Jeff's Fuller Brush Place

Recently, my mother told me about an electric sweeper that had been donated to her church and asked me to pick one up for her the next time I was at Costco. It was called the "Shark", she told me. I assumed it was some kind of vacuum since she already has a Fuller Brush Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper (ECS). This past Tuesday I was at Costco, and sure enough they had a huge pallet of the "Shark Cordless Sweeper". This is the Model V2022, a 2 speed model. I picked one up for mom and since I knew I would have to assemble it for her, and the fact she was out of town for a few days, I decided to put it to the test.

The Fuller Sweeper vs the Shark Vac

Assembly: The main body of each comes assembled, the only thing needing to be done is assemble the handle. We will call this even.

Weight Both units are lightweight, the Shark Vac at 4# per the manual, the Fuller ECS about 2#. There is no difference in feel to me so I will also call this even.

Sweeping Area: The Shark has about a 12" wide sweeping area, the Fuller ECS about 8" wide. Advantage Shark.

Time To First Use: Once assembled the Fuller ECS can be used. The Shark needs to be charged minimum of 20 hours before it's first use or the charging abilities of it's batteries may be compromised, leading to shorter usage time and shorter battery life. Advantage Fuller.

Interruption- The area I planned for the test was a kitchen/dining room with Pergo(tm) flooring, and a living roon with carpeting. It should be noted I have a Yellow Lab, named Cody. I should have named him Sheddy. So you now have an idea of the main thing I look for in a sweeper/vacuum.

Results of First Use The Shark Vac was given first go round. I thought being motorized it would be easier to push on carpet than the Fuller ECW. Not so, they both are about the same. On the Pergo(tm) the Shark and the Fuller ECS both performed the same, picking up dust, dog hair, cereal spills and dirt. On the carpet, the Shark seemed to be doing ok, but when I looked at a different angle I could see dog hair left behind. I emptied the Shark's dust cup and went over the area again. I could still see some dog hair there so I went over the area I had already used the Shark on twice with the Fuller ECS and it picked up the dog hair the Shark had left behind. Advantage Fuller ECS.

Cleaning The Units: To empty the Fuller ECS you hold it over recepticle (trash can in this case) and push in on the duct bins, opening a flap which allows the collected dirt & stuff to drop into the can. With the Shark, you press a lever with your foot to life the dust cup from the unit with the handle, place the cup over the trash and puch a button, releasing a spring loaded flap which empties into the can. I do like the Shark's emptying system better and will give it the advantage on that.

Other: The Shark vac has a Nickel-camium (NiCd) battery pack. This must be charged and recharged for the sweeper to work. While inexpensive, it does add cost over a period of time. In addition, should the battery pack need to be replaced (Per the Shark owner's manual - "NiCd batteries have a long useful life but at some time they will need to be replaced.")it will cost $14.90 for a new pack from Shark (plus tax in some locales) and the old battery pack must be disposed of properly. The cadmium in the NiCd battery is a toxic heavy metal and must be either sent to a proper recycling facility or hazordous waste disposal facitlity. The Fuller ECS has no batteries to replace or dispose. Advantage Fuller.

Brush CleaningThe Fuller ECS comes with a special comb to clean the brushes which make the sweeper work. The Shark does not, but does tell you in the manual to inspect the brushes and clean them if necessary. Nice of them. Advantage Fuller.

Purchase Cost: I found the Shark online for $49.95. The Fuller ECS is often (currently) on special for $49.99. The Shark I purchased at Costco was $44.97. Given the variables, I am going to call this even.

Warranty: The Shark has a 1 year limited warranty, requiring you to ship them the unit AND include a payment of $7.95 for them to return the unit to you. Read the Fuller Brush guarantee on the Fuller Brush website. Advantage Fuller.

I know I am somewhat prejudiced, but to me it is Advantage Fuller all the way!

To purchase an Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper, go to my Fuller Brush Factory Direct Website and enter 101 in the search box.

Labels: Carpets, Floors, Fuller Brush

Last year, Fuller introduced a new mopping system using microfiber mop heads. I have been using it, and these mops are so much more convenient then old style mops.

