Hoover Max Extract 60 Pressure Pro Carpet Deep Cleaner, FH50220

I am extremely pleased with this carpet cleaner! I received it on the 29th and have been a carpet cleaning fool since then. The package arrived in great shape and all of the pieces were present. I was shocked at how easy it is to put together and get started: you literally only have to use one phillips head screw to attach the handle to the machine; everything else comes ready to go! I was cleaning my upstairs carpet within 10 minutes from pulling it out of the box.Several years ago I had a big Bissell machine, and it worked fine, but I was not crazy about the design or using it, and it gave out on me after 2 1/2 years of avg. monthly use. This Hoover is what I got to replace it.Things I love about this machine:1. Its size & weight: it's about the same size as a large vacuum cleaner, so it's very easy to maneuver around furniture and other obstructions in the room. It's not much heavier than a large vacuum either, even with the water in the tank, so it's not a chore to push it and pull it around. The large wheels on the back really help with maneuverability. My old Bissell was so big and bulky and heavy that it really wasn't pleasurable to use, and I was exhausted after doing one regular-sized room (I'm a healthy 32-year-old woman).2. The design: the design on this thing is spot on. Both the tanks are extremely easy to remove and reinstall on the machine. I absolutely LOVE the separate detergent compartment. One thing I hated on my old machine was that if I didn't use all of the water / detergent solution in the tank, then I had to toss it and I was therefore wasting carpet cleaning solution. With this Hoover, you can use all of the water, but still have detergent in the compartment, ready and waiting for the next time you need to use it! No waste! I love that the handle for the water / detergent tank is situated higher than the water fill hole, as I'm able to hold the tank and fill it with hot water from my tub faucet without getting any hot water on my hand. The dirty water tank is even better! You literally just lift it off the machine by the handle and then unscrew the cap to pour the contents in the toilet or down a drain. The handle is on top of the tank, and the pour hole is on the front bottom, so you just tilt it and the contents pour out - no accidental sloshes of filthy water on your hands! Also, I LOVE how the dirty tank and the spin head brush can be easily removed and cleaned and then reinstalled on the machine – no screwdriver required!3. The features: wash / rinse switch, automatically adding detergent to water, upholstery hose and attachment… what’s not to love? I can literally use this machine in every room and on every upholstered / carpeted surface, including my cesspool minivan with 10-year-old carpet, lol (that’s NEXT weekend’s project!)4. Its functionality: This puppy cleans REALLY well. I was shocked, honestly. The carpet in my bedroom, which hosts my husband and I, our 3-year-old son, and 3 dogs, has not been cleaned in several years and I was ready to tear it out and live on concrete if need be. With this machine, however, we will definitely get several more years out of this carpet before it will need to be replaced. I was stunned at how much crap I was pulling out of the carpet simply with hot water. Seriously… Clean carpet angels singing from the heavens. My husband kept hearing squeals of glee coming from carpeted rooms and didn’t quite know what to make of it. Dirt, dog hair, other dog-related things that I didn’t and don’t want to see… With the wash / rinse switch, you can go over an area several times with clean water to pull out the "easy" stuff before you start using the detergent, which really helps to limit the amount of detergent you use. I will outline my carpet cleaning strategy below.Things I don't love about this machine:1. Really the only thing that I’m disappointed in is how small the water tank is. I feel like I’m constantly running back and forth to dump and refill the tanks. That’s both a bad thing and a good thing. Bad because it’s inconvenient, but good because that means there’s less hot water in the tank getting cold (as I don’t believe this model has an integrated heater for the water). It’s also a good thing because that’s less weight that you’re having to push and pull around. I feel like the water tanks are easy to lift and move around because they’re not so heavy with water.2. The design of the dirty tank is such that there are several places inside where a little bit of dirty water can get trapped and will not pour out. You have to tilt it back and forth a couple of times to get most of it out. It’s not a big deal unless you’re OCD like me. Hoover DID, however, design the dirty tank so that it can be disassembled easily and every crevice rinsed out.3. I feel like this machine uses a lot of detergent. I ordered a bottle of Bubba’s steam cleaner carpet solution (LOVE the smell and effectiveness of it), and I went through an entire bottle just in one room. I figured out that with using several passes of plain hot water to pull out the “easy” stuff, I can cut the detergent with ½ water and make it go twice as far and just as effective, so I’ll definitely be doing that in the future.4. This is so minor, but I wish that they had positioned the wash / rinse switch in a more user-friendly location. You have to reach around the front of the machine to turn the knob. I feel like it would be better suited near the power button or other “easy” reach location. This is not really a “con”, per se, as I’m thrilled to have the switch regardless, but its location did interrupt my “flow” somewhat.In summary, the Pros FAR outweigh the minor Cons, and I am beyond thrilled with the results. I’m looking forward to years of service and clean carpet with this machine. I will likely be using it to simply “wet vacuum” (using only water) the carpet at least every month or so, especially in my son’s room, since it’s so easy to use.My carpet deep cleaning tips & strategy1. Vacuum the carpet THOROUGHLY before you start carpet cleaning. I use the wand and the crevice tool to go along every edge and crevice to make sure I pick up anything and everything I can.2. Use the hottest water you can get, but not boiling3. Cut your cleaning solution ½ or so with water. The machine uses a lot, and if you’re like me and do multiple passes then it’s going to work just as well.4. I added 2-3 small spoonfulls of Borax detergent booster to my clean water tank. Borax softens the water, so your detergent will work more effectively. It also helps to ensure that the carpet is “rinsed” well after you wash it. I did one section with Borax and one section without and there was a noticeable difference not only in the appearance of the carpet, but in its softness as well. The section on which I used Borax looks cleaner was softer than the section without it. If you do add Borax, add the powder to the tank before you add water, then fill it about halfway with water and shake / slosh the water around to be sure all of the powder is dissolved.5. I used the  BUBBA'S Super Steamer Carpet Cleaner 32 oz(Use 1 oz Per Gallon Of Water)  and absolutely loved it. I feel like it worked better than other carpet solutions I’ve used in the past (major brands), and I love the fragrance. I’ll be curious to see how long the carpets stay looking clean, as many detergents leave behind a reside that over time attracts more dirt and grime to the carpet, making it look dingy and dirty sooner (so you’ll keep buying carpet cleaning solution…)6. Before I switch the machine over to “wash”, I use at least full tank of clean water (with Borax) to dampen the area and pull out as much “easy” grime as possible. The detergent works better on pre-dampened carpet. I keep going over that area with water until it is coming out closer to clear. My carpet was so nasty that in one section I went over it 4 times with Borax water before I started using the detergent.7. After going over the section with detergent, go over it at least one time (more is better) with Borax water again to be sure you pull all of the detergent out of the carpet. As I mentioned before, if you leave detergent on the carpet it will attract dirt and grime and make your carpet look dirty sooner. It will also dry and make your carpet feel “crispy,” not soft.8. After you’ve done all of your “wet” passes, go back and forth over the area several times without pulling the trigger to suck as much water as you can out of the carpet – until you see very little water being sucked into the dirty tank. This obviously reduces the drying time, but also ensures that you’ve pulled out all of the detergent or other cleaner from the carpet and you’re left with soft, plush carpet underfoot.

