Meet George, your new go-to cleaning buddy that's as powerful as it is versatile. Thanks to its strong 1.6 Hp vacuum motor, George is excellent at sucking up household debris, pet hair, dust and water, boasting impressive capabilities with 110" water lift and 95 cfm of airflow.
Henry's sturdy big brother George is all set to tackle any cleaning job you throw its way. Whether you're dealing with carpets, upholstery, or hard floors, George's special turboflo vacuum turbine and power flo pump system promise professional-level cleaning. It comes with its own detergent, a wide selection of accessories for every household job, and two nozzle/extractors - one for carpet cleaning and one for your car, stairs or upholstery.
Our expert review checks out how well the NaceCare George Wet/Dry Vacuum coped with sludgy spills, liquid messes, grainy debris and fine dust, and we thoroughly test how well it cleans carpets and upholstery too. Find out how we got on and discover whether it’s the right wet/dry vacuum for your home.
If the NaceCare George Wet/Dry Vacuum isn’t the perfect new appliance for you, check out our best vacuum cleaners for every budget, tried and tested.
NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum: Key specifications
NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum: Price & availability
The NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum (known as the Numatic George GVE370 in the UK) retails for around $750.00 on Amazon and is also available through some third-party sellers.
While this is undoubtedly an expensive piece of kit, and the dustbags are an ongoing cost of $39.16 at Amazon, the sheer range of functionality you get with George makes it easier to justify. With a huge range of accessories, a separate carpet cleaning tool, an upholstery cleaning tool, four extra dustbags, and a bottle of carpet shampoo, George packs a lot in for the price.
Considering that George can clean and wash all floor surfaces, extract water, unblock sinks, valet cars and more, you're getting several appliances in one package. That, combined with Nace Care's reputation for reliability and sturdiness, plus a 2-year warranty, means it's a sensible investment that could save you a lot of money in the long term.
Score: 4 out of 5
NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum: First impressions
Where on earth do we start? The NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum comes with almost every possible accessory you can think of and then some. Designed as a 3-in-1 solution to household cleaning, the George comes with several accessories, two hoses, and multiple cleaning tools to clean stairs, upholstery, carpets, and hard floors. It also comes with extra dustbags and a bottle of carpet shampoo to get you started.
Given all of that, plus an almost incomprehensible manual made up only of images, it takes at least an hour or more to set up the George for your first use. You'll need to get your head around the fact that the set up for dry vacuuming is very different for wet vacuuming/carpet cleaning, from a different hose and tool set to using a different switch on the machine itself.
Frustrated at the manual's lack of usable information, I turned to YouTube, which was much better at getting me up and running and helping me understand how to switch between the two modes of cleaning.
Setting up for dry vacuuming is pretty straightforward, much like setting up a Henry vacuum if you've ever tried one. However, wet vacuuming/carpet cleaning is quite different in terms of setup. Be prepared to set aside a few hours to get to grips with it, as I had to.
Dry vacuuming: You'll need to ensure you use the dry vacuum hose, and insert a dust bag and filter into the George before use. Then choose your attachment, whether that's the standard floor tool or one of the accessories, such as the dust attachment or crevice tool
Wet-vacuuming and/or carpet cleaning: You'll need to remove the dustbag and insert the float valve and the solution tank (if you're shampooing as well). If you're just using it for wet pick-up, you only need the float valve to stop water from entering the electrical part of the unit. Then choose one of three options depending on what you're cleaning or removing: the floor unit for carpet cleaning, the handheld trigger unit for stairs or upholstery cleaning, or the hard floor scrubbing and washing attachment. This can all be rather fiddly at first as it requires attaching the solutions tube to the hose as well as the nozzle and unit, but it does get easier with time.
NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum: Design
The NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum is bigger than a standard Henry vacuum, and heavier, Just like Henry, big brother George features the famous eyes and smile synonymous with the brand.
