I’ve always made it clear that I have a love and hate relationship with cleaning. I hate the thought of it, but I actually, quite enjoy it once I’m doing it. But when I do clean, I like to do it properly. Otherwise, what’s the point! This is where I’ve been having issues with our carpet. The carpet upstairs in our house travels along the landing, into the boys rooms, our room and stops just outside the bathroom. We now have a lovely array of toothpaste and Calpol stains that haven’t quite been shifted as we have two little ones. That, plus the general dirt that lot’s of tiny socks seem to make on the grey carpet!
We were recently sent the Vax Platinum Smart Wash to review and I couldn’t have been happier. I’ve wanted to get a cleaner for our carpet for months, but the cost of hiring one (£150 a time – eeeek!) really seemed daunting! At least with this, two uses and technically you’ve already saved money. But I have to admit, I was intrigued to know if it was actually going to make much of a difference, well I can tell you now, it did!
What is the Vax Platinum SmartWash?
The Vax Platinum SMartWash machine is a next-generation automatic cleaning technology machine that is designed to wash carpets regularly and effectively, with minimal effort required.
How Does The Vax Platinum SmartWash work?
The Vax Platinum SmartWash is the UK’s first carpet washer with Motion Sense technology. This means you don’t have to press a trigger to dispense water or soap. When you push the machine forward (like a vacuum cleaner) it dispenses water and Vax Antibac solution. Then when you pull the machine backwards, it automatically switches to drying! It’s pretty amazing! There’s also a little light that lets you know what mode it’s in, so you know it’s doing the right thing.
How Long Does It Take To Set Up The Vax Platinum SmartWash?
I don’t know about you but assembling new technology and appliances is a pet hate, I always worry it’s going to be fiddly and long-winded. But I have to say, the Vax Platinum SmartWash was one of the easiest things to put together I’ve ever had, especially considering it does such a complex job.
Ultimately, you only have to put the handle onto the base and that’s pretty much it! Then you just fill the solution tank (which slides on and off) and then fill the water tank with clean warm water and slide that back on too. You’re literally good to go! I’d say it took 10 minutes the first, time which included me reading the instructions THOROUGHLY because I hated the thought of breaking it and also taking pics of my set-up. So that tells you it was super quick!
How Do You Use The Vax Platinum SmartWash?
It’s so simple to use. Make sure you give your carpets a vacuum beforehand. Put the water in the water tank and the Vax Platinum Antibacterial Solution (included!) in the solution tank. It’s worth pointing out that the Platinum SmartWash kills over 99% of bacteria too. Also, just to say, the fact it has two separate compartments for water and cleaning solutions means you never have to worry about mixing cleaner, creating a bubble hurricane or not adding enough, it does it all for you! This machine also comes with some Vax Pre-Treatment spray which you just spray over the carpet or surface you’re about to clean beforehand. It helps get up those extra tough stains too.
Then you just plug it in, press the release pedal and pull the handle backwards. It’s a little weighty but not too bad. You then slowly just push the machine backwards and forwards. My tip is to make sure you go slowly. I had to remind myself that it isn’t a vacuum and it’s a cleaner, so slow and steady wins the race here. It is pretty gross (but amazing!) when you take a step back and see all the dirty water that’s been sucked back up by the machine, it made me realise just how dirty my carpets were, despite me trying to keep them clean! The machine has specially designed flexible bristles to really get into the carpet and clean effectively.
I found that at first, it left my carpet feeling quite damp, so I gave it a once over using the dryer only (you can actually see the water being sucked up which is pretty cool!) and it really made a difference. The dry only mode is perfect for bathtime escapes too! Sometimes my little ones run out of the bathroom soaking wet leaving a puddle behind them, a once over with this helps to dry it super quick!
The main base is great for standard carpets and floors and has quite a wide coverage. It also comes with a SpinScrub hand tool and 2-in-1 Antimicrobial tool which both fits onto the front of the machine with a hose. The spinscrub is definitely for smaller, tougher stains and is really quite a little whizz, the 2-in-1 Antimicrobial tool is great for stairs and places like the car! Both of these seem to dispense more water, so go slowly so you don’t overdo it. But they really are great at getting into tighter spots and tougher stains.
How To Clean The Vax Platinum SmartWash
I was slightly concerned about the cleaning of the Vax Platinum SmartWash as it really did pick up some real dirt and grime. But it was really simple. The water tank just slides off like before and there’s a little filter in there that can be rinsed in warm water. You can also remove the brush bars and the nozzles (the bits that dispense and clean) really easily and just rinse them in warm water. Once you’ve done it the first time, it’s really easy.
Before and After Using the Vax Platinum SmartWash
I really noticed a difference instantly in my carpet. The toothpaste stains completely went and the Calpol almost fully disappeared. There were a couple of other random stains that had gone too and overall my carpets look super fresh and revived. I know that if you started using this on brand new carpets, you’d keep your carpets looks new for probably triple the amount of time, if not more! If you’re thinking of getting this for older carpets (like mine) it’s definitely recommended. It gives carper a huge refresh and I’ve gone from thinking we need to get new carpet altogether to just giving it a good clean! Pretty amazing and the money you’ll save in the long run is pretty epic too.
Find out more about the Vax Platinum SmartWash Here!
