Hi there. Well, I finally got the right vacuum for my carpet we got in 5/2020. Smartstrand silk reserve carpet exquisite attraction in antiqued silver. We love the carpet. We had all carpeting replaced and padding in our multi level house with several steps. I had been using a maytag upright to vacuum for 2 years. That vacuum was very heavy, 23 pounds, very hard to push and thought it wasn't cleaning carpet. Anyways, after 2 months of vacuum research and buying, trying, and returning 2 different type shark brand vacuums, finally got a soniclean upright. I am just rejoicing with this vacuum. After 20 years of back braking, hernias, and total fatique, (haha), I can finally clean my carpets thoroughly. The soniclean is lightweight, 10.5 pounds, maytag is 23 pounds, I can easily push and pull soniclean without having a total work out and exhaustion with the maytag that I call the white monster. The soniclean, I call black angel, haha. I really appreciate the professional reviews and recommendations. Of course, me being stubborn, took some trial and error with finding this beauty. When we changed carpets in our whole house in 2020, I said this is a once in a life time project and won't do it again, very challenging to do the replacement but worth the effort. There are so many different types of vacuums out it is mind boggling. The lesson I learned with vacuums and getting new carpet, is to do lots of research on the carpeting installed. The soniclean is easy to maneuver, easy controls, easy to learn, very long electric cord, very easy debris bag to put in and change, less noise so I don't have to wear ear plus to vacuum, haha but true. Hopefully , my hearing won't suffer any more, what? Haha. My husband is very happy that I am happy. He still teases me how much of a cheap skate I am. Live and learn. Always weigh the pros and cons of all big purchases and investments in carpeting and make sure all questions are answered. We have lots of steps in our house and soniclean is not appropriate on stairs. I have used soniclean on stairs and works, but you have to be pretty agile, strong, and have good balance to do. I guess I will use maytag or dust buster for easier cleaning on stairs. We will see how that works out. Anyways, my life is more enjoyable with a soniclean upright.
I use a Shark vac and it works fine, leaving the rug look great when finished. it has an adjustable suction valve and that is what helps it move across the carpet
Thank you so much for this video. When I purchased my Smartstrand Carpet no mention was made about needing a proper vacuum cleaner which I apparently don’t have since my current vacuum cleaner is very difficult to push across the carpet. I will be visiting the CRI website to check out the suggested list of vacuum cleaners they recommend.
You are most welcome! We have several clients that have said the same thing. It's too bad they don't mention anything about a vacuum when buying the carpet. We think it's super important!
My best guess about this is that both the aggressiveness of the brush (some are too aggressive) and whether or not the vacuum has a good height adjustment are the problems. It doesn't sound as though even the manufacturers have actually thought this through or know a good solution. If any vacuum digs into the pile too much it will decrease its ability to remove soil or other debris. Hence, the necessity of height adjustment. I primarily use a Kirby Sentria in my business as a carpet cleaner. It definitely is not the best vacuum so don't consider this any sort of recommendation. I have a Dyson that I am planning to take out but can easily see where it's going to fail on certain carpets. I have been considering buying the Workhorse vacuum which seems to be the rage among carpet cleaners right now. If I do it may be the last vacuum I'll ever purchase since I'm 67 and close to retirement. I had a carpet recently in a condo bedroom that was so extremely thick with very long carpet fibers that I had to raise the adjustment on the Kirby pretty high just to vacuum it. The customer owned a Dyson DC-40 ball vacuum and 2 Dyson stick vacuums. I rarely ever see a carpet as thick as this one so that height adjustment, which the Dyson technically does not have, was crucial.
Yes, I think you are correct. Pile height and aggressiveness of the brush is a challenge. For area rugs it's a bit easier since we can just flip them upside down and vacuum the back to knock out the soil. Installed carpeting is a bit more challenging. I have heard about the workhorse as well. Did you end up getting one?