The four-gallon tub of the unit is bigger than Henry to aid wet vacuuming. At the back are two large wheels, and at the front are two sturdy swivel castors. This makes it very manoeuvrable during use, which is handy as it's a fairly heavy unit and will get heavier with water.
The front of the unit has two waterproof switches. The green power switch is for suction only, and the blue switch turns on the pump for carpet cleaning and floor washing. There is also a connection point for the solution hose.
Similar to Henry, there are two latches you slide out either side to release the top and there is a siphon tube for putting into the solution tank for floor washing and carpet cleaning. The large bucket has a handle for emptying out dirty water. There's also a small clip for securing the hose and floor nozzle to the back of the machine.
Yet, unlike Henry, George doesn't feature cord rewind function. Instead, there's a pull out tab at the handle to secure the looped 42-foot electric cord.
Taking the top of the unit that houses the motor off, you can either pop in a dustbag and the filter for dry vacuuming, or the solution tank for washing and the float valve for stopping water from entering the motor. Everything is very easy to click in and secure and it's intuitively designed so that you pop each component in the right way.
Everything feels super sturdy and well-designed. Valve and connection points are made of brass for a professional finish, and all connections click easily into place. Each accessory pushes smoothly into the hose for use. The accessories are also sturdy and well-made and the dust brush is super soft, so you can feel comfortable dusting all the surfaces in your home without worrying about damage or scratches.
Score: 5 out of 5
NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum: Performance
I was really excited to try out the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum at home. Having paid for professional carpet cleaning in the past, I was hoping the George could do the same job, as well as tackling stairs, rugs and the interior of my car, all of which could do with a good professional- finish clean! With a cat, a dog and a child in the house, the upholstery has seen better days so a refresh is in order too, not least to remove pet odors.
During testing, I also looked at how well George tackled different types of liquid and debris, using sauces, milk, spilt cereal, oats and flour on various surfaces, as well as using it as a general vacuum daily.
Let's talk about dry vacuuming first. Like Henry, George features great suction. In fact, it's so powerful that it takes a bit of heft and push to move the floor attachment around a carpet! You'll need some upper-body strength for this. However, it quickly dealt with spilt flour and porridge oats on a carpet - vacuuming up every last piece of debris.
On a hard floor, results were similarly great, although the floor nozzle has a tendency to push the oats around at first, so you need to lift and place the floor attachment a little to ensure you get every last crumb.
The vacuum unit is easy to roll around, but it can be tricky to carry up and down stairs. The electric cord can get in the way a bit, but perhaps that's because I'm so used to my regular cordless vacuum.
The regular floor vacuum tool does a great job at removing all visible dust, debris and pet hair and you can get right up to the edge of the floor for thorough cleaning. The attachments are standard Nace Care Henry attachments and include a super soft dust brush, an upholstery and stair tool and a crevice tool — ideal for tight corners. The brush is gentle enough to dust photo frames and ornaments, so it's perfect for dusting down shelves.
On to wet vacuuming, where the fun really starts! First though, you have to switch the dry hose for the wet hose, remove the dustbag and filter from the unit, insert the solution bucket and float valve into the unit, then assemble the wand using the new wet hose (you'll need to clip the solution tube to the hose and connect it to the pump on the unit). Finally, pop the blue pump switch on as well as the green suction switch. Rest assured — all of this does get easier after you've done it a few times.
Before washing the floors with the floor washing tool, I thought I'd check to see how well George coped with sludgy spills and sauces. It did a fantastic job at sucking up cereal and milk on the floor but tended to smear sauce and honey around instead of removing it. George is designed for wet extraction (for example, sucking up water while you're defrosting your freezer) but perhaps sauces and sticky liquids are a step too far.
The hard floor scrub and dry tool is a revelation for washing hard floors. On one side it has bristles for scrubbing. Flip it 180 degrees and the other side has a squeegee opening for extracting the dirty water off your floor, leaving it almost dry. This functionality feels like a game-changer and much more hygienic than a mop and bucket as only clean water/solution is pushed through the pump, while dirty water is sucked clean away, leaving a gleaming floor.
