Best Shark Carpet Shampooers & Steamers

This little machine is the best spot cleaner I have ever had. Definitely the best on the market today. Show details

We have 2 adorable Labradors who love to be in the house with us. Unfortunately, they do tend to bring the outside in with them. Our old VAX wet/dry… Read more

vac was too old, messy and inefficient. So, we invested in a new carpet cleaner. We did our research and decided on the Shark CarpetXpert to fulfill our requirements. We purchased the Shark from Good Guys in Ipswich QLD with extra fluids to supplement the meagre included consumables. We have hard floors throughout our house but we do have a rug in the lounge that dogs like to lay on, so that's the primary use for this machine. We have used this machine several times now and we are very impressed with the results. It's perfect for the small area we need to clean. One thing I will mention which is not in the literature, is the method of operation. You need to draw the machine slowly back to you after pushing forward. This helps the brush and suction lift the dirt. Don't try to use it like a vacuum cleaner with quick movements. As with all products you buy, there's good things and bad things to report. So, I will elaborate on both of those.

First the BAD:- -The machine has a water tank that holds only a couple of litres of water plus the proprietary cleaning solution in dilution. -The cleaning solution is the ONLY one that the manufacturer authorises and is quite expensive. We did try a third party product but it was a failure as it foamed excessively and made a mess so we only use the Shark cleaning solution now. -The rug we use it on is only 4.8 square meters. The machine uses an entire tank full of water just on this small area. -The dirty water tank is located just below the clean water tank and looks to have the same volume. However, has a shut-off mechanism that operates when the tank is only about third full. I wouldn't want to try and clean an entire house with this unit as you'd be constantly emptying the dirty water and filling the clean water while consuming a truckload of (expensive) cleaning fluid. -The machine is quite noisy but I guess that is understandable as it does create a lot of suction. -The machine weighs a lot but the wheels make it easy to manoeuvre. -There is a small OXY Multiplier liquid tank to assist the cleaning solution to remove stains. When removed from the machine it does tend to leak a small amount of liquid. The OXY fluid is basically a hydrogen peroxide formula so being careful where and how it gets stored is vital unless you want to damage the surface it is placed on. -The power cord does not retract within the machine as per other vacuum cleaners. However, I know why they haven't as this would make the machine heavier and bulkier than it already is. -Cleaning solution is too expensive.

Now the GOOD:- -The rug we clean is mainly white and looks reasonably clean already. However, the Shark gets the dirt out that we can't see. The rug looks brand new after machining it. The dirty water tank gets filled with a disgusting amount of very, very dirty water. So, obviously looks can be deceiving, it gets the dirt we are unaware of. -The ergonomics are excellent. The handle which is at a forward angle looks weird until you start using it as the angle of the machine in operation matches the natural hand position of the operator. -Power cord storage. As the machine doesn't have a retractable cord storage, there is a pair of tabs that the cord winds onto. This is mounted on the back of the machine with a small clip moulded into the plug to grip a loop of cord to retain the plug in storage. To save having to unwind the cord for use, the tabs rotate toward each other to allow the cord to simply 'fall' off from it's storage position. This is convenient and less hassle than other mechanisms. -The machine has a spot clean attachment (that we haven't tried yet) but with how impressed we are with this machine, I'm sure it would work just as well. -There is a small brush like device under the cleaning head. It turns the water on and off. The water is only applied in the forward motion and off when you pull back, thus saving water and not getting the carpet too wet. -The machine has a DRY function too. This is used after you've finished WET cleaning. The rotating brush deactivates and the water is turned off. You use the machine in the same way as wet cleaning but now the excess water is sucked out of the carpet aiding and shortening drying time. -The cleaning head is a clear plastic thing that lets you see the water and dirt being removed from the carpet in cleaning mode. In dry mode you can see the water being sucked up as the carpet gets less wet. You can then see the change with less wet streaks appearing in the clear head indicating the dryness of the carpet. -The machine requires very little maintenance. Only the cleaning head requires cleaning after use. The cleaning head comes apart easily and everything is just rinsed with clean water and dried before storage.

Would I recommend this machine?

YES. It's very good at what it does.