The Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge F5914-900 is a best selling carpet cleaner machine model by Hoover.
Tried and tested for more than 10 years, the machine’s performance is driven by a useful combination of features and Hoover’s effective Spin Scrub technology. In this review, we will take an in-depth look into its various features and benefits, customer reviews, as well as how it compares to other carpet cleaners.
Hoover Steamvac Carpet Cleaner With Clean Surge F5914-900 Features & Benefits
Counter Rotating SpinScrub Technology – It includes 5 spinning brushes that will jostle the stains and dirt off the carpet from all directions, to be sucked into the cleaner to leave users’ carpets clean. The brushes are counter-rotating for a thorough cleaning effect.
Going through customer reviews, we find that many are pleased with the scrubbing – it is gentle enough to groom the carpets, yet strong enough to bring out the dirt and stains.
Clean Surge For Stained Areas – This deep cleaning SteamVac incorporates the Clean Surge feature for removing highly stubborn stains and spots, or to clean heavy trafficked areas. When the Clean Surge button is depressed, it releases extra detergent into the area. The button is well-placed near the handle of the machine for good usability.
Multiple Brush Speeds – There are 3 brush agitation speed settings to suit different cleaning scenarios, such as gentle or normal cleaning. The brushing can be turned off, or set to low or high.
Separate Clean & Dirty Tanks – The machine has two separate tanks for holding clean and dirty water separately. The clean water tank holds hot water, which is useful for more effective carpet cleaning. There is no built-in water heater though.
This is similar to how most steam carpet cleaners work. For example, the Rug Doctor machine is similar in that it provides two separate tanks as well, and users can put hot water into the clean water tank.
High Powered – The machine has a power of 12 amps. This is similar in horsepower to the Rug Doctor. Users do not expect the machines to be considered to be within the same class. The Rug Doctor is a professional grade carpet cleaning machine that costs a lot more. However, the power of this Hoover SteamVac is worth noting, as it is likely a reason for the high performance of the machine.
Great Handtools – The Hoover SteamVac F5914-900 carpet cleaner comes with cleaning hand tools including a powered SpinScrub tool. These allows the cleaner to easily clean upholstery, stairs and hard to reach areas.
Most users purchase the machine for cleaning their carpets, but they also found that it is easy to use the machine to clean their sofas and armchairs. A few have also used it for their car seats, saving money on an auto detail job.
Removable Brushheads – The Spin Brushes are removable and replaceable. First off, it makes it easy to clean the brushheads under running water. Over years or lots of uses, the wear and tear may blunt the brushes. There is no need to buy a new machine, you can simply change out the brushes, and the machine will have a new lease of life.
On a related note, Hoover does offer a variety of spare parts to replace damage or worn out parts. This makes it easy to keep the machine functioning well if some parts unfortunately fail over time.
Well Engineered & Stress Tested – To ensure many years of good service for customers, this Hoover SteamVac carpet cleaning machine has been stress tested in Hoover’s US engineering laboratory. There are no belts to break or replace.
1 Year Warranty – The machine comes with a 1 year warranty. From customer reviews, Hoover appears to be a company with nice customer support. They are willing to help if users meet with any problems. So if you are already a customer and face challenges, it may be a good idea to call their toll-free customer support line.
Hoover Steamvac With Clean Surge F5914-900 What They Said
Things To Watch Out For
There are many good things about this Hoover SteamVac carpet cleaner, but there are also things to be aware of. No product is perfect and we list here some user tips to get the best use of the cleaner, as well as possible problems.
Clean Brushes After Use – It is a good idea to clean the brushes to remove the hair and debris after each use. Otherwise, the gunk will build up over time and the brushes will not rotate and clean as well. Sure, you can replace the brushes over time, but it’s also easy to clean the brushes and you will maximize their lifespan.
Align Tank Lids In Place – It seems that it is easy for the lid on the dirty water tank to appear closed without being properly aligned. Keeping the tanks properly aligned will allow for a better overall experience. Otherwise, it may lead to issues like a loss of suction or leakages from the tanks.
