Are you a Host user from the past? Your name sounds awfully familar. That is the way Howard Partridge and I started out using Host. Using any CRB machine prior to vacuuming is excellent but time consuming. I would not use the Cimex for dry soil removal regardless of which brush you use. The Cimex is a scrubber so it would just move the soil around and not bring it to the surface like the CRB machines or a good vac. If you use cotton pads on the Cimex it will remove some soil, but the machine is best suited for encapping and stone polishing.

I did use a HOST machine in the past. I have since "graduated" to another manufacturer. I do sometimes mis the HOST machine for use on stairs. It worked pretty well for that with the ability to remove part of the handle. Now I use a Cyclo polisher equipped with various things. I just got a another manufacturers version of a Wen 4"cordless random orbital polisher to try for stairs, upholstery and spotting. Will be curious to see how it compares to the Cyclo in it's abilities. I suspected the mechanical action of the Cimex might not lend itself to pile lifting. Can you recommend a good source for 8" cotton pads for the Cimex? I have inquired with Argo and they don't stock them but can make them. I've also thought about getting cotton terry cloth from a local fabric store and having made locally by a quilter, seamtress, or awning shop. The absorption of cotton vs. Thin one seems worth the cost to me. Is it?

i've never tested it myself, but i feel a Thinone does a very adequate job of extracting soil from carpet. while i still use cotton primarily with my Challenger OP, i only use Thinone's with my Cimex. and they last a lot longer than cotton.

thanx --- Derek.