Hoover Presto 2-in-1 Cordless Stick Vac

The design thinking that went into this product can be summed up with this example: there's a light to tell you when the vacuum is on, but no light to tell you it's seated properly in the charger and the battery is charging.

The only use i can think of for the light to tell you the vacuum is on would be a deaf person not currently touching the vacuum. That seems like a pretty small target audience.

However, a light to confirm charging would be very useful considering it's actually a bit of a pain to get the vacuum to rest properly in the charging cradle. It involves using one hand to position it while using the other hand (or a foot, if you're feeling adventurous) to hold what the product manual refers to as the 'nozzle' out of the way.

Also, you have to remove the hand vac from the stick-vac-attachment to empty the dust bin, which is pretty small since it's designed to fit on a hand-vac, and thus awfully inconvenient.

It has enough suction to be a standard hand vac. When working as a stick vac, it does okay on hardwood floors but is nearly impossible to maneuver on carpet, even extremely low pile area rugs. It's also much heavier than other stick vacs i've used.

If you really don't have the space or money to have a hand vac for spot cleaning and a stick vac for quick cleaning on hard floors, this product might be useful. However, as is so often the case, what probably seemed like such a clever idea in the corporate office ends up being pretty frustrating in reality. A decent hand vac with the option to click into a heavy stick vac adaptor just ends up being a decent hand vac and a shoddy stick vac, less than the sum of its parts.

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Steamfast 3 In1 Steam Mop

Despite numerous complaints about poor customer service, I chose this model because it has variable steam output, also works as a handheld tool on vertical surfaces, does not get as hot as the sanitizing mops (and I hope is less likely to harm me or my bamboo floors), and gets some favorable reviews when it is working. I purchased this from a local electronics store (~$90) so I would not be at the mercy of the manufacturer's customer service in case of problems later.

I bought the Steamfast mop mainly to clean the stone tile floor of the bathroom. Squirt mopping with disposable cloths typically left my floor tacky, the grout dingy, and near the sink, a built-up film of hairspray residue.

I find this product works effectively when I start cleaning on a medium to low steam setting in the hand-held nozzle configuration around the tub rim, shower glass, toilet base, then (adding the handle and the stiff brush) pre-cleaning the floor tile grout, then switching to the mop head and steam mopping the stone tile floor on the lowest steam setting (per instructions).

Pros

Ready to mop just a few seconds after being turned on

No tacky residue on the tile floor

Floor dries quickly

With the nozzle/brush attachment and the long handle, I can clean the grout and toilet base without wearing gloves and kneeling

The mop head fits behind the toilet

Works on vertical surfaces and counter tops

Steam output is variable

Mop pad washes up nicely and air dries quickly

Reservoir capacity (~20 oz) was more than adequate to clean the whole bathroom.

Doesn't take up too much space hanging in the broom closet

Cons

-Like other mops, Steamfast pushes the dirt around on the fiber pad, which often needs rinsing during the job.

-If there is a lot of fiber, hair, or lint on the floor, the Steamfast mop tends to leave it behind in clumps.

-On all but the lowest steam settings (with the mop head on), the Steamfast leaves a fair amount of water on the surface being cleaned

-It is a bit cumbersome to get this out, fill up the tank, change attachments, adjust the handle, plug it in etc., and then empty and let the tank dry out when I am done.

Overall, I am satisfied with the Steamfast because it solves the problems I was having with the wet disposable cloth type of mop.

PS I use Bona system on my wood floors, but might I steam them once or twice a year in case of dirt buildup.

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3M Filtrete FAPF00-4 Air Purifier Replacement Filter

It's 1 filter. I thought I was getting 4. I could've found a better deal elsewhere if I'd have known it was only 1 filter when you see "FAPF00-4 Air Cleaning Filters" you make the assumption that you're getting a 4 pack of them. I'm certain the seller is aware of this and there's probably some fine print somewhere...

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Aireox Professional Air Purifier

I've been using Aireox air cleaners in my home and cars for about 16 years and wouldn't buy any other kind. I have severe chemical sensitivity (from an on the job incident) and they do the job for me. They are simple, easy to clean (open, vacuum the outside of the filter, replace), and quiet. Buy a new filter to replace the one inside it when you can again smell stuff that it didn't clean out of the air (about 1 year). I run mine 24/7 on low and have for 16 years straight.

The only problem that some of my older ones have had is with the switch (max setting didn't work after a while). My newest one, just purchased from Amazon, does not have that problem. It wouldn't bother me if it did because these air cleaners are the best in any case. Cleans everything out of the air (formaldehyde, mold, gasses, smoke, etc.). During the horrible fires in California a while back, I just ran my Aireox and kept the windows closed and had clean air in the house.

