Review: Vax Dual Power Pro Advance W85-PL-T carpet cleaner
I love Vax. Whilst everyone else in the known universe seems to swoon over Dyson, I started with a Vax, tried a couple of Dysons and wasn’t impressed, and am now back with Vax. This is the first Vax Carpet Cleaner review that I’ve done though.
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Once again a large company has come up with a catchy name for their product. The Vax Dual Power Pro Advance W85-PL-T carpet cleaner W85-PL-T, to be precise. It’s been referred to as the pet vacuum in my house simply to differentiate it from the Rug Doctor carpet cleaner that we have used in the past.
If you’re shopping about for it, though, the W85-PL-T is the important bit as there are other (very similarly-named) Vax products that differ slightly to this.
Vax - Before assembly and after
First impressions. Well after reviewing the Vax Air Cordless and using it for almost a year, the Dual Power Pro Advance feels heavy. I don’t think that is a reflection on the carpet cleaner, but more of a statement of how light the vacuum cleaner is.
The second noticeable thing is the cord. I’d forgotten how liberating being cordless was. Fortunately, although the carpet cleaner comes with a cord, it is 9m long, which is plenty to get you around each room. Living in a flat I can plug it in centrally and reach just about every corner without needing to plug it anywhere else.
The Vax comes in separate parts which need piecing together. It’s fairly easy to do and takes no more than a minute or so. Once it’s put together, there’s no need to ever separate the pieces again, which is handy.
Using the machine is fairly easy too. It’s well worth following the instructions the first time you use it, but after that, you won’t need to refer to them again. You fill up one side with warm water, the other side with carpet shampoo, make sure that you have the nozzle turned to “wash” and you’re ready to go.
Don’t forget to turn the dial to “Wash” otherwise you’ll have no shampoo mixed in!
The wash and rinse function ensures that there is no excess soap or shampoo left once you’ve finished cleaning. The only thing I would say is that it’s extremely easy to forget to switch the nozzle over, and I’ll admit to cleaning the bathroom carpet using only the rinse function (in other words, just water, without shampoo).
I then had to redo the carpet with the wash function to make sure it was clean. A quick tip: When you are using the wash function, you’ll be able to smell the shampoo. If you can’t smell it, check you’re on the correct setting.
There is also a stretch hose supplied which comes with a “SpinScrub” hand tool which enables the washing of upholstery and makes cleaning the stairs easier as you don’t have to clamber up them with the machine.
There is also a trigger on the top of the machine which applies a boost of solution for tough stains, though it’s easy to get a bit trigger-happy.
The Vax is designed in such a way that the top tank has two sections - one for warm clean water and one for shampoo. The bottom tank collects all of the dirty water, and has a built-in float which prevents the tank from overfilling.
If the bottom tank collects too much water, the float automatically stops the machine sucking in more water, and you’ll notice a definite change in noise when this happens.
You may also be surprised at just how much dirt comes out of your carpet.
I’ve tweaked the contrast on this photo to make the tank stand out against the background but trust me when I say the water really was that dirty.
The Vax Dual Power Pro Advance W85-PL-T also comes with a 6-year guarantee, which is fantastic.
I gave it a test run on the carpet near the kitchen. It’s one of the most widely used sections of carpet in the flat, but even after a single wash it looked much better.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with the machine. I’m a massive Vax fan and make no bones about telling everyone, and Vax have once again made a machine that is sturdy and does an excellent job.
Carpets are left almost touch-dry thanks to the powerful suction which draws out the soapy water from the carpet and the machine is easy to assemble and use.
If you’re looking for down points then the machine is rather noisy (as you can tell from the YouTube video). It’s heavy too, though no heavier than any other carpet cleaner. In fact, it’s just 9.5kg compared to a standard Rug Doctor which is 15.9kg.
The cost of the machine is £249.99 retail price, though Amazon currently have the Vax carpet cleaner for £199.99 and Vax themselves beat this price by 3p! It’s a big outlay for something that you’ll use no more than twice a year, but the difference it makes to the cleanliness of your carpets could be all the persuasion you need to invest in one.