Basically you have a handle and frame, then can use different mop heads depending on the job at hand. In addition, our new Earth-Gard Mega Mop with the disposable dusting heads uses the same handle and frame. A very versatile system.

For more info about the Microfiber Mops, click here.

For more info about the Earth-Gard Mega Mop, click here.

To see all of Fuller Brush's products, click here.

Labels: Cleaning, Floors, Fuller Brush, Mops

We have a great new product that just became available. It's called the Earth-Guard Mega Mop. This mop is similar to mops you buy at the store where you use the mop pad once and then dispose of it. The similarity ends there. Our Earth-Guard Mega Mop is:
Over 50% larger than other brands;
have an electrostatic charge to pick up & hold bacteria, dust, hair, dirt, etc;
environmentally safe, it will biodegrade naturally over a number of weeks;
Is approved for hospital use. - How many others can say that?

To see a flyer about the Earth-Guard Mega Mop click here.

Labels: Cleaning, Floors, Fuller Brush

Yesterday, I wrote a bit about using Fulsol on flooring. Today I will relate my experience on using it on wall to wall carpeting. Let me start by saying I have a major brand carpet cleaner. Also I will state up front you should test Fulsol in an inconspicuous area of your carpeting to check for color fastness.

Removing Stains: My son had spilled a can of cola on our beige carpeting. I was out of town at the time and he threw a towel over the spot and forgot about it. When I returned a couple weeks later, there was a dried cola stain on the carpet. I wet the area with water, then poured full strenth Fulsol on the center of the stain. Using a scrub brush I worked the Fulsol into the stain from the center out. I then let it sit for 10 minutes while I got out the carpet shampooer and filled it with water only (no detergent). I then worked over the area in a zig zag pattern with the carpet shampooer until the water was coming back clean (no suds). When it dried the stain had been completely removed.

General Carpet Shampooing: My carpet shampoo machine uses a detergent cup which holds 10oz of detergent. I have used a 50/50 mix of Fulsol & water instead with great results. This reduces the cost per detergent cup by 50% in my machine. The way to figure out the best mix for your machine is, unfortunately, trial & error. I started using Fulsol full strength and at a 75/25 Fulsol/water mixture and found that was too strong (the carpet needed an additional run with just water and was stiff from soap residue after drying). At 50/50 it cleans well and rinses well. I do think a 25/75 Fulsol/Water mix will do just as well and will be trying that next time.

Using Fulsol on your floors and carpets will also leave your room with a fresh lemon scent. :-)

To read more baout Fulsol, click here.

To see all of Fuller Brush's fine products, click here.

Labels: Carpets, Cleaning, Floors, Fuller Brush, Fulsol

Today I want to talk about using Fulsol to clean floors. First of all, do not use Fulsol on wood flooring. You can use it if the wood is sealed, however any unsealed spots would have the Fulsol pulling the natural oils out of the wood. On vinyl, tile and laminate floors, Fulsol is fine. In another post, I'll talk about using Fulsol to clean carpets.

First of all, unless the flooring is extremely dirty, you will need a lighter than normal dilution of Fulsol. I use 1oz to make a gallon of floor cleaner. Spray it on the the area to be cleaned and let it sit for a few minutes. I have found that the Microfiber Wet Mop is best for larger areas (kitchens, living rooms, etc) and the sponge mop is good for smaller areas (bathrooms, laundry areas, etc). If your flooring is sticky after it dries, you need to make the dilution lighter. If you are cleaning flooring that has been neglected and is very dirty, you may need to use the regular dilution of 2oz of Fulsol to make a gallon of cleaner and use a scrub brush for the initial cleaning, then use the lighter dilution of Fulsol for maintenance.

For wood floors, go to the Floor Care section of my Fuller Direct website and check out the Wood Floor EZ Mist Cleaner, currently on sale. You will also find a complete selection of Mops, Brushes and Brooms for you floors there.

Labels: Cleaning, Floors, Fuller Brush, Fulsol