Best device to clean hair from upholstry

First of all, I would not assume your Dirt Devil hand vac is dead. Those hand vacs in particular use a Ametek universal powerhead motor used by many brands, such as Filter Queen, TriStar & Eureka, to name a few. There is a good possibility that the motor may just need new carbon brushes. I would strongly suggest opening up your Dirt Devil & taking apart the motor. If the brushes are connected by a spring & wire to the field coils in the motor, then it's truly gone, no way you can replace those. BUT, if it is a older motor like I suspect where the brushes just have a spring attached & not the wire as well, you can order new carbon brushes, install them yourself, re-assemble & you're back in business.

As for the my fellow members suggestions about the Riccar & Simplicity hand vacuums, I would avoid them, as well as any modern bagless hand vac that has a HEPA filter in the cup. Those filters, especially small ones like these use, are a real pain in the butt to clean! Plus, you WILL eventually have to buy replacements, & more frequently than you may think. For the hassle of cleaning the filter & replacement costs, I cannot recommend them.

If you do decide to buy a replacement hand vacuum, I would agree with their suggestions in looking at local thrift shops & online craigslist ads to try & find a couple of older hand vacs with cloth bags to use, such as the Dirt Devil, Royal, Black & Decker, etc. Much easier to clean out & deal with on a regular basis, especially for someone like you cleaning multiple homes & very busy.

But, if you're willing to spend the $90 & buy new, Crazykirbydude's suggestion, the Aerus Little Lux hand vacuum, would be well worth the money spent & would be your best choice. A proven design that has been around since the mid 90's with only styling changes, the internals have not changed. Cloth bag would be easy to empty out & live with, plus it also has a geared permanent belt. The cost for the Simplicity & Riccar hand vacuums should be just as much, or more, than this, & won't be nearly as convenient for you to clean out the filter & live with day to day.

However, I would NOT suggest getting the Aerus Sidekick or Wessel Werk HEB160. Both these electric mini powerheads will work, BUT ultimately, any rotating brush you WILL have to cut the hair off the brushroll, & I have found you spend just as much time vacuuming the hair off as you do having to cut hair out of the brushroll. The Wessel Werk, in particular, is a really bad choice, as the brushroll openings on it are quite small, & their powerheads especially are more difficult than most to take apart yourself at home & clean out. For that reason alone, I cannot recommend ANY Wessel Werk powerhead. Plus, with the brushroll opening being smaller than most, you will find it more tedious & frustrating getting in there with small scissors & twezzers. The only way I suggest a solution with a rotating brush is if you want a hand vacuum not attached to a normal upright or canister.

The Simplicity Fur Get It & Riccar Pet Hair Beware tool, as suggested by Blackheart, does work. But, it has a quirky design with some limitations & is better suited to upholstery than carpet, which means it's ineffective on stairs. For the money they want for that tool, I don't think it's worth it.

Your REAL SOLUTION here is to get a dedicated pet hair upholstery tool that DOES NOT use a rotating brush, such as the one I have linked to below. I own this particular tool, & I find it works quite well. This is a old, proven design that has been made by various manufacturers since the 1980's. Simple, effective, & it WORKS! All you do is pull the tool back, it traps the hair on the felt pad, then push it forward & the hair slips off the and & is pulled in by the vacuum's suction. At the end, you will need to give the felt pad a quick swipe with the hose, but that's a minor thing really. It comes with a ring that you tighten down onto the hose, & loosen to take off, which means it can fit regular hoses or European size hoses, like Miele & Sebo vacuums. Replacement pads are available, & it's not that expensive at all, so this might be worth looking into, & it seems to fit what you need it for.

Rob

Carbon brushes: www.goodvac.com/Rainbow_D4_SE_noz...

Pet hair tool: www.dustdeal.com/shopBrowser.phpQ...