@@Rendallscleaningmi No, I haven't bought the Workhorse. It appears to have a good pickup. I have 1 Sentria and 1 Avalier Kirby. I'm getting close to retirement or at least that's the plan. I don't know if I'll ever buy another vacuum for work purposes. There have been a number of fairly successful carpet cleaners using the Workhorse with videos on TH-cam. It looks like a simple design that appears to work pretty well.
We are getting smartstrand installed this week and my mind is spinning with trying to find an affordable vacuum that is on the certified list. I am not reading many good things about the Soniclean. Ugh.
Hi Jackie, My wife and I purchased SmartStrand carpeting for our family room a month ago and would have never purchased it if we had known our existing vacuum cleaner would not work on it (which it does not). As you mentioned the list of recommend vacuum cleaners is very short, and it certainly is not obvious what other vacuum cleaners would be adequate. What a mess, and thanks for the video. You mentioned the Shark Navigator Pro works OK, but a neighbor of mine has a Shark Navigator and she had to drill holes in it to allow it to work, so would love to see a video of you using the Shark Navigator Pro on Smart Strand carpeting and can you please advise the exact model that works (you showed two different models).
Hi there! Sorry I didnt get to answer you sooner. The models we have used is the Shark Lift Away Professional (NV501) and Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E. I put some links in the description above if you'd like to check them out :) I'm guessing that your neighbor might have a different type of Shark vacuum as they do make several models? It seems to be the "Professional Lift-Away" models are the ones we've had luck with. But I also know Smartstrand can vary as well from thickness, density, and manufacturer. We'll try to upload a video of vacuuming SmartStrand with what we use once we're able to :)
@@Rendallscleaningmi We got new carpet on our main floor the end of June and we are trying to find a vacuum that will work. Bought the Shark Rotator NV501 last night and tried it out tonight. It about killed us trying to clean the carpet.....even with the suction at the lowest level. We are Oreck fans and thought for sure they would have one that would work for us. Went to the Oreck store to find out they have nothing that will work. Buyers remorse has set in.
@@debemery7442 I'm sorry to hear that! That is very interesting to know since we haven't stumbled across that issue. I am also surprised to hear that the Oreck store didn't have the one listed (Magnesium) as that is one of the few Smartstrand recommends. Do you know what model#/brand/type of carpet you have?
I was also unaware that I would have to buy a special vacuum for our new Mohawk carpet & would have chosen differently had I known. It's really nice carpet but not very practical in this respect. Buyer beware!
DO WHAT SHE SAYS!! We bought top-of-the-line Shaw Smartstrand and used our top of the line Dyson. I was shocked at how much dust I was picking up every time, so I really vacuumed thoroughly. Well as it turned out some of what I picked up may have been the tuft that makes the carpet so soft. We are at two years with this carpet and it ain't good. It doesn't feel the same. Woops. Also I think having a carpet rake may be a good idea. That's what I'm doing now in traffic areas trying to get the loft back up.
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that! Smartstrand is also more prone to untwisting, making it look more worn (they call it a "characteristic" -ha!). A carpet rake should help with fluffing it up, although it's possible you might need the carpet professionally cleaned as well. Smartstrand tends to hold onto more oil-based things, such as body oils and pet oils which weighs it down (another "characteristic").
do you have an updated recommendation for a vacuum for soft carpet. I just got mohawk carpet a month ago and cant find an updated list of recommended vacuum that are curerently being sold. the mohawk website is outdated, I"m considering a shark or bissell and don't know which would be better as I would also like to use it for my vinyl flooring if possible
To my knowledge, I believe the Soniclean vacuum is the main one that Mohawk is still recommending and available. We have never personally used it, so I'm not sure how well it vacuums up, but reviews seem mixed. In our carpet cleaning biz we still use the Shark vacuums listed and has been a good option for soft carpet and hardfloors from our experience. For whatever reason, Sharkninja is no longer listed on the CRI website, but they used to be since we started cleaning Smartstrand and when we made this video. My best guess is that the company most likely did not want to keep paying the fee to be "certified". There are newer models of Shark vacs and Bissells, but haven't personally tested them.The qualities to look out for are adjustable vacuum height, large wheels, HEPA filter if possible, and a soft brush roller/beater bar that can be turned on and off. As long as you don't get a Dyson, because those can be too aggressive and we've seen some warranties get voided from using them. This is of course from our opinions and experience :) If you wanted to be extra safe, we recommend contacting the retailer your carpet was purchased from, and also see if there is anything in your warranty paperwork about it. Or call Mohawk directly, but I have a feeling they will tell you to get something from the CRI list of recommendations. Hope that helps!
