8/09/2011

Shark VX3 Cordless Floor-and-Carpet Cleaner, V1950 Review

Shark VX3 Cordless Floor-and-Carpet Cleaner, V1950
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Do NOT buy this if you think it will replace your vacuum. I have a 2 year old and a VERY good vacuum on hand that I use once a week (though I probably should vacuum twice a week). For all the messes that occur in between (probably 2-3x a day), I use the Shark to make my life easier.
I'm currently a stay at home mom with a toddler and she leaves crumbs EVERYWHERE. We live in a small apartment, so the dining room is a spit's throw from the living room and it's almost unavoidable to have toddlers (my kid, my kid's friends, my friends' kids...) carrying their muffins, snacks, crackers, pretzels around and about the living area. I got the Shark more because my daughter was terrified of loud sounds and my regular vacuum cleaner, but have found that the nice bonus is that it's so much easier to lug this one out 2-3 times a day to pick up crumbs right after snack time (and hence avoid having it ground into the rugs) than to pull out my heavy Bissell.
Pros: It's lightweight, very quiet, convenient, and effective for picking up visible crumbs if used correctly.
Cons: It doesn't do heavy-duty or deep cleaning; the price-tag can be steep; Shark sweepers are known to break down after a few months to a year.
My mom has an older version of the Shark sweeper, which is much more quiet than this one. She's a waitress and uses it to tidy up the floor under the tables in between customers. Obviously, she's subjecting it to pretty heavy use, and she's now on her third one. Her recommendations on making it last a long as possible: clean the sweeper thoroughly after a few uses (that includes pulling out accumulated hair in the brushes and washing the collection bin) and charge the battery according to directions (do not allow to sit for longer than 19 hours at a time charging, you will reduce battery life).
The Shark Vx3 is a little louder than hers. But I like the fact that it has two speed settings (supposedly for floor and carpet). The handle bends so that you can push it under furniture, which is a little helpful, but kinda awkward and (knowing that the Shark sweeper handles are notorious for breaking off) I prefer to not use it at all. The Shark Vx3 also has a little rotator brush on the side, which is supposed to pick up crumbs as you push it against the side of a wall, but I wish that they had thought to put a rotator brush on both sides. They claim also that you can push a button and dump out the collection cup without ever having to touch the dirt. This is true in theory, but in practice, the lid often catches or there is dirt stuck in the bin that you have to shake it out--so it's almost unavoidable to touch the bin or dirt. No big deal--just wash your hands afterwards.
The bottom line: don't expect to replace your vacuum. And here's the KEY to use the sweeper most effectively -- push it SLOWLY and repeatedly over the pile of crumbs that you intend to pick up. I found that if you tried to push the sweeper back and forth quickly like a regular vacuum, it didn't pick up anything, just pushed the dirt around.
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