I'm a Stay at Home Mom, of an active toddler, 2 cats, and a husband who who works in the Marina industry. We have beautiful light carpets that show everything despite my constant spot cleaning. Years ago I purchased a Bissel SpotBot for cat messes. It does its job cleaning "spots". However my spot bot has begun leaving spots, so I needed to decide between purchasing a new spotbot or making the jump to a carpet cleaner. After my family came down with the flu I decided (anyone who has or has had a sick toddler knows exactly what this means) I needed the carpet cleaner!Before my son was born almost 2 years ago, we rented a Rug Doctor and did a clean. I found the Rug Doctor easier to use and quicker (it's professional so I should), but I was shocked that this little Hoover left my carpets cleaner than the Rug Doctor did!!! It actually cleaned up stains that the Rug Doctor couldn't - mind you these stains have had an extra 2 years to sit. I'm very satisfied with this product, that being said I want to compare my experience with my new Hoover vs the Rug Doctor. (I used the professional strength cleaner)1. This machine operated a lot like a vacuum, which really threw me off at first. The Rug Doctor is this big squared thing that you walk behind and push. Because the Hoover is more vacuum like the handle retracts like your vacuum would which meant I couldn't go wall to wall on the carpet without hitting a wall first. I kept finding myself bumping my elbows on the closet doors, my bed in attempts too. I first tried to go half way one direction and then turn the vacuum around to better reach the other side but I didn't like walking in the dampness of the area I had just done so I found, for me, doing half the room and then circling back worked best.2. Again this machine works like a vacuum. I left large furniture in my rooms. This machine was way more maneuverable than the Rug Doctor and I could easily go around my furniture. This also meant it was easy to focus in on areas - which is why I think I got better results.3. This Machine is smaller than the Rug Doctor (to be expected) which meant it took me a lot longer to complete all the passes in each room. The machine is not overly heavy but after an hour I could definitely feel my arms were getting a workout. It also took a lot longer. Half way through I was regretting my decision thinking it would have been much easier and time efficient to have just rented the Rug Doctor again. It was seeing the amazing results that motivated me to keep going and I'm glad I did.4. The water tank and holding tank are both quite large. Water is heavy, I found myself emptying the holding tank before it ever filled to lighten the weight. You definitely don't have too, but I was determined to do all my room while my son was at daycare and as I said before after about an hour my arms started to feel the workout. I was able to almost completely finish my sons room 10X12 on one tank of water and cleaner. I also found that had I left that tank they really did design it well enough that it would need to be emptied at the same time I needed to refill my water and cleaner.5. I love that this machine has 2 separate tanks for cleaner and water. This means you don't have to measure, or do math if I only needed to fill half way, you just fill and the machine does the mixing for you. This is even better, because the directions tell you to use hot water for better results. This meant that between rooms I could simply empty the water and refill it without having to empty my cleaner.I also used this to clean all my area rugs. This is a must have for your area rugs! It was simple and I got great results. I moved my smaller rugs into a carpeted room to avoid water leaking through and damaging my wood floors. I found that my rugs were thick enough that I didn't have any seepage but I did get over spray.As others have mentioned my carpets were lightly damp when I was done and dried in under 2 hours. This product in addition to having a clean setting also has a rinse setting. I used this setting in my sons room after the carpets dried. The machine did a great job, but as he is still small and rolls around on the floor this was extra piece of mind to make sure most of the cleaner was up and totally safe for him. I don't think this is necessary, and when I rinsed I didn't see a lot of cleaner coming up. Piece of mind for my first time use though.That being said if your moving and just looking to do a quick carpet clean your probably better renting, it will quicker and easier, but for ongoing home use this is definitely the way to go!