Unfortunately I do have a dyson so im looking for a new vacuum. I actually called mohawk and they referred me to their recommended list which is outdated. I'm not familiar with with shark or Bissell. I saw a shark navigator and rotator. Its so confusing to figure out which one would be best. Bissell is more confusing not sure if a crosswave would be ok.
@@littlemiss2727 I totally understand, there's so many models and brands out there, it is confusing. From what I understand, the main difference between the Shark navigator and rotator is that the navigator is a little bit lighter in weight a smaller head (easier to swivel), and lower in cost. The rotator is very similar but it is a little bit heavier, has slightly different attachments, a larger head with LED lights, and costs a little bit more. Performance wise they are very similar from our experience. I prefer the rotator just because of the slightly larger head and LED lights, but some people might prefer to have a lighter weight vacuum and better manuvering with a smaller head. I'm not too familiar with Bissell, but from my research, the Crosswave doesn't look to be a good option for longer thicker carpets like Smartstrand sadly. Bissell seems to only recommend the Crosswave for lower piled carpets. I've heard good things about Bissell Pet vacuums, but not too sure about their performance, specifically on Smartstrand.
@@Rendallscleaningmi I ordered a shark rotator NV501(like you use) which does have a brush roll you can disable and an adjust to reduce the suction. I also ordered a shark rotator nv751 which doesn't have a brush roll turn off. I'm leaning towards the 501. I know you mentioned it was a good idea to turn off the brush roll, but then it does make it hard to push. Is that Ok? It's obviously easier with the brush roll on, but I don't want to hurt the carpet
I just came across your channel! I’m not getting new carpet. Would you recommend the Shark Apex with zero m? I have it i didn’t know if y’all have used one
Thanks for stopping by! We haven't had the chance to check out that particular Shark, but from what I've heard it seems like a really solid vacuum! I see that the Apex has a mode for thick carpet, which seems like it would be good for Smartstrand. Interestingly, I don't see any Shark listed on the CRI website anymore as a "certified" vacuum, but could just mean that they didn't want to pay or renew their certification (We have to renew every year for our stain remover Stain Fu). Do you use it on SmartStrand? What has been your experience so far with it?
We like the Shark Rotator Lift Away Pro (NV501) or the other one is the Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro NV370 (which is pretty much the NV356). We have links in the description for both if you wanted to check them out :)
@@ac7384 I would strongly suggest a different vacuum especially if you are concerned with keeping your carpet warranty. I know plenty of people who swear by their Dyson's, but from the carpet cleaners side have heard horror stories about those vacuums almost being too strong of a suction and causing wear. Also we have heard that certain carpet manufacturer's might void your warranty if you use a Dyson since it's not "CRI" approved. Notice that none of them are (at least at the time of this comment). Not saying it will happen for sure, but sometimes they will use any card they can to not fulfill a warranty, so just something to keep in mind.
Soniclean is the worst for Mohawk Smart Strand carpet. If you have arms like Atlas it works, but it takes two arms to push it over my carpet. Would not recommend it!!
