George is Numatic International’s most advanced and multi-functional domestic machine, with the ability to function as a dry vacuum cleaner, a wet vacuum cleaner, as well as a carpet cleaner and more. Numatic have combined the core features of Henry – performance and quality – and added wet functionality and carpet cleaning.
In this review, we will take an in-depth look at the features and potential drawbacks of George, helping you to determine if it’s the best choice for your carpet cleaning needs, or whether it’s best to keep the vacuum cleaning and carpet cleaning separate.
What Makes George Different
George does it all – he is essentially the love child of an XL Henry and Henry Wash. Not only can he function as a standard dry vacuum with an extra large capacity, but he can be easily converted into a wet vacuum for cleaning up wet spills and unblocking the sink, and converted even further into a carpet and upholstery cleaner.
Numatic George is a unique machine, as it is hard to find other machines combining dry and wet functionality.
Pros
- Multi-functional – dual carpet cleaner and vacuum
- Don’t need any other vacuums/cleaners
- All Henry attachments can be used
Cons
- Heavy, especially when water is added
- Can be tricky to follow assembly instructions
- Large to store
Our Verdict
George is an under-rated treasure and I completely love this machine. There is absolutely nothing that he can’t do. Sure, he is bigger and heavier, and it can take a bit of time to get proficient at changing from one mode to the other. But once you have the hang of it, it’s simple and you simply don’t need another machine – and probably won’t for years given the quality of Numatic vacuums.
To get the equivalent functionality from other machines, you will need at least 2 separate vacuums/cleaners, and need space to store them and their accessories – and probably spend more in the process.
Specifications
| Capacity | 15L dry, 9L wet, 6L extraction |
| Weight | 14.7kg |
| Motor Power | 1060W |
| Suction | 2400mm H2O |
| Attachments | – Standard Henry Kit – Fishtail tool – Upholstery tool – Dual scrub hard floor tool |
| Filter | Standard Henry 2-stage filtration |
Tools and Attachments
George is absolutely packed with attachments. Not only does he have a full Henry Kit for vacuuming in dry mode, he also has two floor heads for use in carpet cleaning mode, and even 2 hoses to use – one for dry and one for wet.
For all your carpet, upholstery, car cleaning, carpet cleaning and car valeting, George has the perfect tool.
Attachments include:
- Fishtail tool for carpet cleaning
- Upholstery tool for car valeting and use on upholstery
- Dual scrub hard floor tool for use on all hard floor types
- Combi floor tool
- Crevice tool
- Mattress/upholstery tool
- Dusting brush
Fishtail Tool
The fishtail tool is made of rigid plastic and feels strong and sturdy. It has two high quality metal strips which glide along the carpet, protecting the nozzle and the carpet. The floor tool is not designed for scrubbing, but simply gliding, so is going to be more than suitable for this application. Care should be taken, but It is unlikely to be damaged by the rough and tumble of being stored and thrown in a cupboard and getting squashed by the vacuum.
Upholstery Tool
The upholstery tool is similarly made of sturdy plastic with metallic strips to glide along the carpet. This attachment is very well made and is similar to the units used on commercial Numatics, so is going to be well up to task for domestic cleaning.
Hard Floor Tool
The hard floor tool is double-sided, one side having three rows of very stiff brushes used for scrubbing the floor. The tool is then flipped over to the other side which has 2 rows of rubber squeegees to wipe and direct the water up the suction tube, perfect for drying hard floors.
Combination Floor Tool
The combination floor nozzle for George is a versatile tool that seamlessly transitions from hard floors to carpets. With George’s powerful suction, it provides consistent and effective cleaning on any type of flooring. A simple flick of the switch on the tool allows you to adjust between modes, raising or lowering the brush as needed.
While the floorhead works well for general vacuuming, it may not be as effective in removing pet hair. This is because it relies solely on suction and does not have a rotating brush to agitate and collect stubborn hair from carpets.
Dusting Brush
George’s dusting brush is perfect for reaching those tough spots that are often overlooked by other cleaning tools. It excels at tidying shelves, blinds, and delicate surfaces which tend to collect allergens
Mattress and Upholstery Tool
This tool is perfect for deep cleaning sheets, mattresses, and couches, perfect for getting rid of those pesky dust mites. It is also gentle enough to use on delicate materials, keeping your furniture free of dirt and stains. The specialised mattress attachment from George effectively removes dust and allergens, creating a more hygienic living space.