Next, time to see how well the upholstery and carpet cleaning tools work. The upholstery tool can also be used for spot cleaning and features a built-in trigger for pumping up the cleaning solution, while the wider fishtail-shaped tool suits larger areas, such as carpets.
It's super easy to use both tools on sofas, chairs, stairs, carpets and car upholstery. You can see the solution being sprayed into the fibers, and watch as it's sucked back up into the tool.
Over the course of my testing, the sofa was given a new lease of life with old food stains removed and no more doggy smells; the hallway runner was spot-cleaned and came up brighter; my son's desk chair was finally rid of an old coffee ring and I gave my car's carpets and seats a mini valet. I even managed to unblock my drain — yet another task that George can do. Evidence below of what came out, if you're not too squeamish.
I did find that really ground-in dirt, for example, on some old carpeted stairs reaching down into our bathroom, was harder to shift. Some stains may need a stronger cleaning solution or spot cleaning first, so bear that in mind. I also had to factor in drying time as the carpets, rugs and couch were left slightly damp after cleaning, so that's something else to be aware of.
Once you're done cleaning, emptying the dirty water from the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum is a breeze. Simply lift out the float valve and solution bucket and unplug the hose. Then, using the carry handle, take the unit to your nearest drain and empty the contents.
I needed to refill the solution bucket and empty the unit of dirty water quite a few times over longer tasks, such as cleaning the carpets and the car upholstery, so make sure you're not too far from a drain and a faucet if you're tackling a big job.
While it's not deafening, it's not quiet either, reaching 61 decibels during testing. That's around the same as a normal conversation or an air conditioning unit. However, many vacuums are much louder than this, so George scores well on volume.
Overall, there was little to fault in George's performance. It's set up to tackle vacuuming, floor washing, and carpet cleaning with ease and delivers excellent results for a wet/dry vacuum. While it may not replace a professional deep clean, it's more than capable of tackling everyday stains and your carpets and upholstery will thank you for the refresh.
Score: 4 out of 5
NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum: Care and maintenance
Regular emptying and rinsing of the solution tank and tank when in wet mode, and replacing the dustbag when needed in dry mode, will help to prolong the life of the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum. You get four dustbags with it and spares are readily available online.
On a monthly basis, brush the dry dust filter using the dust attachment, to remove any build-up of dirt and debris.
The membrane covering the float valve for wet mode can also be removed and rinsed under running water. Leave to dry for at least 24 hours before refitting.
Should you buy the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum compare?
If you'd prefer an upright wet/dry vacuum cleaner, the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum promises to vacuum and mop your hard floors or sealed wooden floors simultaneously, taking care of two chores in half the time. While it won't vacuum carpets, it was impressive at picking up dirt and debris on hard floors in our testing, and despite being cordless it has a more than adequate runtime of 45 minutes per charge.
If you'd rather have a totally hands-free experience, the Eufy X10 Pro Omni will do everything for you, including vacuuming, mopping and self-emptying. But you'd better have a much bigger budget as it retails for hundreds of dollars more!
If you just want a compact and affordable option, the Black+Decker Dustbuster QuickClean Cordless Wet/Dry Handheld Vacuum could be ideal. It's fantastic at powering through dry and wet messes in the home and car. Plus it's small enough to store away when not in use. However, the 10-minute battery runtime could disappoint some users.
How I tested the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum
I evaluated the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum over two weeks, using it around my home for vacuuming, carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning and floor washing. I tested how well it coped with sludgy messes and sauces, thin liquids and dry debris, such as oats and flour. I also used it to valet my car and unblock my sink. I cleaned laminate floors and carpets with the NaceCare GVE 370 George Wet/Dry Vacuum and used a decibel meter to record volume output.
