Hoover SmartWash – a worthy automatic carpet cleaner

Carpets provide for a warm, soft, and luxurious floor. The only problem is that they’re dirt magnets, trapping loose dirt particles as well as staining easily. It can be a huge problem, especially if the carpets are high-pile. While vacuuming picks up most of the dirt, it’s never enough. Some stains such as pet accidents, food spills, and other liquid messes may not be vacuumable. Besides that, many vacuums cleaners struggle to suck up dirt from carpets. That means you will eventually need to carry out some shampooing.

The Hoover SmartWash+ FH5200 is a carpet cleaner that has immensely simplified the process to shampoo carpets. It’s also one of the most effective carpet cleaning devices you can get today. It’s the newest from Hoover and comes with a variety of unique and useful features. In this review, I bring you a detailed description of the Hoover SmartWash, its pros and cons, and why it makes such a handy appliance to have in your home. This should come in handy for all of your who are in some last-minute shopping spree, just before the holidays.

Without further ado, let’s start with the specifications.

Hoover SmartWash+ in action

Main specifications

Cleaning Power

Being a carpet cleaner, its efficiency depends on how well it shampoos the surfaces it’s used on. That requires it to have a powerful motor that creates strong suction, effective delivery of cleaning liquid, and well-designed brush roll to loosen up the dirt embedded in the carpet. The SmartWash features all these attributes. It comes with a 10A motor which creates suction that’s powerful enough for efficient pick up of debris and dirty water when cleaning carpets. Its ability to agitate dirt particles is impressive, with two brush rolls that rotate in the same direction for enhanced removal of stuck dirt and debris. The bristles are longer and arranged helically which means the machine is capable of cleaning every type of carpet, even the high-pile ones. The manufacturer recommends that you vacuum the carpet first before using the carpet cleaner for the best results. That’s because this device is designed to shampoo carpets and not to dry vacuum.

Input Power

It plugs into the standard American 120V outlet, drawing 1200 watts. Though not efficient regarding power consumption, the high wattage is necessary for the powerful suction the machine requires to suck up the cleaning liquid from carpets among other functions. The power cord measures 22 feet and wraps around the unit on the back side.

Dust Capacity

Because it doesn’t clean dry dirt or debris, the Hoover SmartWash doesn’t feature a dust bin or even a bag. Instead, dirt gets soaked in the water it sprays into the carpet. The dirty water then gets sucked up into a tank, with debris picked into the suction path being filtered out. The capacity of the dirty water tank is 1 gallon. You may not find this adequate if you have to clean large areas of carpeted floors. For averagely sized carpets, the capacity is enough to allow you uninterrupted shampooing. The clean water holds 1 gallon of water too, while the tank for the cleaning solution can carry 20 ounces of liquid.

Separate tanks

Filtration Efficiency

The Hoover features a filter on the tank that carries dirty water. The filter doesn’t require a lot to maintain. You only need to wipe it clean when washing the tank and it’s ready to be used again. When clogged, it can affect the suction of the unit, and you need to ensure it’s clear all the time. Because the Hoover SmartWash doesn’t suck up dust, the level of filtration of its filter doesn’t matter much. There is no danger of allergens that conventional vacuum cleaners present.

Weight and Dimensions

It weighs 18.9 pounds when empty and isn’t too heavy to make it difficult to carry from one place of your home to another. To enhance portability, it features a carry handle on the back near the cord wrap hold. It’s easy to push and pull over carpet, with rubberized wheels that have a smooth spin. It measures 43.5 inches high, 13 inches wide and 18.5 deep.

Warranty

Hoover offers a 5-year warranty for the SmartWash FH52000. This is good enough. It means you’re adequately covered for the cleaner’s parts as well as workmanship. Most manufacturers do not exceed two years. The warranty is only valid if the cleaner is used in home settings. As usual, ensure you buy your SmartWash from trusted sellers to enjoy the long warranty.

Accessories

The carpet cleaner doesn’t come with many accessories. Apart from the main unit, you get a 2-in-1 pet tool, an 8-foot hose, and a single bottle of cleaning solution. You also get a storage bag for the accessories and a user manual. To make the Hoover SmartWash more versatile, you can order for the following optional accessories.

