vacuum cleaner

ene

i hope someone can give me some advice! i bought a dyson cordless to try to attack the amount of dog hair lotso sheds and it keeps getting clogged (maybe a combination of one dog and 2 long haired mums!).

So i need a recommendation for a good vacuum cleaner that is not too heavy and awkward or that big and preferably one thats not too expensive is well!

tk123

I'm sorry for your troubles but so glad I didn't get one now!! I was all set to get one and then got a miele that was on sale with all the bells and whistles! I kept seeing videos of miele vs dyson and dyson would go over a carpet a few times and it looked really clean, next the miele would have one pass and pick up what the dyson had left behind.

A few years ago I picked up a "dog hair remover" in the €1.49 shop which is essentially...a squeegee!!! We have wooden floors with mats in the kitchen and hall - i.e. the main slipping areas to protect the dogs legs so go over them with the squeegee first before vacuuming to save on bags (I wanted more suction and less dust so went with a bagged miele) and to save having to unclog the turbo heads both in the miele and in our last vac - I had gotten brilliant turbo heads for it on zooplus!
It's like the one in this pic but doesn't have any writing on it..a word of warning it was lost for a couple of weeks (in the first place we looked - ha!) and I picked one up in homestore that lasted all of 2 outings - it needs a rubber blade like the one in the pic rather than a thin strip of rubber glued on!
If you have all carpets this is probably no help to you though(!)

Squeegee :


5 mins with the squeege (I do brush them honest!!) :

DBB

I've had a Dyson and currently have a Miele... There's no comparison between them I think! The Miele is a far better machine.
I actually became really put off the bagless vacuum idea, because no matter what you do, emptying the canister is a dirty job... I'm sure it's not good to be inhaling the plume, visible and invisible, that results from even careful emptying. For me, being able to just dispense of the bag seems cleaner and safer, though having to buy bags (and filters) is the trade-off. You can get spurious bags a fair bit cheaper online.
Just to round this off, I've also had a Vax. I would never buy another one.

PurplePrincess

Another vote for Miele here too, I have mine a few years and it's still going strong. Some good deals around too, Currys/Powercity/DID/Harvey Normans.

Nody

Add a third vote for Miele; made the same trip from a 150 EUR bagless Dyson Animal & Pet to a 180 EUR Miele with bags and it's noticeable difference (beyond the lack of having to clean out that bloody bagless net, I'd spend 30 min every time washing and dragging to get it clean from the hair etc.) esp. in sucking power (the Miele only tapers off once the bag is full while the Dyson lost it after 15 min).

DBB

One other thing... The Miele I have is a pretty basic model, it's not a specialised pet one or anything. When I saw that the staff in Power City were using the same model to vacuum the shop, I knew it'd probably be ok! I have two very hairy dogs (and one that doesn't shed), and with daily walks on the beach, the vacuum has it all to do between sand, mud, and hair. Lots of it. But it does the job well.

ene

ok so what miele one would people recommend?

tk123

I posted in another thread the other day but the genuine bags have been going up and down on Amazon for the last week or so - the ones we use dropped to £7.50 last Sunday so I stocked up! We've gotten the fake ones and they filled up and spilled a bit so think we'll stick to the genuine ones from now on!

..Our miele replaced a €35 Electrolux from Argos we had for at least 6 years that we thought was grand with the zooplus turbo heads but crap compared to the miele.

BTW I got the one with the HEPA filter because it came with an extra head for wooden floors and was a nicer colour :pac: ... I've used it with the cat and dog/clean air filter and didn't notice any difference!

Pseudorandom

We have the pet Numatic (Harry) - i.e. the ones with the smiley face on the front, but the specific version for pets. Found it an amazing step over our last vacuum - the biggest thing if you have any carpets is to get one with a rotating brush. It gets all the hairs in one go instead of back and forth over and over again like the old vacuum used to be.

Lots of people recommending Miele, which is definitely a good brand, but try to get an option with a rotating brush for whatever brand you pick. Vacuuming the stairs used to be hell but is a breeze now.

tk123

Pseudorandom wrote: »

We have the pet Numatic (Harry) - i.e. the ones with the smiley face on the front, but the specific version for pets. Found it an amazing step over our last vacuum - the biggest thing if you have any carpets is to get one with a rotating brush. It gets all the hairs in one go instead of back and forth over and over again like the old vacuum used to be.

Lots of people recommending Miele, which is definitely a good brand, but try to get an option with a rotating brush for whatever brand you pick. Vacuuming the stairs used to be hell but is a breeze now.

Oh Harry was on my list too lol - good to get another option in case the Miele dies a death from being overworked!

I agree with the spinning turbo heads - they gave our old elecrolux a new lease of life! http://www.zooplus.de/shop/katzen/katzentoilette/staubsauger/138824 We still use the small one with the miele for the stairs (it came with a standard size one so we use that instead of the dirt devil one.
I'd assume the OP's dyson has a turbo head though and is just getting clogged up with hair - which is going to happen with any brand if it's longer hair that's being vacuumed like we have?

Knine

I have a Dyson animal one & it is crap. Can you get a bagless miele type? My dogs shed little to none but there is feathers, shavings & humans to deal with.

cocker5

ene wrote: »

i hope someone can give me some advice! i bought a dyson cordless to try to attack the amount of dog hair lotso sheds and it keeps getting clogged (maybe a combination of one dog and 2 long haired mums!).

So i need a recommendation for a good vacuum cleaner that is not too heavy and awkward or that big and preferably one thats not too expensive is well!

