The Rainbow vacuum cleaner is one of the most popular vacuum cleaners sold. How does it really compare to the competition?

The Rainbow vacuum cleaner is the one that uses water to filter out the dust, pollen, germs, dust mites, and smoke from your room. In our store in Wooster Ohio, we test several models of vacuum cleaners to make sure the customer gets the one best suited to their needs. Many customers ask about the Rainbow. Here are the pluses and minuses.

Filtration; When customers ask about the Rainbow, they are asking about the filtration. Will this vacuum trap the pet odors, cooking odors, bod smells, and mold in the air? The answer is "Yes" to all these questions. The Rainbow will not allow any odors to pass through the machine. This is the sole huge advantage the Rainbow has over other vacuums.

No Bags: The Rainbow is the only bagless vacuum cleaner we have tested that actually never loses its suction. No matter how dirty the water gets, it still traps the dirt, and lets the air pass out the exhaust. The only wy you can lose suction with the Rainbow, is if you have one of the latest models, the E-Series. The E-Series has a HEPA filter on the exhaust that will trap anything that would pass through the water. This is usually plaster dust, concrete dust, or baby powder. These things do not mix well with water, and will blow back out into the air. Most people don’t use their vacuum cleaner to pick up plaster dust or concrete dust anyway. A way to overcome this problem is to simply add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water tank. This will cause the water to not have surface tension and will allow the dust to absorb into the water. Problem solved.

The HEPA filters on the E-Series Rainbow model need to be replaced every few years. The more you vacuum, the more often they need to be replaced. The cost is about $50-$60 for the filters. Please don’t try to wash them, even though the manual says you can. Washing just causes the dust on the surface of the filter to gt buried in the inside of the filter, and then the filter is clogged from that point on.

The Rainbow vacuum cleaner is the only vacuum cleaner that we have tested that can add humidity to the room, and deodorize the room’s air.

The negatives about the Rainbow vacuum cleaner are minor, but include;

You must dump the water after every use. Nothing will smell worse than your old Rainbow water after you let it set for a few days. This is very dirty water, please flush it down the toilet or dump it outside after each use. Do NOT store the vacuum cleaner with water in its talk. The water will evaporate and rust parts of the motor. This will also void your warranty.

The Rainbow is a great vacuum cleaner but it is not built to take a beating. The shell is made from a high grade plastic, but it is not thick. The Rainbow will not survive a fall down a flight of stairs. It is not a commercial vacuum cleaner. It’ costs a great deal of money. Take care of it.

Whether you buy a Rainbow from an independent distributor or from a local dealer, I wouldn’t buy one online. Almost every Rainbow we see that someone has bought online has motor problems. People who sell their vacuum cleaners online may not be treating them like their own vacuum cleaner. See it run before you pay for it.

I hope this helps.