Are George’s Attachments Good Quality
George’s attachments, like all Numatic products, are constructed from strong plastic designed to withstand frequent use without easily breaking. The fishtail and upholstery tool are robust and well made and include a strong metal strip to glide along the carpet.
The hose attachments are all made of high quality brass quick connectors and the extension wands are made of high quality, lightweight aluminum
This consistent level of quality guarantees that George will continue to be a dependable cleaning partner for many years. You can confidently tackle any cleaning job knowing that the durability of the attachments won’t be an issue.
Features
George is a Jack-of-all-trades with the ability to function as a dry vacuum with all the other features and attachments of a standard Henry, as well as converting to a wet vacuum for wet spills, and can be further converted into a carpet and upholstery cleaner.
Ready for Wet and Dry
In carpet cleaning mode, George is an “injection-extraction cleaning machine” This is a deep cleaning method that treats the entire fibre length of the carpet with a cleaning agent rather than scrubbing it mechanically. This gentle process cleans and disinfects the carpet while protecting the carpet’s delicate fibres
Essentially, he has two separate tanks, one for water and detergent and the other for recovering the dirty liquid. This “tank within a tank’ system is simple and efficient and allows fluid to be easily filled and replaced.The water/detergent solution is sprayed (injected) under pressure through a nozzle directly behind the suction tool deep into the carpet and spreads over the carpet. The next step is extraction, in which the powerful motor sucks up the injected cleaning agent and dirt and transports it into the collection container. This injection-extraction technique lets the carpet be cleaned, deep to the heart of its fibres, without damaging them
The detergent reservoir has a capacity of 5L, which is significantly larger than some commercial carpet cleaners on the market, along with the recovery reservoir which has a capacity of 9L. By having such a large capacity, large areas can be completed without having to empty and refill the bucket
George has a bypass vacuum motor which is controlled by 2 switches. One turns the suction on for dry mode and wet mode. The other switch activates the pump system to start injecting the cleaning solution. This is further controlled by the trigger on the wand to determine when and where you want to inject the detergent.
There is a floating ball valve which prevents overflow once the reservoir has reached its maximum level. This is obvious when this occurs due to a change in noise and a lack of suction, and prevents overflow of water into the motor.
The special detergent used reduces the amount of water present in the foam and permits rapid drying of surfaces after cleaning. There is a pre-treatment available for spot treating heavily soiled or stained areas, along with the standard, low-foaming detergent.
The detergent is non-foaming, bactericidal, contains optical brighteners and leaves no tacky residues in the fabric and is enhanced with both a delicate and discreet verbena scent.
For Normal soiling: Pour one 40ml Measure into 5 litres of cold water.
For Heavy Soiling: Pour two 40ml Measure into 5 litres of cold water.
He is not only restricted to carpet cleaning in wet mode – any wet spills can be dealt with. In emergencies such as flooding (natural or self inflicted), his wet vacuuming functionality is specifically designed to extract moisture from carpets, and he can rapidly suck water from the carpet – and hard floors – to prevent any long-term mold and mildew issues.
A Tool For Every Job
Although built for the big jobs, George comes with all the accessories in a Standard Henry Kit, so functions essentially the same as a Henry vacuum cleaner – the dusting tool is ideal for hard to reach places, the crevice tool is great for nooks and crannies, and the upholstery brush is great for the sofa, stairs and mattresses.
In Wet mode he has 2 attachments, the fishtail tool for carpet cleaning, and the upholstery nozzle for cleaning sofas, mattresses and valeting the car.
Large capacity
George has a mammoth 15L capacity when used in dry mode, 9L when used in wet mode, and 6L extraction capacity, meaning large jobs can be completed without interruption, and less time spent changing bags and changing water.
There is a difference in how George is set up in wet mode and extraction mode (carpet cleaning), accounting for the difference in capacity. In wet mode the Hepa-Flo bag is removed and the suction hose drains straight into the 9L bucket. In carpet cleaning mode, the water/reservoir tank is added to the bucket, accounting for the reduced capacity of 6L
Dust Free Emptying
Just like Henry, dry-mode George boasts a two-stage filtration system that is designed to keep your home free of dust, debris and dander. The first stage is the extra-large capacity HEPA-flo bags which also allow for dust free emptying due to the self sealing tabs. The second stage is the TriTex filter which sits between the HEPA-flo bag and the motor, ensuring trapped allergens, dust and dirt stay trapped within the drum.
Easy and Clean Emptying
George’s self sealing tabs on the Hepa-flo bags ensure dust free emptying. An added feature to George, is the addition of a handle to the bucket. This makes it a lot easier to carry the bucket full of water, and tip it down the sink, drain or garden.