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Post# 387098 3/3/2018 at 14:23 (2,239 days old) by homecleaner (Columbus, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Hi all, I'm a professional home cleaner, and my Dirt Devil hand vac with a belt-driven brush roll just burned out, so I'm shopping around for a replacement. Many of my clients have pets, and the Dirt Devil did a decent job of removing hair from upholstery. The powered brushroll had more power than those turbo attachments, and the nozzle was much wider, allowing me to clean a sofa with fewer passes. I'm considering just buying the new Dirt Devil hand vac model, but I thought I'd get your all opinion first. Is there something else out there I should consider? Here's what I'm looking for in a solution in order of priority: 1. Effectiveness in removing hair from upholstery 2. Speed in cleaning a given piece of furniture 3. Lightweight (this is very low priority) I would prefer a corded device. I'd be surprised, but if there is a turbo-powered device that is better than other options, I'd be interested, too. View Full Size

Post# 387100 , Reply# 1 3/3/2018 at 15:09 (2,239 days old) by HonestJoe68 (Mansfield, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *@homecleaner* I highly recommend the Riccar Squire Hand Vacuum (or the Simplicity Twin �Spruce�)! They do an excellent job cleaning Pet Hair (I have a Chihuahua Corgi mix) and they are loaded with helpful feature. Two Speed Motor, LED lights, attached Hose that automatically stops the brushroll when you use it, it has a roller on the bottom that helps it glide smoothly over all kinds of furniture and carpet, it�s got HEPA filtration and a very easy to empty dirt canister. I don�t know of a better hand held vacuum, and I own or have owned dozens! It�s my go to for cleaning furniture and it�s very well built and durable. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.. I�d be glad to help. CLICK HERE TO GO TO HonestJoe68's LINK Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size

Post# 387101 , Reply# 2 3/3/2018 at 15:48 (2,239 days old) by blackheart (North Dakota)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *I'd reccomend* Looking at not a machine but rather a vacuum tool. The Simplicity Pet hair beware or Riccar fur get it tool. They are like a self cleaning lint brush they work very very well for removing hair. The prices on Simplicity's website are higher than in store. This will work with a 1.25" vacuum connection. CLICK HERE TO GO TO blackheart's LINK

Post# 387103 , Reply# 3 3/3/2018 at 16:28 (2,239 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)
Checkrate/Likes 1 The Aerus Little Lux is a great performer. Nothing can stop the brush, and the suction power is enormous. It's kind of pricey at $90, but it is corded and will las you many years. View Full Size

Post# 387114 , Reply# 4 3/3/2018 at 17:26 (2,239 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Hey* We have a fat lab that is a house dog with oak floors. Hair gets everywhere. The kirby Zipp brush cleans quicker and more efficient than anything else I've used. We get done look in bag you can make a pillow out of all the hair picked up. Les

Post# 387135 , Reply# 5 3/3/2018 at 19:36 (2,239 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 2 You should try the Eureka Easy Clean 71B. It�s pretty good on upholstery and has an on-board hose with a crevice tool to get into tight spaces. It also has a convenient way of wrapping the 23-foot cord. See link below.... CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK

Post# 387161 , Reply# 6 3/3/2018 at 22:40 (2,239 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I haven't tried many hand vacs, but I think the electric attachments like the Kenmore Pet Powermate or Electrolux Sidekick work great, but of course then you would need the whole canister vacuum to use it.

Post# 387164 , Reply# 7 3/3/2018 at 23:22 (2,239 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)
Checkrate/Likes 4 *Hey* Not a big Fan of the eureka that clogs way too easy. If we are talking handheld. The purple riccar would be nice. My wife has shark hand vacuum it's very powerful. We also have the new dirt devil hand vac and it's as powerful as shark with better brush agitation. Riccar or dirt devil are imo best hand vacs.

Post# 387167 , Reply# 8 3/4/2018 at 00:46 (2,239 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Just look for another DD Ultra hand vac-you see them show up at some vac shops.for getting hair and such from furniture these machines are better then the new hand vacs.Or look around for a Royal Prince hand vac from a thrift place.

Post# 387173 , Reply# 9 3/4/2018 at 07:38 (2,238 days old) by Luxkid1980 (Richmond, Virginia)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I agree with fan-of-fans. The Electrolux sidekick is great. I use it to clean cat hair from blankets and furniture. Powered tools are nice to have. Which full size machines do you currently use?