You can buy the Vax Dual Power Pro Advance carpet cleaner w85-pl-t through Amazon, and don’t forget to get your Vax carpet shampoo too.
by DannyUK
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I was given this product for free in exchange for an honest review. A full disclosure policy is available on the website.
If you liked this Vax Carpet Cleaner review, you may also enjoy the Rug Doctor carpet cleaner review or the Rug Doctor portable review too.
Twitter: MelanieMse
on April 8, 2016 at 11:52 pm
wow, I want one!!!! That looks brilliant. Great post.
This looks fab! My carpet picks up dirt so easily so this sounds like something I need
Twitter: rswstbry
on April 9, 2016 at 4:49 pm
This carpet cleaner looks pretty good. I’ve just bought my first vax cordless vacuum and i’m really impressed by the quality x
Twitter: whatlauraloves
on April 9, 2016 at 4:48 pm
This is DEFINITELY something that we could do with in our home. Our carpets are in a serious need of a deep clean. Haven’t got the spare cash at the moment to invest but when we do I would definitely buy one. xxx
Twitter: stressedmum01
on April 9, 2016 at 5:20 pm
Great review, I would love one of these, I have looked at them. We currently use my husbands old professional ones from his car detailing days and although it is great it is quite big to carry around the house.
Twitter: fashernablylate
on April 9, 2016 at 6:36 pm
It looks like it did a pretty good on the carpet! I have always heard hit and miss things about Vax, but I guess thats with any brand
I’ve worked with Vax a couple of times on the blog now, but even before then I preferred a Vax over anything else. These newer models seem to perform really well in my experience. Like you say, though, any brand can have ups and downs.
DannyUK recently posted…Bearded Backchat with Chantele from Two Hearts One Roof
I hate carpets! They require so much upkeep lol, I have laminate in my apartment and love it as I never have to clean them much! Lol
Twitter: tobyandroo
on April 9, 2016 at 7:34 pm
I need a vaxx machine with my kids in the house – there are buggers! H x
This looks amazing! I’ve only tried a carpet cleaner once before that left my carpets soaking wet so had been put off trying another one. It’s really good this takes all the water back out of the carpets again.
I’ve used both this Vax machine and a Rug Doctor, and both were really good at removing the water. I’d definitely give the Vax a go, though!
DannyUK recently posted…Review: Vax Dual Power Pro Advance W85-PL-T carpet cleaner W85-PL-T
Twitter: Life_BreakDown
on April 10, 2016 at 12:07 am
This sounds like an awesome item to have around the home, I really need to get one of our carpets cleaned, now you have me thinking.
Sarah Bailey recently posted…10 of the Greatest Doctor Who Themed Products
Twitter: emilyrosevass
on April 10, 2016 at 4:13 pm
I just got a new Dyson last week 😛 which I love, it came with a mini cordless one which I think I like even more….maybe i’ll try a Vax in 10 years when this one dies!
Twitter: hellobb_lucy
on April 10, 2016 at 7:31 pm
This post has made me seriously consider buying a carpet cleaner! After seeing the ‘after’ photo I would hate to think that there could be so much dirt in our carpets, especially with a messy toddler, so this is something we’ll definitely be buying soon!
X X
Twitter: nikoteen87
on April 11, 2016 at 11:01 am
I need one of these for my rug and carpets. It looks great.
Nicola Fraser recently posted…Am I failing as a Mother?
Twitter: unicorndaydream
on April 12, 2016 at 1:03 pm
I love my vax they are fantastic! It’s a bit scary the colour the water comes out though :-O it’s been a real life saver since puppy house training.
Twitter: Purelyamy_blog
on April 13, 2016 at 12:13 pm
I really need one for the bedroom, more food and drink gets spilled in there than in the kitchen! Thanks for such a descriptive review, really helpful! 🙂
Twitter: GlorWal64
on May 10, 2016 at 1:47 am
Never heard of it before but can really use it.
Nice review. I am in need of a new one myself.
Hi,
I bought this model and was pretty impressed after the first clean on carpets that were certainly passed there best and have not been cleaned in the 5 years that I have lived here. Good Job. Not really sure what the point of the rinse function is though if anyone can help?