A New Household Member at the Home for Wayward Vacuum Cleaners ... Introducing Miss Regina!

~
~

Here's a 1960s Regina Floor-Care Machine that I saw at an estate sale. It was so grotty looking that I initially passed it by. But I looked at it a second time and saw it had some excellent Mid-Century design elements and colors. But I didn't want to pay $30.00 for it!

So the next day I emailed the guy running the estate sale and said that if the polisher didn't sell, I'd come back on the last ("Half Price!") day and pick it up. He replied that if it didn't sell, I could have it for free!

After the sale was over I emailed him again. It hadn't sold, so it was mine! I stopped by their next sale and he sent his helper with me to his van to fetch it. I got it home and a few days later gave it a full spa treatment.

I think it came out really beautifully, and I'm glad I didn't end up passing it by as I originally had done. It had looked like it was covered with rust and a restoration would be futile. But I heard it pitifully whispering "Please save me!" and I just couldn't turn a deaf ear to its pleas.

What I thought was rust turned out to be years of caked-on floor wax. I'd loved to have been a fly on the wall when it was being put to use. I just can't imagine what they were doing with it -- it was covered with splattered wax all the way up to the top of the cord.

Cleaning it up took a lot of elbow grease -- but, happily, I was able to completely restore its original finish without having to repaint it. I love the retro graphics on the front of the motor unit and the shampoo tank!

What made this a really nice find was all the accessories and literature that came with it! There was a whole box of stuff that I hadn't even seen!!

I had to sacrifice the "what's included" sticker on the tank, but making a replacement sticker on my Mac will be a simple task.

The thing about it that has me stumped is how to detach the brushes. No amount of tugging or prying will free them. Anyone know how?? Either there's some trick to it, or they're stuck on after being in place for decades.

See attached photos. (The metallic decals were hard to photograph because they're so shiny.)

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 12 View Full Size


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Post# 330145 7/26/2015 at 01:53 (3,197 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes 2 ~ ~ Here's a 1960s Regina Floor-Care Machine that I saw at an estate sale. It was so grotty looking that I initially passed it by. But I looked at it a second time and saw it had some excellent Mid-Century design elements and colors. But I didn't want to pay $30.00 for it! So the next day I emailed the guy running the estate sale and said that if the polisher didn't sell, I'd come back on the last ("Half Price!") day and pick it up. He replied that if it didn't sell, I could have it for free! After the sale was over I emailed him again. It hadn't sold, so it was mine! I stopped by their next sale and he sent his helper with me to his van to fetch it. I got it home and a few days later gave it a full spa treatment. I think it came out really beautifully, and I'm glad I didn't end up passing it by as I originally had done. It had looked like it was covered with rust and a restoration would be futile. But I heard it pitifully whispering "Please save me!" and I just couldn't turn a deaf ear to its pleas. What I thought was rust turned out to be years of caked-on floor wax. I'd loved to have been a fly on the wall when it was being put to use. I just can't imagine what they were doing with it -- it was covered with splattered wax all the way up to the top of the cord. Cleaning it up took a lot of elbow grease -- but, happily, I was able to completely restore its original finish without having to repaint it. I love the retro graphics on the front of the motor unit and the shampoo tank! What made this a really nice find was all the accessories and literature that came with it! There was a whole box of stuff that I hadn't even seen!! I had to sacrifice the "what's included" sticker on the tank, but making a replacement sticker on my Mac will be a simple task. The thing about it that has me stumped is how to detach the brushes. No amount of tugging or prying will free them. Anyone know how?? Either there's some trick to it, or they're stuck on after being in place for decades. See attached photos. (The metallic decals were hard to photograph because they're so shiny.) Photos... < > Photo 1 of 12 View Full Size

Post# 330155 , Reply# 1 7/26/2015 at 07:14 (3,197 days old) by tinytyke (Fairmont, WV)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Impressive* job on this machine! Congratulations on your new family member!

Post# 330158 , Reply# 2 7/26/2015 at 08:09 (3,197 days old) by constellation86 (Roy, UT)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Wow what a great job on the restoration! It could pass for NOS. I sure miss the pizzaz of mid century designs. Nicholas

Post# 330168 , Reply# 3 7/26/2015 at 10:26 (3,196 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *Looks like Miss Regina came back* from the dead. Kinda like in "The Wizard Of Oz", when they were all getting 'spruced up'...."Brush brush here, brush brush there and a couple of la di das"!! Nice job. John

Post# 330188 , Reply# 4 7/26/2015 at 16:23 (3,196 days old) by vacman1961 (North Babylon, New York)
Checkrate/Likes 1 OMG Charlie, that restoration looks fantastic !!!!!!

Post# 330203 , Reply# 5 7/26/2015 at 20:51 (3,196 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes What a nice score, Charles! And you sure cleaned her up & made her look purty :-) Rob

Post# 330216 , Reply# 6 7/26/2015 at 23:46 (3,196 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes *Holy transformations, Batman!* When I saw the first pic. I thought that thing was a real rust bucket but it turned out great. I guess that was just dried wax all over it. Seeing that thing opened up some forgotten (I wouldn't exactly call them 'repressed') childhood memories. We had one exactly like that! I don't recall my parents using it more than once or twice and I think they sold it at a yard sale sometime in the '70s.

Post# 330318 , Reply# 7 7/27/2015 at 22:55 (3,195 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *The final touch...* ~ ~ There was a paper decal on the tank that was dirty and damaged beyond repair or restoration. I had to destroy it in order to remove it. But that was a simple matter to put right, thanks to the miracle of modern computer technology! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size