Read The Manual – It’s worthwhile to invest a little time into going through the manual. There are lots of useful tips listed, from how to best use the machine to maintenance and storage. This allows owners to get the maximum value of out their Hoover SteamVac.
Cleaning Tough Stains/ Pet Stains – Use the machine as per the instructions provided, but do run it slowly forward, even more slowly as you pull back. You can use the Clean Surge button for added power, and run the cleaning strokes a second time to make sure that cleaning is thorough. If you can, try to pretreat the carpet with a pretreating detergent like the Hoover Pet Plus Spot and Stain Spray Cleaner.
Use Hot Water – The machine accommodates the use of hot water. For better cleaning power, use water that is as hot as possible without going over 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This was a tip offered to a user by a Hoover customer support person.
What Type Of Detergent To Use
Hoover strongly recommends using their own branded detergent for use with this carpet cleaner. They state that it is to prevent risks of fire or component damage. While some users have ignored this advice and were happy with alternative brands, users using Hoover detergent have overwhelmingly indicated that the detergent works extremely well and leave the carpets smelling good. For peace of mind and assurance of results, we recommend going with Hoover detergent.
Currently, Hoover carries a number of best-selling cleaning detergents that carpet cleaner machine users like. For carpets that are heavily soiled, our recommended choice is the Hoover Platinum Collection Pet Plus Carpet-and-Upholstery Detergent for maximum cleaning power.
For normal carpet cleaning, our recommended choice is the Hoover CLEANPLUS 2X Concentrated Carpet and Deodorizer Cleaning Solution. Both of these solutions are frequently purchased and used by Hoover SteamVac customers.
Is The Hoover Steamvac Carpet Cleaner F5914-900 A Good Choice?
Overall, the Hoover Steamvac With Clean Surge is an outstanding choice if you are looking for a value-priced, effective and easy-to-operate home carpet cleaning machine.
While it’s design may be somewhat dated, it is still very easy to use and has a powerful 12 amps motor. This machine works well for homes with pets and homes with soiled carpets.
Going through customer reviews, we find that many are pleased with the scrubbing – it is gentle enough to groom the carpets, yet strong enough to bring out the dirt and stains.
Clean Surge For Stained Areas – This deep cleaning SteamVac incorporates the Clean Surge feature for removing highly stubborn stains and spots, or to clean heavy trafficked areas. When the Clean Surge button is depressed, it releases extra detergent into the area. The button is well-placed near the handle of the machine for good usability.
Multiple Brush Speeds – There are 3 brush agitation speed settings to suit different cleaning scenarios, such as gentle or normal cleaning. The brushing can be turned off, or set to low or high.
Separate Clean & Dirty Tanks – The machine has two separate tanks for holding clean and dirty water separately. The clean water tank holds hot water, which is useful for more effective carpet cleaning. There is no built-in water heater though.
This is similar to how most steam carpet cleaners work. For example, the Rug Doctor machine is similar in that it provides two separate tanks as well, and users can put hot water into the clean water tank.
High Powered – The machine has a power of 12 amps. This is similar in horsepower to the Rug Doctor. Users do not expect the machines to be considered to be within the same class. The Rug Doctor is a professional grade carpet cleaning machine that costs a lot more. However, the power of this Hoover SteamVac is worth noting, as it is likely a reason for the high performance of the machine.
Great Handtools – The Hoover SteamVac F5914-900 carpet cleaner comes with cleaning hand tools including a powered SpinScrub tool. These allows the cleaner to easily clean upholstery, stairs and hard to reach areas.
Most users purchase the machine for cleaning their carpets, but they also found that it is easy to use the machine to clean their sofas and armchairs. A few have also used it for their car seats, saving money on an auto detail job.
Removable Brushheads – The Spin Brushes are removable and replaceable. First off, it makes it easy to clean the brushheads under running water. Over years or lots of uses, the wear and tear may blunt the brushes. There is no need to buy a new machine, you can simply change out the brushes, and the machine will have a new lease of life.
