<h3>Product Review: Hoover SteamVac All Terrain F7452900 </h3>

There's a lot to like about the Hoover SteamVac All Terrain F7452900. Among its chief attributes is the ability to clean carpets and hardwood floors with equal effectiveness.

The Hoover SteamVac All Terrain brings together all the elements missing from previous models. It now has heated cleaning, automatically mixed detergent and an automatic rinse feature. Thanks to a hard floor package, this model can tackle wood, tile, linoleum and other bare floor surfaces. Soft, rubberized wheels help protect hardwood floors, and edge cleaners allow the SteamVac All Terrain to clean those hard-to-reach areas near baseboards or under cabinets. An 8-foot attachment hose and removable tool caddy round out the convenient features.

We like the attention to detail, which certainly makes operation easier for the average user. This model has a 30-foot power cord and a carry handle that makes it a simple task to reposition the cleaner. The main cleaning head has a series of five spinning brushes. Each brush can be removed and cleaned, and this is necessary, as the brushes may get clogged with loose carpet fibers, pet hair or other debris. The SteamVac All Terrain F7452900 has a 13-inch transparent nozzle to extract liquid from carpets. This nozzle snaps off for easy cleaning, and one should plan on cleaning it with each use because any debris that clogs this nozzle will decrease its suction. When properly maintained, the SteamVac All Terrain has plenty of suction, thanks in part to a 12-amp motor and split nozzle design. The nozzle has dual suction coming from each side of the nozzle, which gives it equalized suction all the way across.

Unlike previous models, the SteamVac F7452900 applies heat to floors to power clean particularly dirty areas. However, it's important to note the SteamVac does not actually produce or use steam in the cleaning process. It does have an auto-rinse feature, and this is a nice addition because it applies a clean water rinse to carpets and hard floors. This reduces the amount of detergent residue left behind. We tested the SteamVac All Terrain on a variety of carpet piles, as well as hard surfaces, and we were impressed with its cleaning performance. We like the fingertip controls for their placement and ease of use. This unit has onboard tools, including an upholstery tool with spinning brushes, and a hard floor hand tool with a cleaning pad. The SteamVac All Terrain F7452900 is a versatile, powerful carpet cleaner that makes a useful addition to one's floor care repertoire.


Pros: Effective and powerful carpet cleaner, lots of extras
Cons: Does not actually use steam during the cleaning process

This review was written at "How Stuff Works.com" Click Here to View Article