• A SpinScrub attachment that helps to remove challenging spots and stains on carpets.
• A stair tool that widens the cleaning path when shampooing the carpets on stairs and other elevated places.
• A crevice tool to clean areas that are too narrow for the main nozzle such as around cushions, and corners.
• The manufacturer also sells cleaning solutions that match different types of carpets and home situations.

Special Features

Hoover decided to make a carpet cleaner that would stand out from the ones that are currently on the market. So they introduced some features that you won’t find in other cleaners. They’re what make the SmartWash highly specialized for carpets as well as one of the easiest carpet cleaners to use. The features are:

Auto Mix

You do not need to measure anything when cleaning with this carpet cleaner. It mixes everything for you automatically while cleaning. If you’ve used a carpet cleaner before, you know how stressful it can be to measure the liquids. It’s common to find yourself using too much of one of them, either the cleaning solution or the water. You don’t experience all those problems with the Hoover SmartWash. All you need to do is fill the two tanks with the appropriate liquids and start cleaning. It makes everything so easy for you. It also means you’re assured of the correct cleaning mixture, the one that will not result in a foamy or sodden carpet that takes longer to dry.

Auto Clean

It cleans automatically, alternating between washing and drying the carpet. During the forward movement, the cleaning mixture is sprayed onto the carpet while the brush roll rotates to agitate dirt and prepare it for pickup. On pulling the unit back, the working changes to extracting water and drying out the carpet. You do not need to use any button for that to happen. This automation means there are no triggers to press on the handle and makes this cleaner easy to use.

Automatic Cleaning Technology

Auto Dry

To dry the carpets, it uses two different technologies; suction and hot air. It extracts water from the cleaned surface using the power of suction. It also pushes down heated air in what the company has dubbed HeatForce drying. Pulling the unit activates this function automatically. However, you can choose the “dry” setting from the two modes on the unit and have it only dry the carpet without dispensing liquid. In the “dry” mode, it only takes three or four hours for low and medium pile carpets to dry. High pile carpets may take longer than this due to the longer fibers that cause more moisture to be trapped. However, the carpets will still dry faster when you clean them with the Hoover SmartWash.

Hoover heat force technology

Other Features

• A Triggerless Design – there are no triggers to press continuously on this cleaner, only an ergonomic handle. That’s because it mixes the cleaning solution and water automatically. The only major button you will need to press is the one to switch the unit on and off. And even so, you won’t need to bend since it’s located on the unit and in the form of a foot pedal.

A handle with a trigerless design

• Dual Brush Roll – it comes with two rolls whose brushes have a helical design and extended rubber brushes. Apart from the increased agitation of dirt, the long bristles mean the brush roll has a far reach into the carpet to loosen up the dirt that is deeper in the pile. The result is a carpet that’s cleaner. 

Dual Brushroll Design

• Low Profile – the Hoover SmartWash cleans carpets that go under furniture with ease. It lies low enough in addition to being easier to maneuver. This makes it the cleaner to use if your home has lots of furniture on carpet. 
• Separate Tanks – it comes with different tanks for the cleaning solution, clean water, and dirty water. With the clean and dirty water not in the same container, you’re assured of cleaning that’s exceptionally efficient. It allows you to rinse carpets to high levels of cleanliness. It also means you do not need to worry about creating an imbalanced cleaning mixture.
• 12-inch Cleaning Width – it allows you to finish carpet cleaning tasks faster. It’s an essential feature if you have large areas to clean. 
• 8-foot Hose – it comes with a long hose that extends the reach for enhanced comfort and efficiency when cleaning.

Usability

The Hoover SmartWash doesn’t have many parts and assembling it is a breeze. You do not require any tools, plus it only takes you a few minutes to have it up and ready to start cleaning. It’s easy to use, with many of the cleaning functionalities happening automatically. It also comes with a bottle of cleaning solution to start you off. The on/off switch is a foot pedal that’s placed low on the side of the unit. There’s also a foot-operated lever that releases the handle so you can start cleaning.

