Soft carpets are often one’s first choice for the home, especially in bedrooms and living areas where you want to be able to walk barefoot in comfort. The challenge is selecting carpets that handle the wear and tear, since soft carpets like those made from olefin tend to be the least resilient. One solution for home owners is to buy a vacuum cleaner for soft carpets that won’t damage the carpet while cleaning it. The Miele Complete C3 Soft Carpet vacuum, is sold for exactly that market.
Pros of the Miele C3 Soft Carpet Vacuum
The Parquet twister floor brush won’t rip up your soft carpets. It won’t rip up densely packed carpet fibers or delicate fabrics.
The vacuum head has a foot pedal to adjust the suction control so it will not pull out fibers or “shag” that make so many soft carpets a joy to walk upon. It protects the sturdy pile of soft carpets like wool and delicate silk carpets alike.
One of Miele’s strong points in general is its high reliability rate. According to Consumer Reports, only 10% of their canister vacuums had problems in a given year. In contrast, one in eight Dyson and Hoover canister vacuums required repairs each year. Miele’s upright vacuums have a repair rate equal to that of Dyson and Hoover, but the C3 is a canister vacuum.
This C3 vacuum has five separate head settings you can switch between while cleaning floors so you can clean the surface or the depths of a soft shag carpet. You can also turn off the soft carpet setting to thoroughly clean your dirty low pile carpet. It is safe to use on wood floors, too.
The motor in the vacuum head helps give it powerful deep cleaning to the root of the carpet without the noise and air flow that comes with units that only use very high suction.
It has a telescoping wand perfect for cleaning under furniture.
It comes with a HEPA air filter to avoid leaving a fine trail of dander from the exhaust port as you work.
It has built in tool storage. It comes with a dusting brush, upholstery tool for cleaning your couch and crevice nozzle for getting between the couch cushions.
The cord has automatic rewind.
The long cord combined with the long hoses and vacuum head give it a 33’ cleaning radius. This vacuum is great for cleaning large rooms with a minimum of manipulation.
You can use the vacuum head to clean drapes and furniture, not just carpeting.
Miele vacuums have a reputation for durability, with many of them lasting decades.
Cons of the Miele C3 Soft Carpet Vacuum
The biggest strike against this Miele vacuum cleaner is its price tag. New, it costs around $800.
Observations
Replacement bags and filters are several dollars each; Miele doesn’t overcharge on these consumables.
The dust bags trap dirt and debris inside them pretty well so you don’t get a dust cloud while you empty the canister.
This is a plus if you have asthma or allergies. You do have to use Miele branded bags to get the 99.99% debris capture; the unique design means cheaper bags don’t let you benefit from its “air seal”.
While the vacuum head is very nimble, it doesn’t fit in in narrow spaces very well.
Summary
The Miele C3 is the best vacuum for soft carpets and shag rugs if you want to have one vacuum cleaner for your whole home.This vacuum cleaner is one of the few rated as safe for delicate soft carpets while still doing a good job on hard surfaces and durable, dirty carpets used in common areas. The unit’s long life and low repair rate help offset its high price tag.
