A Review of the Hoover Floormate 500 Floor Cleaner

A Review of the Hoover Floormate 500 Floor Cleaner

What Is The Hoover Floormate 500?

The Hoover Floormate 500 is an electric floor mop cleaner that uses spinning brushes and a vacuum suction to deep clean sealed hard floors. It has a two-tank system to keep clean and dirty water separate, allowing you to mop and dry floors in one step.

Key features and capabilities of the Floormate 500 include:

  • Dual tank technology separates clean and dirty water
  • SpinScrub brushes scrub and clean floors
  • Powerful suction vacuums up dirty water
  • Cleans and dries floors in one step
  • Designed for sealed hard floors like tile, vinyl, laminate etc
  • Includes Hoover cleaning solution

How Does The Hoover Floormate 500 Work?

The Hoover Floormate 500 has a unique two-tank design to keep the clean water and dirty water separate. Here is an overview of how it works:

  1. Fill clean water tank with warm water and Hoover floor cleaner solution
  2. As you push forward, brushes spin to scrub floors while suction dries
  3. Dirty water and debris are sucked into the vacuum chamber
  4. The clean water tank feeds fresh solution to continue cleaning
  5. Dirty water goes into a separate removable tank for easy disposal
  6. Floors are left clean and dry in one pass

The SpinScrub technology uses counter-rotating brushes to scrub floors from all angles, helping lift up sticky messes and deeply embedded dirt. The strong suction then removes the dirty water and dries the floor.

What Floors Can It Clean?

The Hoover Floormate 500 is designed for sealed hard floor surfaces. It should NOT be used on carpets or rugs.

It works on flooring types such as:

  • Tile
  • Stone
  • Vinyl
  • Laminate
  • Marble
  • Hardwood

The spinning brushes and suction power can scrub and clean grout lines, remove sticky residue, and handle messes that mops and sprays may leave behind. Just avoid using it on unsealed tile or cracked floors where water can seep into subflooring structures.

What Floors Should You NOT Use It On?

The Hoover Floormate 500 should NOT be used on the following floor types:

  • Carpet
  • Rugs
  • Wood floors with wax or oil finish
  • Poorly sealed tiles
  • Brick
  • Concrete

The brushes and water may damage carpets, rugs and wood floors. And the water could seep through cracked or unsealed tiles. Always check the flooring manufacturer’s recommendations before using.

How To Use The Hoover Floormate 500

Using the Floormate 500 is quick and easy. Follow these steps:

  1. Assemble – Attach the handle and fill the clean water tank.
  2. Add solution – Pour Hoover floor cleaner into the clean water tank.
  3. Scrub – Turn on the device and push forward to scrub floors.
  4. Vacuum – The vacuum suction will dry the floors as you push forward.
  5. Empty – Remove and empty the dirty water tank as needed.
  6. Rinse – Rinse the brushes and tanks after each use.

Make slow passes over heavily soiled areas. When finished, empty the dirty tank, rinse components and allow to air dry.

Hoover Floormate 500 Accessories

The Floormate 500 comes with a useful set of accessories:

  • Hard floor spin scrub brushes – For scrubbing and cleaning
  • 2 tanks – Separate clean and dirty water
  • Clean solution tank filter – Prevents debris from entering clean tank
  • Nozzle cleaning tool – Removes hair/debris from nozzles
  • Storage mat – Keeps floors dry when storing

Optional extras like the Pet Plus SpinScrub Brush Kit allow you to customize for homes with pets. Replacement parts like brushes, filters and squeegees are also available.

Tips For Using The Hoover Floormate

Follow these tips to get the best results from your Floormate 500:

  • Sweep floors first to pick up loose debris
  • Fill tanks with lukewarm water – hot water may damage floors
  • Don’t overfill clean water tank
  • Empty dirty tank before it gets too full
  • Avoid using on unfinished wood floors
  • Rinse brushes after each use
  • Let unit air dry between uses
  • Clean nozzles if suction power is weak

How to Clean and Maintain the Floormate 500

With regular care and maintenance, your Floormate 500 will last for years. Follow these steps:

  1. Rinse – Rinse tanks, brushes and nozzles after each use.
  2. Wipe – Wipe exterior with a soft damp cloth.
  3. Dry – Let all parts fully air dry before storing.
  4. Replace – Replace SpinScrub brushes every 6-9 months.
  5. Clean – Use included tool to clean nozzles.
  6. Descaler – Use a descaler monthly to remove mineral buildup.

Avoid immersing the Floormate 500 body in water. Check and replace any worn parts to keep it running efficiently.

Common Troubleshooting Issues

Here are some common issues and how to resolve them:

  • Weak scrubbing – Replace worn brushes every 6-9 months.
  • Weak suction – Clean nozzles with included tool.
  • Streaky floors – Refill clean water tank. Rinse brushes.
  • Leaking – Check tank lids are properly sealed.
  • Floors not drying – Remove blockages from suction path.

Check the user manual for more troubleshooting tips. Reach out to Hoover customer service for additional help if needed.

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