The Henry Wash is Numatic International’s dedicated carpet cleaner. He is not a vacuum and does not have attachments for vacuuming carpet or hard floors. However his suction is extremely powerful and he is not just restricted to carpet cleaning – his versatility enables him to also valet the car, clean up wet spills, scrub hard floors, and unblock the sink. In this review, we will take an in-depth look at the features and potential drawbacks of the Henry Wash, helping you to determine if it’s the best choice for your carpet cleaning needs
What Makes Henry Wash Different
Henry Wash is primarily a carpet cleaner and is usually the main reason for purchasing. However he has multiple functions aside from carpet cleaning, including car valeting, upholstery cleaning, wet vacuuming or picking up wet spills, and even unblocking the sink
Henry Wash has a 5L water/detergent compartment which sits inside the interior of the receiving bucket. Clean water is mixed with a detergent and is sprayed through an exterior cable to the back end of the floor attachment. The powerful motor then sucks the dirt and water back into the receiving bucket to leave the carpet clean, fresh and rejuvenated. This injection-extraction technique lets the carpet be cleaned, deep to the heart of its fibres, without damaging them.
Pros
- Revives carpet
- Refreshes upholstery
- Professional standard car valeting
- Cleans and dries hard floors
Cons
- Heavy, especially when water is added
- Can be tricky to follow assembly instructions
- Large to store
- Needs a pre-vacuum to use
Our Verdict
Henry Wash is a fantastic product and is the toughest, easiest to use and best value carpet cleaner on the market. The design is user friendly, and the build quality is impressive – it feels robust and durable and I am confident that this is going to last for years to come. It’s pretty easy to assemble and just as easy to use. If you have pets and toddlers, or just high traffic areas, Henry Wash leaves the carpet looking, smelling and feeling beautifully fresh.
His versatility is also a massive feature, with a perfectly designed attachment for achieving professional quality car-valeting, and cleaning up wet spills to prevent them turning into stains. He does require a bit of scrubbing on hard floors, but if you don’t mind a bit of a scrub, the results on hard floors are also outstanding.
Specifications
| Capacity | 9L |
| Weight | 12.7kg |
| Motor Power | 1000W |
| Suction | 2400mm H2O |
| Attachments | Fishtail tool Upholstery tool |
Tools and Attachments
For all your cleaning needs, Henry Wash 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
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 to domestic cleaning.
Are Henry Wash’s Attachments Good Quality
Henry’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 Henry 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
Henry is primarily a carpet cleaner but due to his multiple attachments he can also be used to valet cars, scrub hard floors, clean up wet spills and unblock sinks.
By definition Henry Wash is an ‘injection-extraction cleaning machine.’ This is a deep cleaning method which treats the whole length of the carpet’s fibres, using detergent and not mechanical scrubbing. This gentle process cleans and disinfects the carpet while still taking care of the carpet’s delicate fibres.
Essentially he has two separate tanks, one for water and detergent, and the other for dirty-liquid recovery. The water/detergent solution is sprayed deep into the carpet under pressure (injected) through a nozzle, directly behind the suction tool, and spreads over the carpet. The next step is extraction where the powerful motor sucks up the injected detergent and dirt, and directs it right into the recovery tank.
The detergent reservoir has a capacity of 5L, which is 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 re-fill the bucket.
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.
Filter
Because Henry Wash a carpet cleaner, and not a vacuum, he does not have a filter
Storage
Henry Wash does require a large storage area. It is also recommended that it is partially disassembled during storage to make sure any trapped moisture dries. This is worthwhile, but is another step and can be cumbersome.
Unlike other Henry’s, the cord is not contained within the machine and has to be manually wrapped around a hook at the back of the machine. This is an extra step every time he is used, and is another potential hazard, as if there is anything that cord can hook on or wrap around in the cupboard, this is guaranteed to happen.
Ease of Use
A minor but common complaint of Henry Wash is the assembly instructions are not good as they are pictorial only, with no numbered parts or written instructions on how to assemble. In my opinion, I feel the manual is one of the better manuals produced by Numatic – the pictures are coloured, and are photos and realistic diagrams, not black and grey cartoons as in other Henry manuals. They are meant to be simple but aren’t user friendly at some points. This is a valid complaint as there are more components to assemble 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.
