I Do It With My Clothes On (Numatic George)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	Numatic George
Date:	07/02/03 (1841 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: versatile, reliable, powerful

Disadvantages: flex does not return into machine body

Way back in the fifties (so MALU tells me) the original sex kitten, Brigitte Bardot, was seen on film vacuuming a carpet wearing nothing but her perfume. In those days, not only would this have steamed up the censors' spectacles, but all vacuum cleaners were called hoovers. They were in the UK anyway. There were 2 kinds of hoover. One was a tall skinny thing with a cloth bag hanging off the side and the other was a heavy cylinder dragged laboriously behind the housewife. We were allowed to be called housewives in those pre-PC days.

As we all know, things moved steadily on until the heady day when Mr Dyson arrived on the scene to captivate our innovation starved hearts. Just as wooden floors became fashionable! But my choice is not laminated flooring and my new carpet was celebrated with the purchase of a gaudy lime green and grey Dyson DC 4. "What has this to do with a Numatic vacuum cleaner?" you ask. Bear with me, I am getting there.

This afternoon I ran the Dyson over my carpet, filling the machine magnificently, only to be faced yet again with white jack russell dog hairs still on the carpet. My "Oh bother" (or words to that effect) was followed by giving up on the gorgeous new machine, rummaging in the smallest bedroom and rescuing my old Numatic George cylinder cleaner. George was a present from my husband all of 12 years ago and still managed to pick up those dog hairs without as much as a grumble.

George is the big brother to Henry, Basil, Edward and Charles. He is a deep, bright red canister (nowdays green, I believe) with a black hat on containing the motor, has a beaming smiling face and willing black wheels. He can hold 15 litres of dry material and 9 litres of wet. If you don't mind being followed around by a grin, this wet and dry, carpet-shampooing -when-you-want vacuum cleaner is the business.

The Numatic company is the largest manufacturer of vacuum cleaners in
the UK and the leader in the commercial market I am told by their website. Fortunately they have seen fit to let the retail market benefit from their know how and quality has not suffered as a result. In fact I read a Which magazine report which said that Numatic are the most reliable of all cleaners.

George has a 1000w motor which never loses it's edge. The electric lead is so long that I can plug it in from the kitchen, clean the downstairs carpets and stairs and then, by dint of hooking the flex over the kitchen door and then the upstairs bannisters, do the landing and bathroom. The extensions to the long black hose which hold the attachments are light to handle, bright, never-fading stainless steel and everything fits together with a gentle push. The attachments which come with George include a standard large brush for carpets, a smaller brush, dear little round upholstery brush and crevice tool. These are interchangeable in a moment. The control of air to lessen suction should you wish is beneath your hand. The joy of this machine is that I can move from carpet to kitchen floor without any adjustment being needed.

For more detail about putting George together:- the hose screws easily onto the front of George's "face". The lid is removed by pulling out 2 wide clips which release a lock and the lid containing the motor lifts off. This is the heaviest part of the machine. What amounts to a light empty container beneath has a circular filter which just lifts off. A bag is attached to the short pipe leading to the hose. Here I have a confession. It is years since I have bothered to replace the bags. I found that they filled quite quickly and, when I ran out of them one day, just didn't bother again. The dust goes straight into the container and when it starts to fill I take off the lid and carry George's bottom by the handle to the dustbin before turning it upside down and emptying the contents.
So Mr. Dyson was a little behind the times. I had been there before him. The on/off switch is on the side of the lid and there is one for wet and one for dry use.

Here I must mention a small disadvantage which won't lose it a star. The flex does not return into the cylinder. I need to wrap it round the machine when I have finished with it. I do the same with the hose and just carry it to where I need it, before unwrapping. The sturdy wheels follow me obediently although they won't climb obstructions.

There is more. George is the Numatic vaccum which also shampoos carpets. The filter needs to be replaced with a flat circular lid placed on top of the cannister. This has a conical net attached containing a plastic ball which, I presume, would float to the top and stop water getting into the motor. Water and shampoo is poured into the cannister and the motor replaced. A good carpet shampoo is necessary. Next a long, thin and very flexible hose is clipped up the side of the extensions. The shampooing attachment is flat clear plastic. The shampoo is directed in a fine spray as you push the attachment over the floor and then excess water returns to the machine, so the carpet does not become too wet. It really does clean brilliantly, although I find the connection of everything a bit wearing.

Provided you replace the filter with it's wet equivalent, George handles water brilliantly. When the filter of my washing machine became blocked and left the machine full, I was able to use George to empty it easily via the filter and without a flooded kitchen floor. Do dry it out before you use it again on a carpet though. Wet dust smells awful.

The price nowdays is £213 although there should be some leeway, depending where you buy. At present there is a superb offer of £160 from Lloyd Jones at lloyd-jones.com

If George is so good, why the Dyson? This was not any lack of co-operation on George'
s
part. I decided on a whim that I wanted an upright and I am very happy with it. I also find the upright a tad easier to carry upstairs as it doesn't have a hose dangling from it. But, when all is said and done, it was George that I turned to when the dogs hairs had me expleting "Oh bother!" (or words to that effect).

Summary: