Does anyone own/use the Bissell Floor Mate for cleaning hard floors? Recently moved into a house with MUCH bigger kitchen floors than previous home so I purchased on of these after trying out my friends. I do love how it works. Wondering if anyone's ever used anything other than the "floor mate" cleaning solution with it. Thinking of trying mixing vinegar in the water instead of the solution they sell. Anyone?
Thank you all for your valuable advice! I do appreciate your time and thoughts! I have been using vinegar and water to clean almost every other area of my home for around 7 years -so I totally agree with you all on the benefits of using it instead of other harsh chemicals! But, it was a lot of money (to me!) to purchase that Floor Mate and I didn't want to take any chances! =) I use vinegar in the laundry as a softener and -did you know?- vinegar is actually a deodorizer?! Yes! With that irritating smell - once it's dry - it eliminates other odors! (another + to using it in the laundry)! Thank you all, again, for your advice. I still have 1 or 2 uses left from the solution I originally bought - after it's gone, I'm definitely using the vinegar instead! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!
-B. W.
i USED to own a floor mate and i do know they dont like bleach!!! mine died and i would LOVE to have another one
I know some of the floor cleaners like those contain a chemical that is in antifreeze. If you have pets it can be extremely dangerous and possibly deadly for them if they get it in their system. I would use maybe the vinegar and water or bleach and water. The swiffer is one of the types that contains the particular chemical in it. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the chemical. Do use extreme caution if this is like the swiffer.
D.
I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 wonderful boys ages 10,7 and 4. He is a full time diesel mechanic and I work part time doing construction work.
I have the Hoover FloorMate and had always used their solution. I just switched to plain vinegar + water and it seems to clean just as well. Like B. said, just pickle smell for an hour or so before it dissipates. Definitely more environmentally friendly and economical. I can't think of why vinegar might damage the machine if you use it all up each time (don't know if it'll eat away at rubber if it sits on a rubber ring too long etc). It'll only clean the insides out.
vinegar and water clean better then any chemical out there. I actualy have a Bissell Floor Mate and I run Vinegar and Water through it all the time. I makes the house smell pickled for an hour or so but with the air moving around it goes away and you arent using harmful chemicals that you are inhailing while you clean.....Plus it is CHEAPER. I have a 9 yr old son with Autism and a 7 yr old sassy red headed daughter :) I dont want then smelling the fumes of the chemicals either...Venigar and water is what I use on almost everything, it just works great! Good Luck!!
My daughter just had her "new" house's 1959 hardwood floors stripped and refinished after removing the '80s carpet. Our "stripper" said NOTHING but vinegar and water should be used on hardwood floors. IF chemical solutions are used and the floor needs redone for one little water or pet spot, they cannot just spot clean - they must completely strip and redo the entire floor. Whereas, if vinegar and water are used, they can spot clean.
Hope that helps!
I've never used a floor mate but vinegar cleans everything and i have used other machines and substituted vinegar with no trouble at all, the biggest reasont ehy say only use this kind of solution is obviously to get you to buy "their" products, then of cource there are solutions that can gunk up the workings of a machine but vinegar isn't going to do that and it's so much friendlier to your home and the planet than all the chemicals.
I have never used that particular machine, but a few weeks ago we cleaned all the carpet in the house with vinager and water, worked perfectly, and only cost me about $3.00 instead if the $16.00 for "their" solution. The smell wasnt an issue, either, and we live in NE Ohio, so the house was completely Closed up. Try It, good Luck! A.
I have one too and just ran out of the solution that came with it. Since vinegar and water is a safe way to clean all floors, and there is no "sudsing agent" in it to damage the machine, I don't see how it could hurt.
You can always burn a candle or use a room deodorizer to camouflage the vinegar scent if that ends up being a turn-off.
Good luck, I will be trying the same soon.
I use a few drops of pure eucalyptus oil.. Perfectly safe for the kids and smells GREAT....... It doesn't hurt rhe floormate either.
A.