On a related note, Hoover does offer a variety of spare parts to replace damage or worn out parts. This makes it easy to keep the machine functioning well if some parts unfortunately fail over time.
Well Engineered & Stress Tested – To ensure many years of good service for customers, this Hoover SteamVac carpet cleaning machine has been stress tested in Hoover’s US engineering laboratory. There are no belts to break or replace.
1 Year Warranty – The machine comes with a 1 year warranty. From customer reviews, Hoover appears to be a company with nice customer support. They are willing to help if users meet with any problems. So if you are already a customer and face challenges, it may be a good idea to call their toll-free customer support line.
Hoover Steamvac With Clean Surge F5914-900 What They Said
Deep Cleans Really Well, Customers Highly Impressed
According to thousands of customer reviews, the Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner F5914-900 provides excellent canning results. The feedback from customers include verbiage such as “superb cleaning,” “shocked by how clean the carpets became,” “professional results.”
Whether it is spilt coffee, pet stains, urine stains, wine or other old stains accumulated over the years, this Hoover SteamVac seems to work wonders. Some users have tried more expensive machines as well as professional carpet cleaning services, and they rate the results from this machine as being better.
We tested this machine on both plush and berber carpets and it cleaned well on both of them. Many users also reported great results with either kinds of carpets.
Dries Carpets Fast
One of the main grouses of using a carpet cleaning machine or a professional cleaning service is how long it takes the carpets to dry up. This is one point the Hoover SteamVac delivers well on. It’s suction mechanism has been designed to draw out as much water from the washed carpets as possible. At the same time, the machine is designed to flow heated air to the carpet so that it dries faster.
Many users are surprised but really pleased with how quickly their carpets dry up (within 3 hours) after a cleaning. Some have commented that their freshly cleaned carpets dry really fast, compared to their experiences with other machines and professional services, which can stretch a whole day and longer.
Easy To Use
Users also find the machine easy to assemble and use. It takes about 10 minutes to get the machine assembled. After that, using it is easy. Hoover has included a quick start guide and full manual in the box.
Powerful For Pet Owners
The Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge has received tremendous feedback from pet owners everywhere. The machine is powerful enough to tackle pet stains from urine, vomit and fecal incidents.
Hoover also makes a Pet model called the Hoover SteamVac Pet Complete Carpet Washer with Clean Surge F5918900. The Hoover SteamVac Pet Complete F5918-900 and Hoover Steamvac F5914-900 machines are near identical. Both packages also include the SpinScrub Powered handtool.
The main difference lay between the two lay in the packaging: the Pet Complete comes packaged with a small bottle of Pet formula cleaning detergent and a pack of pet wipes. However, the Pet Complete usually sells for around $50 more.
For this reason, we recommend just going with the regular Steamvac with Clean Surge F5914-900. Users can always choose to purchase the Pet Cleaning Detergent and Pet cleaning wipes on their own, whenever they choose to for less than the cost difference between the two machines.
Handy, Not Too Heavy
A number of users, especially those we were uncomfortable the size and weight of the Rug Doctor, have commented that the Hoover SteamVac carpet shampooer is much easier to handle. It is lighter and easier to maneuver.
For homes with multiple stories, it is light and handy enough for most people to bring the machine up or downstairs, as well as to clean the stairs. It weighs around 20 pounds without water, making it one of the lightest full-powered upright carpet cleaners available today.
Cleans Hard Floors With Attachment
The Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge F5914-900 can also be fitted with a hard floor attachment to clean hard floors like tile or linoleum and other hard floors (but not hardwood). User ratings for this attachment is mixed.
One user who had great results with it pointed out that the reason this attachment might not work as well for some people is because the they did not install it correctly. He advised others to be observant when clicking it into place — there should be two clicks before the attachment is correctly placed in position.
The Hoover SteamVac SpinScrub Carpet Washer with Clean Surge, F5915905 is just like the Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge except that the package does not have the turbo charged handtool. It comes with a hose attachment and non-turbo scrub tool for cleaning upholstery and spots.
Compared To Other Best Rated Hoover Models
The Hoover Steamvac F5914-900 carpet cleaner is currently a top customer choice on Amazon, BUT how does it compare with other top-rated Hoover models? Here’s a comparison:
Pros
According to thousands of customer reviews, the Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner F5914-900 provides excellent canning results. The feedback from customers include verbiage such as “superb cleaning,” “shocked by how clean the carpets became,” “professional results.”
Whether it is spilt coffee, pet stains, urine stains, wine or other old stains accumulated over the years, this Hoover SteamVac seems to work wonders. Some users have tried more expensive machines as well as professional carpet cleaning services, and they rate the results from this machine as being better.
We tested this machine on both plush and berber carpets and it cleaned well on both of them. Many users also reported great results with either kinds of carpets.
Dries Carpets Fast
One of the main grouses of using a carpet cleaning machine or a professional cleaning service is how long it takes the carpets to dry up. This is one point the Hoover SteamVac delivers well on. It’s suction mechanism has been designed to draw out as much water from the washed carpets as possible. At the same time, the machine is designed to flow heated air to the carpet so that it dries faster.
Many users are surprised but really pleased with how quickly their carpets dry up (within 3 hours) after a cleaning. Some have commented that their freshly cleaned carpets dry really fast, compared to their experiences with other machines and professional services, which can stretch a whole day and longer.
Easy To Use
Users also find the machine easy to assemble and use. It takes about 10 minutes to get the machine assembled. After that, using it is easy. Hoover has included a quick start guide and full manual in the box.
Powerful For Pet Owners
The Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge has received tremendous feedback from pet owners everywhere. The machine is powerful enough to tackle pet stains from urine, vomit and fecal incidents.
Hoover also makes a Pet model called the Hoover SteamVac Pet Complete Carpet Washer with Clean Surge F5918900. The Hoover SteamVac Pet Complete F5918-900 and Hoover Steamvac F5914-900 machines are near identical. Both packages also include the SpinScrub Powered handtool.
The main difference lay between the two lay in the packaging: the Pet Complete comes packaged with a small bottle of Pet formula cleaning detergent and a pack of pet wipes. However, the Pet Complete usually sells for around $50 more.
For this reason, we recommend just going with the regular Steamvac with Clean Surge F5914-900. Users can always choose to purchase the Pet Cleaning Detergent and Pet cleaning wipes on their own, whenever they choose to for less than the cost difference between the two machines.
Handy, Not Too Heavy
A number of users, especially those we were uncomfortable the size and weight of the Rug Doctor, have commented that the Hoover SteamVac carpet shampooer is much easier to handle. It is lighter and easier to maneuver.
For homes with multiple stories, it is light and handy enough for most people to bring the machine up or downstairs, as well as to clean the stairs. It weighs around 20 pounds without water, making it one of the lightest full-powered upright carpet cleaners available today.
Cleans Hard Floors With Attachment
The Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge F5914-900 can also be fitted with a hard floor attachment to clean hard floors like tile or linoleum and other hard floors (but not hardwood). User ratings for this attachment is mixed.
One user who had great results with it pointed out that the reason this attachment might not work as well for some people is because the they did not install it correctly. He advised others to be observant when clicking it into place — there should be two clicks before the attachment is correctly placed in position.
The Hoover SteamVac SpinScrub Carpet Washer with Clean Surge, F5915905 is just like the Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge except that the package does not have the turbo charged handtool. It comes with a hose attachment and non-turbo scrub tool for cleaning upholstery and spots.
Compared To Other Best Rated Hoover Models
The Hoover Steamvac F5914-900 carpet cleaner is currently a top customer choice on Amazon, BUT how does it compare with other top-rated Hoover models? Here’s a comparison:
Pros
- Long History Of #1 Rating – The Hoover Steamvac carpet cleaner F5914-900 debuted back in 2000. Since then, it has built a long legion of fans. Online, it has over 1000 reviews with 5 out of 5 stars ratings.