Also just to note.. have your tried salmon oil in your dogs food daily?
It can help reduce shedding.... just an idea!

Milly33

Always wanted a Dyson but have heard by many tis crap.. We got a handy one a Vortex last years Christmas pressie haha I love it.. We have a cat and dog and while they are short harid they shed a lot. Find this one great..Love the squeesy where can you get this

mozzy

A HENRY without doubt and I own a dog business !!!! Never fails and we have tried so so many

ene

cocker5 wrote: »

Also just to note.. have your tried salmon oil in your dogs food daily?
It can help reduce shedding.... just an idea!

well i think its a combination of lotso shedding and 2 long haired girls is well... maybe i blame lotso to much.

so looking into it a miele is about £200 (i am in brighton) or does someone have any cheaper alternative?

awanderer

mozzy wrote: »

A HENRY without doubt and I own a dog business !!!! Never fails and we have tried so so many

Sorry, I am kind of hijacking the thread. I have a James (Henry's little brother). I mainly have wooden floors and tiles so it does the job perfectly (and it is so much nicer when your vacuum cleaner smiles at you ). My only problem: it was not nade specially for pets and maybe for that reason, there is an awful smell of dog every time I hoover. Does anyone know how to get rid of that smell?

tk123

awanderer wrote: »

Sorry, I am kind of hijacking the thread. I have a James (Henry's little brother). I mainly have wooden floors and tiles so it does the job perfectly (and it is so much nicer when your vacuum cleaner smiles at you ). My only problem: it was not nade specially for pets and maybe for that reason, there is an awful smell of dog every time I hoover. Does anyone know how to get rid of that smell?

Have you tried changing the bag/filter?

awanderer

tk123 wrote: »

Have you tried changing the bag/filter?

Yes, the day I put a new bag it is ok, but the second time the smell is there, I have to open the windows everytime I vacuum. It is strange as my dog himself is not really smelly at all.

Nody

awanderer wrote: »

Yes, the day I put a new bag it is ok, but the second time the smell is there, I have to open the windows everytime I vacuum. It is strange as my dog himself is not really smelly at all.

Only guessing as I don't know the model but I'd look at replacing the filter (and check the area around the filter were the air is blowing out); could be something in there that's stuck/growing that's causing the smell.

Alun

Agree. Plus, you usually get a replacement filter with every pack of bags, at least you do for my Miele.

awanderer

Nody wrote: »

Only guessing as I don't know the model but I'd look at replacing the filter (and check the area around the filter were the air is blowing out); could be something in there that's stuck/growing that's causing the smell.

Alun wrote: »

Agree. Plus, you usually get a replacement filter with every pack of bags, at least you do for my Miele.

I will have a look at the filter. I didn't get any replacement with the bags but will check the filter in the morning and, if needed, clean or replace it.

kathleen37

*bah*

You've all made me want a Miele and I've always been a Dyson girl...

Nody

kathleen37 wrote: »

*bah*

You've all made me want a Miele and I've always been a Dyson girl...

Come join the dark side; we got cookies! :P

kathleen37

See - the cookies have sold it...

Just looking though, there is a big difference in price between what seems to be similar models of the Miele (looking at C3 ones) regular and cat and dog.

Has anyone tried both - and would paying the extra for the cat and dog be worth it?

Thank you!

tk123

kathleen37 wrote: »

See - the cookies have sold it...

Just looking though, there is a big difference in price between what seems to be similar models of the Miele (looking at C3 ones) regular and cat and dog.

Has anyone tried both - and would paying the extra for the cat and dog be worth it?

Thank you!

It's probably the heads/attachments. Ours came with standard, turbo and wooden floor heads as well as the little brushes/nozzles. When I got ours they were on offer - they run promotions all the time As I said earlier though we don't see any difference between the cat and dog/clean air and hepa filters.

bluecherry74

awanderer wrote: »

Sorry, I am kind of hijacking the thread. I have a James (Henry's little brother). I mainly have wooden floors and tiles so it does the job perfectly (and it is so much nicer when your vacuum cleaner smiles at you ). My only problem: it was not nade specially for pets and maybe for that reason, there is an awful smell of dog every time I hoover. Does anyone know how to get rid of that smell?

Try washing the filter - if it's like the filter in a Henry, it's very robust and you should be able to wash it in warm water/washing up liquid. The Harry (pet version) has a different type of filter that reduces the smell.

You can also add a few drops of essential oil to the filter and inside the bag which will help mask the smell a bit.

I used to have a Henry which I loved, but I hurt my back a few years ago and found it too heavy to drag around. Now I use a Dyson cordless for quick tidy ups. It would be useless on carpet though (I only have hard floors). My main vacuum cleaner is a Vax that I got in Argos for around €70. It's very powerful and light. I do miss my Henry's smiley face though!

jonon9

I own a Miele cat and dog myself and what a great vacuum it is. If I was to go down the bag less road I would have brought the Bosch animal Pro due to having a bigger canister than any Dyson on the market.

minterno

Miele cat and dog vac. I have mine about 5 years. Got it from Argos for just under 200 and worth every penny. Miles ahead of any other vaci have had. The on off button is stuck on now which means I have to plug out to turn off but my next one will be a miele again, very fast to get the job done and takes a lot of wear and tear, the bags can be a bit pricy but other than that their great

Nalz

Knine wrote: »

I have a Dyson animal one & it is crap. Can you get a bagless miele type? My dogs shed little to none but there is feathers, shavings & humans to deal with.

Which one do you have? I recently bought the dc58 hand one after recommendation and reviews on net. Yet to use it.