This carpet cleaner is by far the best carpet cleaner I have ever used, including using commercial rentals. It uses a lot of water and detergent, because it really soaks the carpet. This is not an issue, other than having to refill the detergent and hot water, and dump the dirty water a lot more frequently, because this machine sucks damn near every drop back up. The carpet is almost dry already, and even without the use of heaters and fans, which I usually have to use with other cleaners. Within a few hours, the carpet is bone dry.I was able to clean a 12 year old beige carpet to an almost-new condition in an afternoon. I almost cried with joy. My only complaint is that the detergent included was way too perfumed for me to use, so I used some rug doctor formula I had on hand, along with some sodium percorbonate, and this seemed to work great.Pros - inexpensive, works great, easy to use, everything comes apart easily for cleaning, sucks so bad (in a good way)Cons - need to change water/detergent/dirty water tank frequently, detergent included is heavily scented

Have used a couple of times, cleaned carpets nicely. Seems to extract water well, really like the divided water, cleaning solution tank.Machine is not leaking except a bit of residual water from front end, easily remedied by putting machine on a towel at the end of job.This is our second upright, last one was a Hoover, which ran well for 10 yrs.This one is not as well made (sturdy), but does the job. We will see how it does over time.PS bought the power head attachment for upholstery hise, works great for car detailing.

I used this product to shampoo, clean and deodorize wall to wall broadloom in my three bedrooms, hallway, my large carpet in the living room, and large carpet in my rec room.The end results were outstanding.The performance of my Hoover MaxExtract met every expectationIt removed stains from all my carpets that past professional carpet cleaner companies could not.I thought that we were going to have to replace all my carpets before I purchased my Hoover MaxExtractMy Hoover saved me a lot of unnecessary purchasing of new broadloom.Many thanks Hoover MaxExtract . !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Many thanks Amazon !!!!!!!!!!!

This product is excellent.Assembly is a breeze and it actually cleans your carpet!!!The first carpet I cleaned had a large stain on it that I was skeptical would come out.After using this machine on it the carpet looks like new.Very refreshing to use a product that actually does what it claims.

Box arrived, clearly previously opened from the bottom. The packaging and wrapping inside all looked new, and the unit itself appeared to be new, but I'm very suspect this may be a refurbished item. Why would my item already be opened?I was excited to try this thing out - my carpets could use a thorough cleaning. I filled up the tanks, ready to try it out for the first time.Turned it on, and I was surprisingly impressed. It performed really well actually, I could pretty clearly see the dirty water getting sucked up.After finishing a rather small section of carpet, I then stored it for a day. The next day, tried it out again and noticed in the middle of using it the brushes suddenly stopped working. The piece that actually turns the gears that spin the brushes had already broke after literally my second time using it. It almost seems like it got stuck and twisted itself broken, it almost looked burnt from the friction. Very disappointed here.As much as I would like to use this product, I'm not impressed with the delivery, or the fact that the spinning brushes already broke after just my second time using it.As an added touch, I've also noticed my tank leaks if I leave it in the unit. There's a steady drip coming from the back of it. Nice thing for me to come home to after a long day at work, I see a giant puddle of water on the floor. I have to take the tank out for it to stop dripping.