Storage
George is a large machine and requires a large storage area. It is also recommended that he is disassembled during storage to make sure any trapped moisture dries. This is worthwhile to prevent moisture seeping into the motor, but is another step and can be cumbersome.
He also comes with a lot of attachments – he has the standard dry Henry kit, as well as 2 floor heads for use in wet mode, and he even has 2 hoses. So you also need to keep in mind that he requires a lot of storage space, not just for George, but also for his attachments.
The improved cord winding system with two hooks instead of one is a major improvement and makes him easier to store as well.
On-board storage is also accounted for with George there being 4 slots where accessories can be attached for quick access. These are mainly suitable for the dry accessories – the upholstery tool being the only wet accessory that can sit on there nicely
Ease of Use
A lot of vacuums can be easily assembled without instructions. But because of his multi-functionality and vast number of attachments, you will need to refer to the manual quite a bit when first starting out.
A minor but common complaint of George is the assembly instructions are not good as they are pictorial only, with no numbered parts or written instructions on how to assemble. They are meant to be simple but aren’t user friendly at points. This is a valid complaint as there are more components than other traditional henry vacuums.
However like all Henry’s the design is simple and user-friendly, and it is reasonably intuitive to figure it out especially once you have seen it assembled and see how it functions, so I would recommend this video by ibaisaic prior to assembling. Once you’ve done it once, it is done and doesn’t need to be done again.
www.youtube.com/@ibaisaic
There are three configurations of George – dry mode, wet mode and carpet cleaning/extraction mode. It is reasonably simple to switch between the modes.
In dry mode, the Hepa-Flo bag and Tritex filter are placed within the drum as in a standard Henry
In wet mode the Hepa-flo bag and Tritex filter are removed and the floating ball valve is installed. In this mode either the wet hose can be applied, or you can still use the standard dry hose if you’re feeling lazy, but you just need to make sure it is dry before storage and using it in dry mode again.
In carpet cleaning/extraction mode, the dry hose needs to be replaced with the wet hose which has the spray nozzle and piping attached. The spray piping is connected to the pump by inserting into the quick-release brass fittings close to the drum and motor. There is no difference between -carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning, except the attachement used.
It’s easy to switch between carpets and hard floors by switching over from the fishtail tool to the hard floor tool. The fishtail tool is held in place by friction connection but is also secured by a single screw which needs to be opened completely to remove. The spray nozzle and water pipe connectors are good quality and also need to be reattached into their designated housing at the end of the hose
George’s rubber wheels are the same as on other Henry models and glide smoothly on carpet and hard floors. But like all canister vacuums, getting Henry to follow you around the house and not get caught on table legs and walls can be an art form.
Especially as George is larger and can have an additional 9L of water, he is definitely heavier and harder to maneuver. He has a rubber bumper running around the outside of him, which can have a tendency to stick him to surfaces
Because of his weight and size, he is difficult to carry up stairs, especially if he is full of water. The water tank is not 100% sealed and can slop water around if not careful. If you do have stairs, my advice would be to fill the water compartment at the top of the stairs, and empty it before going back down the stairs.
The carry handle is convenient and essential for moving him around the house.
Although he has a long cable and a long wand, it is not long enough to vacuum all of the stairs from the bottom. However in extraction mode, George has an extra long hose – longer than Henry Wash – which enables him to reach further up the stairs. He is too big and heavy to safely rest on a step, so to do the remaining top stairs, you can place George at the top and work down, taking extreme care not to to pull the machine down the stairs and topple you over.
A new and major improvement to George and a difference to Henry Wash, is the cable storage mechanism. George doesn’t have a wind up cable which can be internally stored, and previously the cord needed to be stored on an external hook. Now George has an additional, retractable hook added to the front of the machine, enabling the cord to be wound around these two hooks. This is much tidier, easier to store and deploy the cable, and makes it less likely to snag on objects during storage.
A problem some people experience is that carpet can take too long to dry. This occurs if either you are over- zealous with the detergent solution or under-zealous with the suction afterwards. It’s human nature to apply more detergent but trust the process and let the detergent do the work. If used correctly, the floor should almost be practically dry by the end of the day.
Another improvement George has over Henry Wash, is that George has a handle attached to the drum. This makes it a lot easier to carry and dispose of water, and less likely for there to be any major spillage.