The most innovative feature on this carpet cleaner is its washing and drying automation. Pushing it forward wets the carpet with the cleaning mixture while pulling it activates the drying functionality. You do not need to press any buttons whatsoever, a feature I find pretty useful in making the unit easy to use. It frees your hands and mind and makes carpet cleaning less stressful. Besides that, you can choose the cleaning mode to clean in. There are two modes; “wash” and “dry.” Setting it to the dry mode prevents it from applying the cleaning liquid and instead only dries the carpet. When in the wash mode, you can have it rinse the carpet by removing the tank that holds the cleaning solution. All the tanks on the unit are easy to take out for washing.

The cleaning nozzle is transparent, and you can actually see how the cleaning liquid is being dispensed and how dirt is being sucked up. The nozzle is removable so you can wash it. The brush roll too, in case you want to remove hair tangles or clean the bristles to remove stuck dirt.

Here’s a presentation video from the producer:

Price

Although one would expect a steep price, Hoover has accustomed us with regular, down-to-earth rates. The SmartWash+ makes no difference. Occasionally, you can find this product at a discounted rate, such as this.

The Hoover SmartWash, though manufactured with innovative features, has its downsides. Here is a summary of the best aspects of this carpet cleaning machine as well as its drawbacks.

Pros

• Strong suction that ensures efficiency carpet cleaning
• It mixes the cleaning solution automatically and relieves you of the stresses of measuring liquids
• It auto cleans, and you don’t have to press any triggers
• A wide 12- inch cleaning path that makes cleaning activities quicker
• Dual brush roll with longer bristles for a deeper reach and enhanced agitation of dirt
• Fewer controls making it easy to use
• Separate tanks that make cleaning results better than when using a single tank for the cleaning mixture
• It lies low enough to allow you to clean far areas under furniture
• A long hose that offers enhanced reach

Cons

• The lack of manual detergent control means you cannot increase the amount to remove stubborn stains
• Small clean water tank which requires you to refill it now and then
• A short cord that limits the cleaning radius

Hoover SmartWash+ vs Bissell Proheat 2x Revolution Pet Pro

Here’s a side-by-side comparison between this Hoover and one of the most successful carpet cleaners from the competition:

FAQ:

By now, you have probably read a number of Hoover SmartWash reviews in order to determine whether this automatic carpet cleaner is right for you. We have gathered that this device sure is good at cleaning carpets, now it is time to answer some frequently asked questions so that you can make a confident and informed purchase.  

Q: Is the Hoover SmartWash any good?

A: Yes! The Hoover SmartWash automatic carpet cleaner is a brilliant cleaning tool to have at home, especially for pet owners! Not only does this cleaner pick up pet hair, but it also has a wide cleaning path and a brilliant dry mode function that means that your carpet dries in just a fraction of the time after you have finished cleaning it. 

Q: How do you use a Hoover smart wash FH52000?

A: It is very easy to use the Hoover SmartWash carpet cleaner. Hoover has put together an easy to read the user manual that is simplistic and easy to follow. There are also lots of YouTube tutorials available online that explain the process step by step for you. 

Q: How do you clean a Hoover SmartWash carpet cleaner?

A: First, remove the solution tank and fill the clean water tank back up. After that, all you need to do is push the carpet cleaner forward to rinse and pull it back to dry.  

Q: Is Bissell or Hoover a better carpet cleaner?

A: Both brands are brilliant; however, Bissell has a better carpet cleaning reputation, making it a top pick for most over Hoover carpet cleaners. 

Q:  Should I use a carpet shampoo with my Hoover SmartWash carpet cleaner?

A: No. Hoover recommends filling the water tank with warm tap water without adding carpet shampoos to the solution. 

Final Comment

With many people finding operating carpet cleaners somewhat tricky, the automation in the SmartWash is a welcome feature. For the first time, you will not need to worry about the ratios of the cleaning solution and water. You also do not need to press triggers to release the cleaning mixture without knowing how’s much of it is enough. With the forced hot air feature, your carpets dry and become usable within a short time. The hoover SmartWash is a machine worth having if your home it’s carpeted and vacuuming doesn’t produce satisfactory results. Using it alongside your usual vacuum cleaner, your carpets will never have stains or traces of dirt.