Oreck VersaVac Review & Giveaway.
I've had the hardest time keeping this review under wraps. It arrived at my house and I wanted to run through the streets shouting and spreading the word. Get rid of your buckets! Stop buying floor cleaner! Burn your mops! Or throw them away. Whatever works. Oreck recently introduced the VersaVac, a 2 in 1 vacuum cleaner and steam mop. I've got a bit to tell you about it and then one of you is going to win one of these bad boys.
As you know we live in a teeny tiny student housing apartment. There isn't room for anything but the essentials (and all the random vintage cameras I have hidden away from my husband under my bed) and the closets are jam packed. I don't bring anything into this apartment unless it's a camera I can hide under my bed or I really need it. There just isn't any space.
After using the VersaVac once I threw away my old vacuum, a bucket, a mop, and two bottles of floor cleaning solution. To anyone else this might seem trivial. To our family this is a huge deal.
MORE SPACE!
I'm always skeptical of 2 in 1 products because many times they outperform in one area and underperform in another. Not the VersaVac. This is the first Oreck I've ever used. I had no idea vacuum cleaners could be so amazing. The old one I was using was kicking up dust everywhere and not sucking everything up from the carpet. I'd have to pass over the same area numerous times and by the time I finished vacuuming the kids had already made another mess elsewhere.
Fabulous.
I'd say I love it but it's more than that. Here's why:
Awesome Stuff:
- Lightweight. I have to carry the VersaVac up and down a narrow flight of stairs so I can vacuum and mop the bedrooms and bathroom. Not a problem. It weighs only 12 pounds and it's easy to carry.
- Saves money. I no longer have to replace grimy mop heads or buy cleaning solution. The floors here never seemed to get clean enough using homemade solutions. I love that I can fill up the VersaVac container in my kitchen sink (no more lugging a bucket of water up and down the stairs) & get right to cleaning. So I guess it saves me time too. Oh and it comes with two reusable microfiber pads. I just toss them in the wash and reuse. They're pretty durable. I wash them at least once a week and they're holding up well.
- It's pretty cheap.The VersaVac costs $249.99. That's about 50% less than I thought it cost. It's worth more. No lie. It's a straight up steal.
- Durable. The vacuum is powerful, quiet, and light. It has a bagless system with an easily removable container. You can vacuum with the brush on or off so it transitions easily from hardwood floors to carpet. The cord is super long and the VersaVac is really maneuverable. Cameron thinks its hilarious to chase the vacuum and the old bulky one would sometimes clip her little feet. The VersaVac makes it easier for me to dodge her when she gets into crazy dance around the vacuum mode.
The steam mop is fantastic. I've always wanted one but couldn't justify taking up the space. It is spectacular. You can lock the trigger so there is continuous steam action while you're sanitizing the floor. Your hand doesn't get tired and you kill floor germs. Awesome. Another thing? Your floor is dry almost instantly. Cameron used to sneak past the gate and run full speed into the sopping wet kitchen. It usually ended badly. Now I can mop and not have to worry about her falling on her face on a wet floor. It's a little thing but it's made a big difference to me. I can clean without worrying about a rogue accident prone toddler. Sigh of relief.
Things to consider:
- There are no attachments. This didn't bother me since I hate using those anyway. I can never figure out what goes where and lose the pieces. My husband on the other hand loves the attachments since he can use them to clean the car. I say that's why the sweet tap dancing Jesus invented car detailing. Anyway if attachments are important to you it might be in your best interest to wait & see if Oreck comes out with an attachment having VersaVac.
- Size. We live in a tiny space yet (have I mentioned that before?) I had no issues maneuvering the VersaVac around the apartment except for one small area. It doesn't fit around one side of my toilet. It isn't a huge deal but since I threw my mop and bucket away in a VersaVac induced frenzy I had to clean that area by hand. Not a big deal since I'm down there cleaning the toilet anyway (it's a glamorous life) but if you happen to live in a tiny spot too keep that in mind.
See how tiny the water canister is? You can fill it up in the sink. I mop often but only have to refill the canister maybe once a week?
That small filter holds a lot of dirt and is easily removable with the push of a button.
Look at that sexy linoleum :) You don't even have to bend over to remove the steam mop attachment. Step on it and it's off.
I could go on about the benefits of the VersaVac but it's best that you check it out for yourself. I'm going to update this post with a video so you can watch me clean up the hot mess that is this apartment with the VersaVac.
An official photo for you since I'm horrendous at product photography.
I've kept a secret from you: a film crew came to our apartment and filmed us for an upcoming Oreck commercial. I'm all up in it (well I'm sure it'll be like two seconds of me) talking about my beloved VersaVac. Look out for that. Or don't because I'm sure I'll be so excited I'll remind you that I was on the TV every five minutes.
*Giveaway time.