After use, the bucket, hosing and extension tubes needs to be cleaned and dried before storage. This is easy enough – the bucket itself is easy to disconnect from the motor unit and is light to carry. It can be rinsed in the tub, shower or sprayed down with a garden hose, and that is the extent of the cleaning required. It is probably best if it is stored disassembled in this manner so it can completely dry. Any residual moisture will make its way to the motor and could cause premature failure.
Use on Carpet
The following steps are used to effectively use George:
Step One – Pre-vacuum:
George will work best if the carpet is thoroughly vacuumed before-hand and George is the perfect machine to do this.
Step Two – Shampoo:
Working in a series of parallel lines squeeze the nozzle to inject the detergent and slowly pull the floor-piece backwards to suck up the detergent. If possible, try to move in the opposite direction to the carpet’s pile.
To avoid leaving any marks, overlap each line by a third of the width of the nozzle.
If there are any stubborn areas, repeat the injection one more time
Step Three – Suction:
After each cleaning process, go over the entire surface a second time using only the suction with no detergent. Note that some detergents will require a rinse phase using water with no detergent added. This shouldn’t be required with the solution provided with George.
Step Four – Drying:
The drying phase can last between 2-12 hours, try to avoid walking on this area of the carpet.
It is important to note that George does not work by agitation or scrubbing and it works most effectively if it is used gently and glides over the carpet. Any pressure or scrubbing motion will flatten and compress the carpet and reduce the penetration and suction of the water-detergent solution.
Use on Hard Floors
The dual scrub hard floor tool is used for cleaning hard floors. There is not much guidance on how to use it but essentially it is the same as carpet cleaning – spray the detergent/water mixture behind the floor head, except this time you use the hard bristles to scrub the floor. Once finished, flip the attachment over to suck up the fluid.
The rubber squeegees and suction do a fantastic job of drying the floor. By applying detergent, scrubbing and then suctioning, he doesn’t just spread dirt around the floor, but actually removes it from the floor surface. Afterwards the floor is dry almost immediately which is another bonus.
But it is quite unwieldy and labour intensive compared to using heat and steam, or even a traditional bucket and mop. The results are very impressive and it does dry quickly, but does require a bit of effort. Flipping the floor head over time and time again can also get a little irritating.
However the floor head and bristles are very durable and can be applied to a variety of hard surfaces including concrete garages and outdoor patios
Car Cleaning
Although you may not be considering George for the sole purpose of valeting your car, this is an added bonus and where he is really impressive. The specialised upholstery tool is a perfect size for using in car wells, seats and in the boot, and the concentrated suction power from the smaller tool results in fuss-free rejuvenation which dries rapidly.
Comparison to other Henry Vacuum Cleaners
Henry Wash
The difference between Henry Wash and George, is that Henry Wash can perform the wet functions of George but is unable to perform the dry functions. So if you already have a good vacuum and only need a wet vacuum for cleaning up spills and carpet cleaning, then Henry Wash might be a better option..
Charles
Charles is a vacuum cleaner which also has the ability to be used as a wet vacuum on hard floors (but not carpet). By flicking a switch from dry mode to wet mode, he can be used to collect spills, and after changing the floor head, wet mode can be used to scrub hard floors. He is not a carpet cleaner and lacks the attachments to inject detergent.
| Model | George | Henry Wash | Charles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | | | |
| Capacity | 9L wet, 15L dry | 9L | 9L |
| Weight | 14.7kg | 12.7kg | 9.0kg |
| Motor Power | 1060W | 1000W | 1060W |
| Suction | 2400mm H2O | 2400mm H2O | 2400mm H2O |
| Tools | – Fishtail Tool – Upholstery Tool – Hard Floor Tool – Standard Henry Kit | – Fishtail Tool – Upholstery Tool – Hard Floor Tool | – Standard Henry Kit – Wet Floor Tool |
| Filter | -Standard | – No filter | -Standard |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Should You Buy a 3-in-1 George?
George is a big, bulky and heavy machine, and may not be the ideal choice for everyday standard vacuuming tasks. He could be thought of as more of a secondary machine, to be used in big jobs, or for regular carpet cleaning and car valeting.
It is good to know that he is ready, waiting and available if there are any emergency spills, flooding, or major DIY tasks.
However if you want an all-in-one machine and are looking for a new, high performing vacuum, as well as a carpet cleaner, then George is one of the best on the market and will last for years to come..
Check Out These Reviews
Jonno
Jonno is a homeware and vacuum geek who has tried them all, but always comes back to Henry hoovers for their performance and reliability. After helping Suzie get her blog up and running, he developed a (healthy) interest/obsession in learning and trialing the vacuums and loves contributing everything he has learned.
