I was always skeptical about the "outrageously priced" Rainbow vacuums that were peddled by pushy door-to-door salespeople, but after going through about 10 vacuums in 10 years I decided that maybe  "high-end" vacuums really were better, so I bought a very used Rainbow D3C (1980 model) here on ebay and figured, if it didn't work, I wasn't out that much. Well, I have to admit I fell in love with this vacuum from day one.

What makes this vac great is that it utilizes water to trap dust and dirt. This prevents the dust particles from re-entering the air and keeps your home virtually dust free. Second, having several cats, not only does the water chamber keep my house and furniture free of pet hair, but it also was a life saver during a flea outbreak. A vet told me that fleas can live and breed in vacuum bags, but they drown as soon as they hit the water in the Rainbow. It usually takes months to stop a flea infestation but it only took a couple of weeks with the rainbow.

Another major benefit of the rainbow vacuum is that anything you vacuum up by accident by-passes the motor completely and directly enters the water chamber. Most vacuums, bagless or not, would be ruined by sucking up a paper clip or similar object, but with the rainbow, it has no effect on the motor at all. I am just amazed that my 26 year-old Rainbow works better than any of my brand-new uprights ever did!

Now for the downside: Yes, filling and  emptying the water chamber with  every use is a bit of a hassle; and just like any canister vac, hooking up the power nozzle each time and pulling the cannister behind you can be annoying, I'll admit that; but this vacuum has so many benefits  no other vac on the market does that it makes it worth the small inconvienences.

I have owned every vacuum from Hoover's Windtunnel to the Royal commercial grade vacuums and I was always left with more dust in the air than before I vacuumed. Water is simply the only way you will not have dust and dirt everywhere when you empty your vacuum chamber.

This truly is a one-of-a-kind machine and I'm hooked for life. Rainbow vacs are well worth the price, and then some!