivac]

Think "HuskyVacs" has the answer-fewer homes have carpets.Maybe bring back home type buffers and floor machines.

 

[rivstg1]

I agree on the popularity of hardwoods...

but it just seems no maker of vacuums makes or has made in a long while the flutters. Yes, I did see the Kirby Sentria models had them too....downplayed....I guess b/c of what HuskyVacs pointed out . Now that I think about it, Kirby had them for every model till the Avalir ( yes, PR-21, good point, you could kinda 'make one' too out of the parts). Understandable why people like the lack of 'germ trap' of carpet....I was on my way to de-carpeting lots of my home as well till this year....when I really discovered Kirby's..... now, I want NEW carpet! haha I wonder when the pendulum will swing back?

 

[kirby519]

What you have is the miracle head on the Kirby.

Originally it's purpose was for buffing hard wood floors with paste wax. As plush carpet came into favor it was discovered that the miracle head could be used to raise the nap of the carpet. Not always the best idea. Using the Miracle head on some carpets can cause the yarns to loose their twist that give the yarns their strength and rigidity to stand up and not become a matted down mess.

Other than Kirby the only other company that had any thing like that was Royal. It was a separate brush roller like on the miracle head that was changed out for the regular carpet vacuuming brush roll. Most companies now days have brush rolls with very stiff bristles to groom the carpet.

 

[huskyvacs]

@ kirby519

Can the Miracle Head be used on a large wool area rug? It's not been cared for and is nearly a decade old so it's kind of flat in some spots. I figured I'd try the tool and see what happens.

 

[human]

Yes, I think that's the answer. There's little need for a carpet fluffer when there aren't that many carpets around to be fluffed. Add to that the fact that most of today's carpets are close-piled and don't really need all that much fluffing. That accessory was likely at the height of its popularity back when shag carpet was popular. Now that stuff needed serious fluffing on a regular basis!

 

[kirby519]

@huskyvacs

I wouldn't recommend using the Miracle head on a Wool rug. That kind of excessive agitation would pull out fibers. A much better option is to buy a carpet rake to restore the nap of the carpet.

Wool carpets shed fibers. Most recommend using a straight suction carpet tool for regular maintenance. Occasional vacuuming with a brush roller designed for delicate carpets would be acceptable for a thorough deep cleaning every few weeks.

Again some agitators on the new vacuums are far to aggressive for natural fiber carpets and area rugs. The excessive agitation will do more damage in the long run than good.

http://www.jondon.com/grandi-groom....rm=1100012576252&utm_content=All prods - Bing

 

[madman]

I think it has a lot to do with home fashion trends. Husky makes a good point, but I'll do it one better: carpet styles these days tend to have very short nap. Probably don't get matted down as easily.

 

[ultralux88]

This is my theory...

Back in the day of rug flutters, most vacuums used the much softer and less stiff bore's hair brush bristles, they worked, but they didn't agitate the nap as effectively as the nylon bristles we have now. Add to that the transition from a brush and beater to all brush brush rolls, largely because the stiffer bristles provided the beating and sweeping at the same time, and a separate, super aggressive fluffing on occasion really wasn't necessary anymore, as the normal vacuuming was now thoroughly getting the nap fluffed every time the vacuum was used. 

 

[rivstg1]

Ultralux88

Now that....makes the most sense yet, thank you

 

[rivstg1]

Heritage II goes to work

Well, it’s back to fluffing for me, haha. This time, it’s the Heritage 2 doing the honors. If you have a Kirby rug renovator set with this, I recommend you pulling it out to help that carpet stand up again !! Also, it just feels good under your feet !!

 

[dartman]

I like my carpets, they feel great on my feet and are warm during winter. All my vacuums do a great job of raising the knap and making them look nice. I hate that they get dark in the traffic areas and get lumpy as they get older and stretch. We need to shampoo ours now being about 6 years old. I would like to set up a bird room with vynil or composite flooring because of his mess. I guess everyone is now scared of germs and like that and some older homes with good quality hardwood floors should stay that way but my 96 manufactured home thats the way it came except for kitchen and bathrooms where vynil makes sense.

 

[bryan1980]

I'll second what human said

Where there is carpet anymore, it's always low-pile stuff that can't be "fluffed" anyways.