Post# 387439 , Reply# 20 3/7/2018 at 14:19 (2,235 days old) by HonestJoe68 (Mansfield, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes *@homecleaner* Hi Isaiah, Good idea, I have the Fur-Get-It tool and love it, they included it free when I got my Maytag M1200. I didn�t think about attachment tools as I was thinking hand held vacuums in particular. Anyway, glad you were able to get help and advice, everyone here has helped me a lot too.. great bunch of people. I must add one thing, I apologize for my passionate, bordering on rude comments. I get carried away as Vacuum Cleaners are such a part of my life and more than just a hobby. SO.. I got a little wound up and I apologize to everyone who read my posts.. I meant no disrespect but should have worded things a bit nicer. Best of Luck Isaiah and I hope your cleaning service is thriving and as another Ohio resident, if I know of anyone in Columbus who needs cleaning service.. I will contact you. Congrats and thanks for everyone�s patience with me. Have an excellent day! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size

Post# 387185 , Reply# 10 3/4/2018 at 09:19 (2,238 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *my suggestion* I would suggest the Wessel-Werk heb160 mini electric brush. This also would require a canister vacuum with an electric hose to power it but they work great. Avoid the turbine nozzles, not only do they steal power from the vacuum to spin the turbine, but everything vacuumed up goes through the turbine and they clog very easily. Mike CLICK HERE TO GO TO n0oxy's LINK

Post# 387192 , Reply# 11 3/4/2018 at 11:41 (2,238 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I also am a big fan of the Electrolux Sidekick but for a handheld alternative I love the all metal Royal Prince 501. It's built like its larger all metal Royal siblings; that is, it's designed to be serviced, unlike the plastic Dirt Devils that succeeded it.

Post# 387205 , Reply# 12 3/4/2018 at 14:59 (2,238 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Isaiah* First of all, I would not assume your Dirt Devil hand vac is dead. Those hand vacs in particular use a Ametek universal powerhead motor used by many brands, such as Filter Queen, TriStar & Eureka, to name a few. There is a good possibility that the motor may just need new carbon brushes. I would strongly suggest opening up your Dirt Devil & taking apart the motor. If the brushes are connected by a spring & wire to the field coils in the motor, then it's truly gone, no way you can replace those. BUT, if it is a older motor like I suspect where the brushes just have a spring attached & not the wire as well, you can order new carbon brushes, install them yourself, re-assemble & you're back in business. As for the my fellow members suggestions about the Riccar & Simplicity hand vacuums, I would avoid them, as well as any modern bagless hand vac that has a HEPA filter in the cup. Those filters, especially small ones like these use, are a real pain in the butt to clean! Plus, you WILL eventually have to buy replacements, & more frequently than you may think. For the hassle of cleaning the filter & replacement costs, I cannot recommend them. If you do decide to buy a replacement hand vacuum, I would agree with their suggestions in looking at local thrift shops & online craigslist ads to try & find a couple of older hand vacs with cloth bags to use, such as the Dirt Devil, Royal, Black & Decker, etc. Much easier to clean out & deal with on a regular basis, especially for someone like you cleaning multiple homes & very busy. But, if you're willing to spend the $90 & buy new, Crazykirbydude's suggestion, the Aerus Little Lux hand vacuum, would be well worth the money spent & would be your best choice. A proven design that has been around since the mid 90's with only styling changes, the internals have not changed. Cloth bag would be easy to empty out & live with, plus it also has a geared permanent belt. The cost for the Simplicity & Riccar hand vacuums should be just as much, or more, than this, & won't be nearly as convenient for you to clean out the filter & live with day to day. However, I would NOT suggest getting the Aerus Sidekick or Wessel Werk HEB160. Both these electric mini powerheads will work, BUT ultimately, any rotating brush you WILL have to cut the hair off the brushroll, & I have found you spend just as much time vacuuming the hair off as you do having to cut hair out of the brushroll. The Wessel Werk, in particular, is a really bad choice, as the brushroll openings on it are quite small, & their powerheads especially are more difficult than most to take apart yourself at home & clean out. For that reason alone, I cannot recommend ANY Wessel Werk powerhead. Plus, with the brushroll opening being smaller than most, you will find it more tedious & frustrating getting in there with small scissors & twezzers. The only way I suggest a solution with a rotating brush is if you want a hand vacuum not attached to a normal upright or canister. The Simplicity Fur Get It & Riccar Pet Hair Beware tool, as suggested by Blackheart, does work. But, it has a quirky design with some limitations & is better suited to upholstery than carpet, which means it's ineffective on stairs. For the money they want for that tool, I don't think it's worth it. Your REAL SOLUTION here is to get a dedicated pet hair upholstery tool that DOES NOT use a rotating brush, such as the one I have linked to below. I own this particular tool, & I find it works quite well. This is a old, proven design that has been made by various manufacturers since the 1980's. Simple, effective, & it WORKS! All you do is pull the tool back, it traps the hair on the felt pad, then push it forward & the hair slips off the and & is pulled in by the vacuum's suction. At the end, you will need to give the felt pad a quick swipe with the hose, but that's a minor thing really. It comes with a ring that you tighten down onto the hose, & loosen to take off, which means it can fit regular hoses or European size hoses, like Miele & Sebo vacuums. Replacement pads are available, & it's not that expensive at all, so this might be worth looking into, & it seems to fit what you need it for. Rob Carbon brushes: www.goodvac.com/Rainbow_D4_SE_noz... Pet hair tool: www.dustdeal.com/shopBrowser.phpQ...