Hi there. Well, I finally got the right vacuum for my carpet we got in 5/2020. Smartstrand silk reserve carpet exquisite attraction in antiqued silver. We love the carpet. We had all carpeting replaced and padding in our multi level house with several steps. I had been using a maytag upright to vacuum for 2 years. That vacuum was very heavy, 23 pounds, very hard to push and thought it wasn't cleaning carpet. Anyways, after 2 months of vacuum research and buying, trying, and returning 2 different type shark brand vacuums, finally got a soniclean upright. I am just rejoicing with this vacuum. After 20 years of back braking, hernias, and total fatique, (haha), I can finally clean my carpets thoroughly. The soniclean is lightweight, 10.5 pounds, maytag is 23 pounds, I can easily push and pull soniclean without having a total work out and exhaustion with the maytag that I call the white monster. The soniclean, I call black angel, haha.
I really appreciate the professional reviews and recommendations. Of course, me being stubborn, took some trial and error with finding this beauty. When we changed carpets in our whole house in 2020, I said this is a once in a life time project and won't do it again, very challenging to do the replacement but worth the effort. There are so many different types of vacuums out it is mind boggling. The lesson I learned with vacuums and getting new carpet, is to do lots of research on the carpeting installed. The soniclean is easy to maneuver, easy controls, easy to learn, very long electric cord, very easy debris bag to put in and change, less noise so I don't have to wear ear plus to vacuum, haha but true. Hopefully , my hearing won't suffer any more, what? Haha. My husband is very happy that I am happy. He still teases me how much of a cheap skate I am. Live and learn. Always weigh the pros and cons of all big purchases and investments in carpeting and make sure all questions are answered. We have lots of steps in our house and soniclean is not appropriate on stairs. I have used soniclean on stairs and works, but you have to be pretty agile, strong, and have good balance to do. I guess I will use maytag or dust buster for easier cleaning on stairs. We will see how that works out. Anyways, my life is more enjoyable with a soniclean upright.
Thank you for your comment! It's good to know more about people's experiences with soniclean vacuums :)
I use a Shark vac and it works fine, leaving the rug look great when finished. it has an adjustable suction valve and that is what helps it move across the carpet
Awesome!!
which one has the adjustable valve? doesi t have a beater brush, I've heard you're not supposed to use one.
Thank you so much for this video. When I purchased my Smartstrand Carpet no mention was made about needing a proper vacuum cleaner which
I apparently don’t have since my current vacuum cleaner is very difficult to push across the carpet. I will be visiting the CRI website to check out the suggested list of vacuum cleaners they recommend.
You are most welcome! We have several clients that have said the same thing. It's too bad they don't mention anything about a vacuum when buying the carpet. We think it's super important!
Chloe which vacuum did you end up getting?
My best guess about this is that both the aggressiveness of the brush (some are too aggressive) and whether or not the vacuum has a good height adjustment are the problems. It doesn't sound as though even the manufacturers have actually thought this through or know a good solution. If any vacuum digs into the pile too much it will decrease its ability to remove soil or other debris. Hence, the necessity of height adjustment. I primarily use a Kirby Sentria in my business as a carpet cleaner. It definitely is not the best vacuum so don't consider this any sort of recommendation. I have a Dyson that I am planning to take out but can easily see where it's going to fail on certain carpets. I have been considering buying the Workhorse vacuum which seems to be the rage among carpet cleaners right now. If I do it may be the last vacuum I'll ever purchase since I'm 67 and close to retirement. I had a carpet recently in a condo bedroom that was so extremely thick with very long carpet fibers that I had to raise the adjustment on the Kirby pretty high just to vacuum it. The customer owned a Dyson DC-40 ball vacuum and 2 Dyson stick vacuums. I rarely ever see a carpet as thick as this one so that height adjustment, which the Dyson technically does not have, was crucial.
Yes, I think you are correct. Pile height and aggressiveness of the brush is a challenge. For area rugs it's a bit easier since we can just flip them upside down and vacuum the back to knock out the soil. Installed carpeting is a bit more challenging. I have heard about the workhorse as well. Did you end up getting one?
@@Rendallscleaningmi No, I haven't bought the Workhorse. It appears to have a good pickup. I have 1 Sentria and 1 Avalier Kirby. I'm getting close to retirement or at least that's the plan. I don't know if I'll ever buy another vacuum for work purposes. There have been a number of fairly successful carpet cleaners using the Workhorse with videos on TH-cam. It looks like a simple design that appears to work pretty well.