Henry’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 Henry Wash 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 do all of the stairs, from the bottom, being only able to reach 7-8 steps. He is too big and heavy to safely rest on a step. To do the remaining top stairs you can place Henry Wash at the top and work down, but you will need to be extremely careful not to pull the machine down the stairs and topple you over.
It’s easy to switch between carpets and hard floors by switching over from the fishtail tool to the hard floor tool. The injection nozzle and water pipe connectors just need to be detached and re-attached to the respective tool. as well.
Unlike other Henry’s, Henry Wash does not have a wind up cable which is internally stored. The cord has to be manually wound up and stored on a hook on the back of the machine. When in use this can make it tricky to navigate around this long cord and can result in tangles. Similarly during storage there is potential for the cord to get hooked on something else in the cupboard.
A problem some people experience is that it 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 is 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.
One last minor inconvenience is the receiving bucket doesn’t have a handle. This can make it a little tricky to carry and dispose of the dirty fluid, whether this is in the garden, toilet or down the sink. The last thing you need is spilling dirty water inside.
After use, the bucket, hose and aluminum tubing all need to be rinsed and dried before before storage. This is easy enough – the bucket itself is easy to disconnect from the motor unit and is light to carry, and the nozzle and tubes are simple to disconnect. They 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.
Use on Carpet
The following steps are used to effectively use Henry Wash:
Step One – Pre-vacuum:
Henry Wash will work best if the carpet is thoroughly vacuumed before hand, ideally using another Henry, and even better if a rotating brush is used to collect as much dirt and pet hair as possible.
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 Henry Wash.
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 Henry Wash 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 make a good job of drying the floor. But it is quite unwieldy and labour intensive compared to using heat and steam, or even a traditional bucket and mop. The results are 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 Henry Wash 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
George
George does everything. As a carpet cleaner, George is essentially identical to Henry Wash with the same capacity, accessories, suction and functions. However George can also be converted into a vacuum cleaner as well, with a whopping 15L capacity and powerful 1060W motor.
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 | Henry Wash | George | Charles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | | | |
| Capacity | 9L | 9L wet, 15L dry | 9L |
| Weight | 12.7kg | 14.7kg | 9.0kg |
| Motor Power | 1000W | 1060W | 1060W |
| Suction | 2400mm H2O | 2400mm H2O | 2400mm H2O |
| Tools | – Fishtail Tool – Upholstery Tool – Hard Floor Tool | – Fishtail Tool – Upholstery Tool – Hard Floor Tool – Standard Henry Kit | – Standard Henry Kit – Wet Floor Tool |
| Filter | No Filter | -Standard | -Standard |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Should You Buy a Henry Wash?
Henry Wash gives professional levels of carpet cleaning in a house-hold machine. Not only is he a carpet cleaner, he also performs jobs that commercial carpet cleaners are unable to perform, like car valeting and unblocking sinks.
It’s probably considered a luxury to have a carpet cleaner sitting in your house, but if you consider how much punishment our carpets go through with mud, traffic, spills and pet hair, then it is reasonable to believe that carpet cleaning is just part of ongoing carpet maintenance for a healthy, clean home.
We all know how annoying hiring a heavy commercial machine is, and planning the day to get as much of the house done as possible before needing to return it. Meaning we don’t do it frequently enough to get great results. With Henry Wash sitting in the house, ready to go at an instant, I guarantee that your carpets will be cleaned more thoroughly and more frequently for a cleaner, fresher and more hygienic home.
Henry Wash does require a pre-vacuum for best results, so if you already have a good vacuum that you are happy with, the Henry Wash is the highest performing and best value-for-money cleaner on the market. Knowing it is a Numatic, gives you faith that is it going to work for years to come.
However, if you are also looking for a vacuum cleaner as well as a carpet cleaner, it may be worth considering the all-in-one option of George.
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.
