Anyone have tips for using a REALLY old Rainbow Vacuum system?

I "inherited" a Rainbow Vac system from my grandmother, and she bought it in the FIFTIES! I’ve had it cleaned and repaired by a technician, and I’ve used it a few times to vacuum my carpets. The instructions say something about adding fragrance to the water basin, but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to add vinegar to the water? Vinegar is a great deodorizer, right, but might it hurt the components? Any tips on using your old Rainbow Vac system would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Call where you had it repaired and ask them this question.

    they would be able to tell you if it would harm the machine or not.

    ( I doubt it, because they were "green" back in those days more than most of us have been, but better to ask than say oops later..lol)

    I would not take the chance of having to take it back to them because of this, I am sure it was a pretty penny to have one that old fixed to working condition.

    good cleaning!

  2. I have an early 70s Rainbow Vac and if I recall those older ones, they pretty much are the same kind of unit…how the vacuums work is that the debris is sucked up the tube and dumped directly into the water basin. The idea here was to create a bagless system that doesn’t kick up a lot of dust. It was quite an innovation at the time!

    I would not use vinegar because there’s a fan just above the water chamber that could get pitted by the vinegar. I’d add rose oil or vanilla myself, and I think that’s what the original makers had in mind. Keep in mind, all you are scenting is the air since the water doesn’t ever touch the carpet.

    Tips for using:
    be sure to always use water in the chamber as dry vacuuming will ruin the machine.
    Clean the water chamber after every use.
    Run the vacuum for a few minutes (without the chamber) after every use to dry the motor and fan. By not doing this, you run the risk of mildewing the components.
    Never store with water in the chamber, even if just overnight.
    Dump the sludge out in the yard somewhere instead of down the toilet ~ since you may cause it to clog 🙂

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