We are getting smartstrand installed this week and my mind is spinning with trying to find an affordable vacuum that is on the certified list. I am not reading many good things about the Soniclean. Ugh.
Hi Jackie,
My wife and I purchased SmartStrand carpeting for our family room a month ago and would have never purchased it if we had known our existing vacuum cleaner would not work on it (which it does not). As you mentioned the list of recommend vacuum cleaners is very short, and it certainly is not obvious what other vacuum cleaners would be adequate. What a mess, and thanks for the video. You mentioned the Shark Navigator Pro works OK, but a neighbor of mine has a Shark Navigator and she had to drill holes in it to allow it to work, so would love to see a video of you using the Shark Navigator Pro on Smart Strand carpeting and can you please advise the exact model that works (you showed two different models).
Hi there! Sorry I didnt get to answer you sooner. The models we have used is the Shark Lift Away Professional (NV501) and Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E. I put some links in the description above if you'd like to check them out :) I'm guessing that your neighbor might have a different type of Shark vacuum as they do make several models? It seems to be the "Professional Lift-Away" models are the ones we've had luck with. But I also know Smartstrand can vary as well from thickness, density, and manufacturer. We'll try to upload a video of vacuuming SmartStrand with what we use once we're able to :)
following.....for video of vacuuming @@Rendallscleaningmi
@@Rendallscleaningmi We got new carpet on our main floor the end of June and we are trying to find a vacuum that will work. Bought the Shark Rotator NV501 last night and tried it out tonight. It about killed us trying to clean the carpet.....even with the suction at the lowest level. We are Oreck fans and thought for sure they would have one that would work for us. Went to the Oreck store to find out they have nothing that will work. Buyers remorse has set in.
@@debemery7442 I'm sorry to hear that! That is very interesting to know since we haven't stumbled across that issue. I am also surprised to hear that the Oreck store didn't have the one listed (Magnesium) as that is one of the few Smartstrand recommends. Do you know what model#/brand/type of carpet you have?
I was also unaware that I would have to buy a special vacuum for our new Mohawk carpet & would have chosen differently had I known. It's really nice carpet but not very practical in this respect. Buyer beware!
DO WHAT SHE SAYS!! We bought top-of-the-line Shaw Smartstrand and used our top of the line Dyson. I was shocked at how much dust I was picking up every time, so I really vacuumed thoroughly. Well as it turned out some of what I picked up may have been the tuft that makes the carpet so soft. We are at two years with this carpet and it ain't good. It doesn't feel the same. Woops.
Also I think having a carpet rake may be a good idea. That's what I'm doing now in traffic areas trying to get the loft back up.
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that! Smartstrand is also more prone to untwisting, making it look more worn (they call it a "characteristic" -ha!). A carpet rake should help with fluffing it up, although it's possible you might need the carpet professionally cleaned as well. Smartstrand tends to hold onto more oil-based things, such as body oils and pet oils which weighs it down (another "characteristic").
do you have an updated recommendation for a vacuum for soft carpet. I just got mohawk carpet a month ago and cant find an updated list of recommended vacuum that are curerently being sold. the mohawk website is outdated, I"m considering a shark or bissell and don't know which would be better as I would also like to use it for my vinyl flooring if possible
To my knowledge, I believe the Soniclean vacuum is the main one that Mohawk is still recommending and available. We have never personally used it, so I'm not sure how well it vacuums up, but reviews seem mixed. In our carpet cleaning biz we still use the Shark vacuums listed and has been a good option for soft carpet and hardfloors from our experience. For whatever reason, Sharkninja is no longer listed on the CRI website, but they used to be since we started cleaning Smartstrand and when we made this video. My best guess is that the company most likely did not want to keep paying the fee to be "certified". There are newer models of Shark vacs and Bissells, but haven't personally tested them.The qualities to look out for are adjustable vacuum height, large wheels, HEPA filter if possible, and a soft brush roller/beater bar that can be turned on and off. As long as you don't get a Dyson, because those can be too aggressive and we've seen some warranties get voided from using them. This is of course from our opinions and experience :)
If you wanted to be extra safe, we recommend contacting the retailer your carpet was purchased from, and also see if there is anything in your warranty paperwork about it. Or call Mohawk directly, but I have a feeling they will tell you to get something from the CRI list of recommendations. Hope that helps!