I highly recommend these air purifiers. I own three at home, one for my husband's office, and one for the car. The newest one replaces a 16 year old one which finally bit the big one. All my others are old and working just fine.

Airpura Industries T600 Air Purifier Specially Designed

EDIT 9-2-2012. Please read the comments related to this review.

Everything is great with this unit so far, except...

There's a noticeable penetrating hum coming from the unit at any distance.

The humming is very noticeable, it lets you know it's on, at any fan speed, at any distance.

I'm going to contact AirPura.

*Update, one week later: AirPura is sending me another unit. The rep said he thinks it's just one unit that had problems with some of the electronics.

EDIT: Airpura had to send me a second replacement unit. The first replacement also made a humming noise. This 2nd replacement doesn't hum. The rep said the original and first replacement most likely had a motor balancing problem. The units were fairly easy to box for returns. Fed-Ex picked it up at my door. They allowed me to keep the unit until the replacement(s) arrived.

I use this unit in my Living/Dining/Kitchen area (optimal 550 sq.foot space they recommend). It's the best smoke aircleaner I've tried so far, which includes BlueAir's top of the line Smokestop (see my review) and before that the no longer made Friedrich C90B. The air exiting the AirPura blows upward rather than straight out, which is good. From the picture, it looks as if air exiting out at the top band of holes would shoot straight out, but the exiting air has an upward airflow to it. The fan at lower speeds isn't as quiet as expensive particle air cleaners, but this unit is made to remove smoke. Higher fan speeds will get this unit whooshing air, as I expected, but medium speed noise is very tolerable by me. Variable speed is nice, but I'd be happy with 5 speed settings. I have to turn the knob a ways to hear a noticeable change in fan speed. I'll probably replace the TarBarrier prefilter and the filter cannister earlier than AirPura recommends in order to maximize effectiveness. I bought this particular brand because of the 26 lbs. of charcoal in the filter. I endure the hum, the return of the defective replacement, and the return of my originally bought defective unit because this brand aircleaner with its 26 lbs. of charcoal is the best out there right now at dealing with smoke and gasses.

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Salamander Chameleon Sonoma 339 Triple-Width

• Triple-width A/V cabinet inspired by ever-popular arts and crafts style
• Front door panels with contrast vertical wooden strips and black steel inserts
• Includes wide center shelf that holds center speaker or 3 components
• Fits 6 components (75 pounds per shelf) and up to 61-inch TVs
• Pinch-out rear panels; measures 64.75 by 31.75 by 21.25 inches (W x H x D)

This cabinet, although pricey, is both slick and beautiful! Online photos simply do not do it justice...it is simply a quality and very upscale cabinet to compliment your LCD or plasma flat screen TV. The quality and workmanship on the unit is self-evident!

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Miele S7580BOLERO Bolero Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Never thought I would be thrilled to get a vacuum cleaner. This one has everything you could want -it cleans GREAT, it is amazingly quiet, the HEPA filtering is top notch, the controls and the tools are convenient, the power cord reaches forever, the materials used in this machine are built to last, and on top of all of that, it looks gorgeous (I know, I know, it's a vacuum!).

My one and only reservation was that it was on the heavy side. This reservation was quickly allayed when I actually used this Miele upright at home (the dealer kindly lend it to me to try at home.) The maneuverability is phenomenal. No more plowing forward and backward to move a couple inches to the left or right. Just twist your wrist and the vacuum swivels and turns on a dime. It's *amazing* how much effort this saves!

I compared this vacuum to the Sebo Automatic X4 and the Sebo Felix. The X4 is the noisiest of the bunch, and it doesn't swivel (which both the Felix and the Miele do), although it is a solidly great machine. The Felix is the lightest, and it swivels, but is the only one that doesn't have automatic height adjustment, a feature that lets you vacuum right over throw rugs without the vacuum eating the rug.

Price-wise, the Felix was about $100 less than the X4 which is about $120 less than the Miele Bolero.

I ended up selecting the Miele because overall it had every useful feature and was the most convenient to use.

I like the size of the Sebo Felix, but it was a little too fussy (too many parts that come on and off) and the hose didn't have an extension, so I couldn't reach the cobwebs up high.

Any one of these three would be great to own. The Miele is just a little ahead in terms of features and convenience. Oh, and about the high price: I am replacing three (crappy, smelly, loud) old vacuums (Hoover, Kenmore, Eureka), and if you add up how much they all cost, I would have been better off getting the "expensive" Miele to start with. I expect it will last a very very long time.

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