Thread Number: 29495
/ Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
A LITTLE REVIEW OF THE NEW KIRBY AVALIR SHAMPOO SYSTEM |
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Post# 329224 , Reply# 1   7/13/2015 at 23:59 (3,180 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Post# 329229 , Reply# 2   7/14/2015 at 04:34 (3,179 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)   |   | |
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I have used the Avalir Shampooer after I first got mine several months ago. I agree with you. It shampooed my carpet well, but Kirby needs to put back the flexible hose going from the tank to the shampooer. A shorter flexible version with the same ends that attach to the suds screen cap....would fix the problem.
I had to look in my manual to see the picture of how the brush should be installed. I too feel like it would work either way.... PR-21 |
Post# 329235 , Reply# 3   7/14/2015 at 08:19 (3,179 days old) by Jeschbac (Texas)   |   | |
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Go right ahead. I hope there are people from Kirby Headquarters that read these posts from time to time! |
Post# 329236 , Reply# 4   7/14/2015 at 08:48 (3,179 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Post# 329238 , Reply# 5   7/14/2015 at 08:57 (3,179 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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Call me crazy, but the shampooer is one part of the Kirby Avalir I feel should be discontinued. Carpet shampooing is so outdated & leaves so much dirt & detergent residue behind, & nowhere near as efficient as a carpet extractor. I would NEVER use my Kirby carpet shampooer kit, it's for show only. What Kirby should develop, is a way for the Kirby to scrub in a product such as Host dry carpet cleaner, or Capture.
Rob |
Post# 329249 , Reply# 6   7/14/2015 at 11:42 (3,179 days old) by Jeschbac (Texas)   |   | |
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I've never had bad results, and my carpets don't resoil faster because of this process. The crap I pull out of those carpets every 6 months is amazing. |
Post# 329259 , Reply# 7   7/14/2015 at 14:20 (3,179 days old) by charleskirby66 (Manteca, CA)   |   | |
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I purchased the Avalir Multi-Surface Shampoo System for my Mom's Sentria II. I also found the shampoo delivery tube to be stiff and awkward to attach. I found that attaching it to the nozzle part first, then up into the tank, made it *slightly* easier to manipulate. Still tricky though.
I used the system to "mop" her kitchen floors, which are dark wood. I used the cleaning nozzle without any water in the tank, just sprayed the ready-to-use solution onto the floor and let the Kirby scrub it up. I thought it did a good job of loosening up tough grease,and oil. My mom, however, did NOT like the job it did. She complained that it left a residue on her floors, which she later mopped up by hand. Kinda disappointing, because I really wanted this system to provide her with some ease in keeping her kitchen floors immaculate, as she likes. All in all, I am a fan of the new shampoo system. I would prefer a more flexible shampoo delivery tube, as we've all mentioned, however I love the job it does on carpets and really like the mop function, no matter what Mom says. :-) |
Post# 329267 , Reply# 9   7/14/2015 at 16:18 (3,179 days old) by charleskirby66 (Manteca, CA)   |   | |
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I think your intuition is correct. There is probably some detergent residue being left behind. My Mom mops her floors with vinegar-water only, as well. I think that's probably a winning combination... vinegar-water and Kirby power.
I noticed that there were streaks left behind from the wheels, which occurred to me as food particles and such getting stuck to the wheels and tracked behind. However, given the ease of scrubbing while using the Kirby to mop, I would gladly hand-mop the left behind streaks in order to avoid hand-mopping the entire floor. We shall see, I really hope it works! Please do keep me updated as to your results! |
Post# 329271 , Reply# 10   7/14/2015 at 17:25 (3,179 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )   |   | |
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Post# 329275 , Reply# 11   7/14/2015 at 18:54 (3,179 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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Ha! Jeschbac, there ya go, you just contradicted yourself! How can you be pulling crap out of your carpets every 6 months with the Kirby shampooer if it doesn't leave a residue behind to attract dirt & cause re-soiling? You just proved by your own statement that it DOES leave a residue & causes re-soiling! Any dry foam carpet shampoo system, such as Kirby, Aerus Floor Pro & Koblenz, to name a few examples, are old & outdated, & so ineffective there should be consumer warnings about them. Capture & Host are much better alternatives for consumers to clean their carpets at home who are worried about using a extraction cleaner & over-wetting their carpets.
If you REALLY think your Kirby isn't leaving residue behind & causing re-soiling, here's a challenge for you....Go down to your local store & rent a Rug Doctor, use it to clean your carpeting & rinse afterwards with plain hot water, & then rent it again 6 months later. I bet it won't get up nearly as much dirt after 6 months have passed that you are getting with your Kirby shampooer now. Rob |
Post# 329336 , Reply# 12   7/15/2015 at 15:16 (3,178 days old) by charleskirby66 (Manteca, CA)   |   | |
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@Rob
How, you ask? They are intruders called "dust, dirt, grit, oils, and debris". They begin to accumulate on and in your carpets from the moment you finish vacuuming and/or shampooing. The carpets in a home act as indoor air filters. Anything that goes into the air of your home settles into your carpets. This includes cooking oils, polishes, hairspray, skin oil, dust, dead skin, dust mites and their faeces, etc. This is what Jeschbac is pulling out of carpets every 6 months. |
Post# 329347 , Reply# 13   7/15/2015 at 16:31 (3,178 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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Yes, that's exactly right. And that's also the reason WHY dry foam shampoo systems are a poor choice to clean carpeting. The sticky residue they leave behind will definitely help attract dirt & cause carpet re-soiling much faster than using a extraction cleaner. The fact that you can rinse the carpet after extraction cleaning is a MAJOR advantage that method of carpet cleaning offers.