Post# 387209 , Reply# 13 3/4/2018 at 15:48 (2,238 days old) by HonestJoe68 (Mansfield, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *@kirbylux77* Hey Rob, great suggestions in general. But I have to ask if your HEPA filter advice regarding the Riccar or Simplicity is from your own long term use experience? Not to argue, but my Riccar Squire is over a year and a half old and it�s still a simply open up, dump out, tap the filter and you�re done. My HEPA Filter is still in excellent condition after frequent, almost daily use and it is not difficult to keep clean and mine is no where near in need or replacement yet after a year & 1/2. Even when it does need replaced the HEPA replacement set (see my link) is only $14.95 at Riccar.. my dealer sells them for $10 bucks. The pictures I�ve posted are my original Squire HEPA Filter from about 18 months of weekly use. The filters must have a special coating as they stay clean and Tap clean easily over the trash can. Easy peasy! I�ve never owned a bagless vacuum with easier filters to clean.. you Don�t even need to rinse them, just a quick tap and dump the dirt cup. The mesh screen overlay pops off to tap out any dust, while keeping Pet hair and debris out of the filter folds. So I�d say I find the Squire extremely easy to empty and maintain. Even with heavy duty use, cleaning homes.. I�m sure it would be no more often than every 12 to 18 months replacement. Just wanted to see if you own and use a Riccar or Simplicity almost every day like I do. Thanks Also, before anyone says the filter is too clean to be 18 months old... I wipe mine down (the yellow plastic and rubber gasket only) with a slightly damp microfiber.. not a necessary step unless you�re a neat freak like me. Lol CLICK HERE TO GO TO HonestJoe68's LINK Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size

Post# 387230 , Reply# 14 3/4/2018 at 18:18 (2,238 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Hey* I really don't mean to be rude but no older prince or that eureka will work well. The prince bag system clogs too easy not heavy on power either. The eureka is worse the head gets clogged with normal use doing pet hair. I really dislike eureka. I had a choice between it and a 501 prince. Prince all day. Riccar Dd and shark are far and when I say far I mean there on freeway others can't drive on freeway. Dirt devil brush falls off occasionally and riccar not best bagging but the eureka is not worth plastic it's made of. Just my 2 cents but I have a great disdain for eureka. Led

Post# 387275 , Reply# 15 3/5/2018 at 11:44 (2,237 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Patrick - Yes, I do have experience with these type of HEPA filters. Not from using a Simplicity or Riccar hand vacuum, but from using a Shark stick vacuum a few times that had a small HEPA filter with a screen over it, just like this one. My experience has been that with these small HEPA filters, not all of the dirt just taps out, you usually have to take a brush of some sort to clean between the pleats of the filter, & wash & rinse it every few uses. Even then, you're looking at replacing it every 6 to 12 months. $14.95 may not seem like much to you, but it IS to me, considering a hand vacuum is being used for only small surfaces & stairs. If this was a HEPA filter in the dirtcup of a full sized upright or canister, that I wouldn't mind paying that much for, considering it's a full sized filter going into a full sized vacuum cleaning everything. I stand by my original post stating these small HEPA filters in handvacs are a pain in the butt, & you're better off finding a older model that uses a cloth bag. Rob