Unfortunately I do have a dyson so im looking for a new vacuum. I actually called mohawk and they referred me to their recommended list which is outdated. I'm not familiar with with shark or Bissell. I saw a shark navigator and rotator. Its so confusing to figure out which one would be best. Bissell is more confusing not sure if a crosswave would be ok.
@@littlemiss2727 I totally understand, there's so many models and brands out there, it is confusing. From what I understand, the main difference between the Shark navigator and rotator is that the navigator is a little bit lighter in weight a smaller head (easier to swivel), and lower in cost. The rotator is very similar but it is a little bit heavier, has slightly different attachments, a larger head with LED lights, and costs a little bit more. Performance wise they are very similar from our experience. I prefer the rotator just because of the slightly larger head and LED lights, but some people might prefer to have a lighter weight vacuum and better manuvering with a smaller head. I'm not too familiar with Bissell, but from my research, the Crosswave doesn't look to be a good option for longer thicker carpets like Smartstrand sadly. Bissell seems to only recommend the Crosswave for lower piled carpets. I've heard good things about Bissell Pet vacuums, but not too sure about their performance, specifically on Smartstrand.
@@Rendallscleaningmi I ordered a shark rotator NV501(like you use) which does have a brush roll you can disable and an adjust to reduce the suction. I also ordered a shark rotator nv751 which doesn't have a brush roll turn off. I'm leaning towards the 501. I know you mentioned it was a good idea to turn off the brush roll, but then it does make it hard to push. Is that Ok? It's obviously easier with the brush roll on, but I don't want to hurt the carpet
There are no Shark vacuums that are CRI approved, as of June 14, 2021
We have noticed that...it used to be on there when we made the video. I have reached out to Shark and haven't heard a response back yet.
I just came across your channel! I’m not getting new carpet. Would you recommend the Shark Apex with zero m? I have it i didn’t know if y’all have used one
Thanks for stopping by! We haven't had the chance to check out that particular Shark, but from what I've heard it seems like a really solid vacuum! I see that the Apex has a mode for thick carpet, which seems like it would be good for Smartstrand. Interestingly, I don't see any Shark listed on the CRI website anymore as a "certified" vacuum, but could just mean that they didn't want to pay or renew their certification (We have to renew every year for our stain remover Stain Fu). Do you use it on SmartStrand? What has been your experience so far with it?
What shark you reccomend. I domt see pro you mentioned. Avaiable
We like the Shark Rotator Lift Away Pro (NV501) or the other one is the Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro NV370 (which is pretty much the NV356). We have links in the description for both if you wanted to check them out :)
@@Rendallscleaningmi thank you. Wbat about the Dyson animal 3. For nylon .67 pile
@@ac7384 I would strongly suggest a different vacuum especially if you are concerned with keeping your carpet warranty. I know plenty of people who swear by their Dyson's, but from the carpet cleaners side have heard horror stories about those vacuums almost being too strong of a suction and causing wear. Also we have heard that certain carpet manufacturer's might void your warranty if you use a Dyson since it's not "CRI" approved. Notice that none of them are (at least at the time of this comment). Not saying it will happen for sure, but sometimes they will use any card they can to not fulfill a warranty, so just something to keep in mind.
Hey Jackie
Soniclean is the worst for Mohawk Smart Strand carpet. If you have arms like Atlas it works, but it takes two arms to push it over my carpet. Would not recommend it!!
Good to know! Ironically the one they specifically made for their carpet, or so they say. It makes me wonder sometimes with these manufacturers