- Clean Surge – The clean surge feature makes it convenient to deal with stains and soiled high trafficked areas. Some people write the feature off as a superfluous without giving it much consideration. We found it really handy for cleaning up dirty carpets patches and spots. It’s an additional and practical tool for dealing with stains.
- 12 amps Motor – This is an older machine design that comes with a 12 amps motor. Hoover equips their newer full-powered models with 10 amps of power. While there may not be a significant difference in cleaning results for most consumers, some people prefer to buy a higher powered machine.
- Compact – The machine is full-powered but remains compact in size, weighing around 20 lbs. It is easy to carry around and maneuver, while effectively getting the carpets clean.
- Great Handtools – The machine comes with an upholstery tool plus a powered hand tool. A lot of users enjoy the convenience of the powered hand tool.
- Low Priced – This model is priced low for all motor power and features packed into it.
- No Separate Detergent Compartment And Rinse Mode – Some users prefer the convenience of having a separate detergent compartment, so that the detergent does not mix with the clean water. It makes it easier to save on detergent, as well as to rinse carpets.
- Older Design – While the Hoover has a long success track record, it’s design is somewhat outdated. Some of the newer models like the Power Deluxedemonstrates an updated streamlined design that makes it more user-friendly.
- Not Wide-path – This machine features a standard cleaning path. Hoover also makes widepath models that provide about 20% coverage for each cleaning stroke.
Things To Watch Out For
There are many good things about this Hoover SteamVac carpet cleaner, but there are also things to be aware of. No product is perfect and we list here some user tips to get the best use of the cleaner, as well as possible problems.
Clean Brushes After Use – It is a good idea to clean the brushes to remove the hair and debris after each use. Otherwise, the gunk will build up over time and the brushes will not rotate and clean as well. Sure, you can replace the brushes over time, but it’s also easy to clean the brushes and you will maximize their lifespan.
Align Tank Lids In Place – It seems that it is easy for the lid on the dirty water tank to appear closed without being properly aligned. Keeping the tanks properly aligned will allow for a better overall experience. Otherwise, it may lead to issues like a loss of suction or leakages from the tanks.
Read The Manual – It’s worthwhile to invest a little time into going through the manual. There are lots of useful tips listed, from how to best use the machine to maintenance and storage. This allows owners to get the maximum value of out their Hoover SteamVac.
Cleaning Tough Stains/ Pet Stains – Use the machine as per the instructions provided, but do run it slowly forward, even more slowly as you pull back. You can use the Clean Surge button for added power, and run the cleaning strokes a second time to make sure that cleaning is thorough. If you can, try to pretreat the carpet with a pretreating detergent like the Hoover Pet Plus Spot and Stain Spray Cleaner.
Use Hot Water – The machine accommodates the use of hot water. For better cleaning power, use water that is as hot as possible without going over 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This was a tip offered to a user by a Hoover customer support person.
What Type Of Detergent To Use
Hoover strongly recommends using their own branded detergent for use with this carpet cleaner. They state that it is to prevent risks of fire or component damage. While some users have ignored this advice and were happy with alternative brands, users using Hoover detergent have overwhelmingly indicated that the detergent works extremely well and leave the carpets smelling good. For peace of mind and assurance of results, we recommend going with Hoover detergent.
Currently, Hoover carries a number of best-selling cleaning detergents that carpet cleaner machine users like. For carpets that are heavily soiled, our recommended choice is the Hoover Platinum Collection Pet Plus Carpet-and-Upholstery Detergent for maximum cleaning power.
For normal carpet cleaning, our recommended choice is the Hoover CLEANPLUS 2X Concentrated Carpet and Deodorizer Cleaning Solution. Both of these solutions are frequently purchased and used by Hoover SteamVac customers.
Is The Hoover Steamvac Carpet Cleaner F5914-900 A Good Choice?
Overall, the Hoover Steamvac With Clean Surge is an outstanding choice if you are looking for a value-priced, effective and easy-to-operate home carpet cleaning machine.
While it’s design may be somewhat dated, it is still very easy to use and has a powerful 12 amps motor. This machine works well for homes with pets and homes with soiled carpets.