Rob |
Post# 329361 , Reply# 15   7/15/2015 at 20:09 (3,178 days old) by charleskirby66 (Manteca, CA)   |   | |
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I have shampooed with different Kirby systems many times, on more than just my carpets. I have never experienced this "sticky residue" that is all the rage of this thread. I check the carpets' drying-progress after they are shampooed, with bare (clean) feet, and have never felt this "sticky residue" at all. However, I, like Jeschbac, am a stickler for following instructions explicitly to the letter.
I have heard of "over-foaming" due to using too much Kirby shampoo... I wonder if this is where the "sticky residue" is coming from, using too much Kirby suds solution? |
Post# 329511 , Reply# 20   7/17/2015 at 16:39 (3,176 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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Yes, I would agree with you the Kirby carpet shampoo system is a safe process. But effective? NO!
All the carpet extractor manufacturers recommend that if you are cleaning a carpet which has been carpet shampooed previously that a Anti-Foam solution be used in the recovery tank. Rug Doctor even markets & sells their own Anti-Foam solution. The reason you can't feel that sticky residue with your hand is because it settles at the base of your carpets, where it attracts the dirt & the dirt settles in. Also, notice how only ONE carpet manufacturer reccommends dry foam carpet cleaning? And although the Kirby Avalir carpet shampoo system gets a Gold by the Carpet & Rug Institute, they rate the Rug Doctor extractors Platinum....so there ya go, there's PROOF you can't dispute by a independent testing body with scientifically proven techniques that carpet extractors do a better job cleaning carpets than carpet shampooers. "Why would I want a second machine to store and use only every six months or so when one contraption does it all???" Well, I would want that second machine if it deep cleaned carpets better than a all-in-one system would. Even if I did prefer to store a all-in-one system instead of a separate vacuum & carpet extractor, I would much prefer buy, use & store a Rainbow E4 Black than a Kirby, it's Aquamate carpet extractor attachment would do a MUCH BETTER job than Kirby's carpet shampooer, & I could live with filling & dumping the water to vacuum each time. Rex - Host may be classed as a "maintenance system", but when used correctly & on a proper schedule, it CAN take the place of carpet extractors & carpet shampooers, & produce equal results. There's a reason why there are LOTS of professional carpet cleaners that have switched from truck-mounted extraction systems to Host....IT WORKS, & it can also be safer. Also note that for Oriental & Persian rugs, carpet shampooers & carpet extractors are NOT an option....the only way to clean those rugs is to either use Host or Capture, or have the carpets sent off to be professionally cleaned in a factory. I do own a Persian rug, & have used Host a couple of times to clean it, with fantastic results. Rob www.carpet-rug.org/Carpet-for-the... www.carpet-rug.org/CRI-Testing-Pr... |
Post# 329516 , Reply# 21   7/17/2015 at 17:51 (3,176 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)   |   | |
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I've always got on great with the Kirby shampoo system when used as directed with genuine Kirby shampoo. We even had a professional shampoo a carpet with a extractor system (I forget the name of the machine he used at this moment in time) and I'd say the Kirby got better results. The carpet seems to of got dirtier quicker as well.
Why I understand that there are extractor systems rated better than the Kirby in the (platinum level) there are plenty of extractor systems in the same (gold) level as the Kirby and plenty of extractor systems rated worse than the Kirby in the (silver and bronze) levels. So to say this method is bad and this one is good isn't true.
But at the end of the day the Kirby has still meets the CRI gold level standards for
And for a domestic home shampooer system that's very good. So yes it is effective.
James
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Post# 329518 , Reply# 22   7/17/2015 at 18:02 (3,176 days old) by sptyks (Skowhegan, Maine)   |   | |
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Well Rob, I noticed that on the second link you provided, The Kirby Avalir has won the CRI Gold seal of approval for it's carpet shampoo system.
I use my Kirby shampoo system every 6 months with excellent results. My carpets do not re-soil themselves shortly after shampooing.
You should refrain from trouncing on another's opinion just because their Avalir shampoo results differs from your own. Just sayin. |
Post# 329521 , Reply# 23   7/17/2015 at 18:52 (3,176 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )   |   | |
This post has been removed by the member who posted it. |
Post# 329545 , Reply# 26   7/18/2015 at 07:03 (3,175 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )   |   | |
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Post# 329568 , Reply# 27   7/18/2015 at 10:33 (3,175 days old) by cuffs054 (monticello, ga)   |   | |
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I use both the Kirby and a Bissell steamer depending on mood. Pleased with both. Tolivac made an excellent point. I don't want to use some rental machine that was used to clean up after the pet cat puked up a colon. |
Post# 383580 , Reply# 30   1/4/2018 at 20:22 (2,274 days old) by Paul (USA)   |   | |
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It's pretty easy to observe that the dry foam method is greener in terms of the lesser amount of water heated, used, and discarded compared to the extraction method. |