Post# 387279 , Reply# 16 3/5/2018 at 12:24 (2,237 days old) by HonestJoe68 (Mansfield, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *@kirbylux77* Hi Rob, That�s great that you�ve used a Shark with �Similar� Key Word HEPA Filters.. but no disrespect or arguing.. but the Riccar/Simplicity HEPA Filters are Vastly Different and made of much higher quality materials that repel and shed dirt Easily! I�m NOT trying to be a jerk, but I strongly disagree with your statement. Just as most on this website would NEVER compare a Bissell Filter to a SEBO filter or No one would ever say a Paper Hoover Bag performs Exactly like a Miele High filtration cloth bag. You have your opinion and I respect that BUT facts are facts.. not every single filter is made with the same material Nor do they all perform the same! I�ve Never had to do anything but gently Tap this filter after quickly removing the screen.. then at most maybe brush a bit of fuzz off with my fingers from the screen shroud. So let�s agree to disagree as I own 26 Shark vacuums and their Filters are substandard at best. My personal experience is exactly as I stated.... The Riccar Squire Hand Vacuum is an excellent vacuum that is VERY easy to maintain. Oh and BTW.. the filter shown in my pics on my Squire is exactly 22 Months old, I just found the receipt. So I use it minimum 4 or 5 times a week or approximately 220 to 260 days a year and my filter is Still perfect condition! You cannot tell me otherwise because my vacuum and filter are made by Riccar.. NOT Shark. So I�d appreciate you stop trying to make my personal experience invalid with Shark filter claims. I do NOT work for Riccar and as I�ve said dozens of times.. my only favorite is my Sebo Felix. So I�m simply trying to share my own real life experiences with @homecleaner. My home use is cleaning furniture and carpeted stairs in a 2,400 square foot home with a Chihuahua Corgi mix dog that sheds heavily.. this experience is how I can highly recommend this Riccar as Excellent at removing pet hair and very easy to empty and maintain. Thanks and have a great day!

Post# 387283 , Reply# 17 3/5/2018 at 15:39 (2,237 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)
Checkrate/Likes 3 The Riccar hand vac looks similar to the Shark I just received from a friend. The suction is awful on the Shark and it's very loud. Looks like the same design.

Post# 387285 , Reply# 18 3/5/2018 at 17:16 (2,237 days old) by HonestJoe68 (Mansfield, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *@kloveland* I owned the Shark hand vac you�re talking about and yes it did suck.. but Not the cleaning type of suck.. it was junk! I returned it the same day. No suction and very loud. But the Riccar, Simplicity and same Tacony made Fuller Brush are a totally different machine! The similarities ends with the �look� and the Tacony products are far superior. They have VERY strong suction and of all the corded handheld Vacuums I�ve owned.. the Riccar is by far the quietest! So again, just because something �Looks Similar � it does Not mean it performs the same. A cheap bag less Bissell can be made to look like a high end Miele but it will Never perform the same! When you OWN this Riccar you will see, feel and hear the higher quality and superior performance. Thanks

Post# 387437 , Reply# 19 3/7/2018 at 13:48 (2,235 days old) by homecleaner (Columbus, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes *Thanks for all the helpful replies!* Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions. I took your advice, Rob, to disassemble my Royal. It appears that I do have the replaceable brushes, but they seem fine to me. I noticed a support for one of the wires coming from one of the brushes to the windings is broken. Perhaps that's relevant? How would I know if the brushes really are the problem? I'd love to not have to carry around a hand vac, so I'm going to give that pet tool Rob suggested a try. If that doesn't work, I'll either go with the Aerus Little Lux or the Riccar hand vac. It appears I can't buy the Aerus online? Thanks for the advice to avoid the Eureka. That was my first choice based on its reviews on Amazon. Someone asked what I am using for my primary vacuum. I am using a Shark. But I also have a backpack unit on its way from Great Vacs. View Full Size

Post# 387481 , Reply# 21 3/7/2018 at 22:58 (2,235 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Isaiah* I'm glad I was able to be of help to you! :-) Yes, I would say that wire you found broken would be the direct cause of your handvac failing. I highly doubt that is something that you could easily repair yourself. I would save the brushes, & perhaps the bag & brushroll, in case you find another Dirt Devil handvac to use for a good price. Please do report back on how the pet tool I suggested works out for you. I own it myself & have been VERY pleased with it's performance. And hey, there's nothing wrong with using a Shark as your main vacuum, just as long as you maintain it & you like it :-). Rob

Post# 387658 , Reply# 22 3/10/2018 at 04:38 (2,233 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes Little Lux-don't beleave these are made anymore.Don't see ANY mention of them on the Aerus website.Have one I bought something like 25 yrs ago.Its a nice little vacuum better quality than the DD.The Little Lux I have has a dump bag.