What’s the Difference Between Numatic George, Charles & Henry Wash?

What’s The Difference Between Numatic George, Henry Wash & Charles?

If you are looking at Numatic wet vacuum cleaners, it can quickly become confusing.

George, Henry Wash and Charles all look fairly similar, but they are designed for very different jobs.

Some are proper carpet shampoo machines, while others are mainly designed for wet pickup and spills.

This guide explains the differences between:

  • Numatic George
  • Henry Wash
  • Numatic Charles

We do not sell these vacuum cleaners ourselves — only the spare parts and accessories — so this guide is designed to be as honest and impartial as possible.

Numatic George

numatic george features

George has been around for decades and is probably the best-known Numatic wet vacuum.

He is the most expensive model in this comparison, but also the most versatile.

George is essentially:

  • a dry vacuum cleaner
  • a wet vacuum
  • a carpet shampoo machine
  • an upholstery cleaner

all combined into one machine.

George Features

  • Dry Vacuuming – Comes with standard dry vacuum tools and dry filter just like a normal Henry.
  • Wet Vacuuming – Includes a wet filter with float valve protection to stop overfilling.
  • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning – Includes extraction tools for carpets, upholstery and hard floors.
  • Shampoo Pump System – George can pump cleaning solution through the hose and tools using a trigger system.

If you want one machine that does everything, George is usually the best choice.

Henry Wash

henry wash wet vacuum differences

Henry Wash is the newer addition to the Numatic wet vacuum range.

It includes almost all of the wet cleaning features that George has, but with one major difference:

Henry Wash is designed purely as a wet extraction machine.

Unlike George, it does not include the dry vacuum setup.

Henry Wash Features

  • Dry Vacuuming – No. Henry Wash does not include dry filters or standard dry vacuum tools.
  • Wet Vacuuming – Includes wet filter and float protection.
  • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning – Includes carpet, upholstery and hard floor extraction tools.
  • Shampoo Pump System – Pumps cleaning solution through the hose and trigger system just like George.

Because it removes the dry vacuum setup, Henry Wash is usually cheaper than George.

If you already own a standard Henry for dry vacuuming and only want a dedicated carpet cleaner, Henry Wash can make a lot of sense.

Numatic Charles

numatic charles wet vacuum cleaner features

Charles is the lowest-cost wet vacuum in this comparison.

However, Charles is very different from George and Henry Wash.

Charles is not a carpet shampoo machine.

He is designed mainly for:

  • wet spills
  • hard floor drying
  • garage use
  • unblocking sinks
  • general wet pickup

Unlike George and Henry Wash, Charles has:

  • no shampoo tank
  • no pump system
  • no carpet shampoo function

Charles Features

  • Dry Vacuuming – Yes. Includes dry filter and standard dry vacuum tools.
  • Wet Vacuuming – Yes. Includes wet filter and float shut-off protection.
  • Wet Tools – Includes hard floor wet pickup tool.
  • Shampoo Pump System – No.

Charles is excellent if you need a wet and dry vacuum cleaner, but not if your main goal is deep carpet cleaning.

Important: Henry Wash vs Henry Wet & Dry

This catches many people out.

There is now another model called Henry Wet & Dry.

Despite the similar name, this model is much closer to Charles than Henry Wash.

Henry Wet & Dry:

  • does wet pickup
  • does dry vacuuming
  • does NOT shampoo carpets
  • does NOT pump cleaning solution

So if you specifically want a carpet cleaning machine, make sure you are buying Henry Wash, not Henry Wet & Dry.

Quick Comparison Summary

Model Dry Vacuum Wet Pickup Carpet Shampoo Shampoo Pump
George Yes Yes Yes Yes
Henry Wash No Yes Yes Yes
Charles Yes Yes No No

Which Numatic Wet Vacuum Is Best?

Choose George if:

  • You want one machine for everything
  • You need both dry vacuuming and carpet cleaning
  • You want maximum versatility

Choose Henry Wash if:

  • You already own a dry vacuum
  • You mainly want a carpet and upholstery cleaner
  • You want George’s wet cleaning features for less money

Choose Charles if:

  • You want a wet and dry vacuum only
  • You need something for spills and garages
  • You do not need carpet shampooing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is George better than Henry Wash?

George is more versatile because he also works as a full dry vacuum cleaner.

Can Charles clean carpets?

Not properly. Charles can vacuum wet spills, but he does not have a shampoo pump system for deep carpet cleaning.

Does Henry Wash vacuum dry dust?

No. Henry Wash is designed purely for wet cleaning and extraction tasks.

Can George unblock sinks?

Yes. George can be used for wet pickup and many general wet vacuum tasks.

Why is George more expensive?

Because George combines dry vacuuming, wet pickup and full carpet extraction into one machine.

More Numatic Vacuum Guides

We also have another guide covering the differences between other Numatic vacuum models.

Difference between Henry, Hetty, James, Charles, George and Harry

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