Carpet cleaner/shampoo

[Sean Troy]

Anyone have recommendations for a carpet cleaner/shampoo machine. Renting the machines is not working out as we need to be able to do different areas at different times. I don't want to throw the dogs out in the winter weather for hours at a time as the carpet drys if we do it all at the same time. thanks, Sean

[George Bokros]

We have a Hoover Steam Vac, bought at least 10 yrs ago, and it works pretty good.

[David Weaver]

I've been using one of the inexpensive hoover "spin scrub" machines for almost 15 years.

I've found that, aside from it being easier to not let carpets get dirty in the first place, that it's easier to use it on two passes just with hot water and no detergent. Detergent just makes the carpet hold dirt until the next time you shampoo the carpet. Two passes of hot water only usually does a pretty good job.

It doesn't go very deep (the water), but at the same time, it gets enough water back off of the carpet that it's dry by morning if you do it at night before you go to bed.

[roger wiegand]

Roll the rug up and take it to someone who will hand scrub it both front side and back and then dry it on a stretcher. Those machines that squirt water on and then suck some of it back up with or without scrubbing take off a little bit of surface dirt, but the water mostly just carries the grit and crud deeper into the fibers where it will cause more damage. You need access to both sides of a carpet to actually get it clean. Machine scrubbing is too destructive to use on a valuable carpet, doing it by hand allows the cleaner to work on the spots without beating up the rest of the rug, then also make small repairs as needed. Putting it on a frame allows the rinse water to go through the whole weave, really carrying the dirt and grit away.

[Sean Troy]

Roll the rug up and take it to someone who will hand scrub it both front side and back and then dry it on a stretcher. Those machines that squirt water on and then suck some of it back up with or without scrubbing take off a little bit of surface dirt, but the water mostly just carries the grit and crud deeper into the fibers where it will cause more damage. You need access to both sides of a carpet to actually get it clean. Machine scrubbing is too destructive to use on a valuable carpet, doing it by hand allows the cleaner to work on the spots without beating up the rest of the rug, then also make small repairs as needed. Putting it on a frame allows the rinse water to go through the whole weave, really carrying the dirt and grit away.
Not a rug. It's carpet through out some of the house.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I've had a couple different machines over the years, and NONE of them work near as well as a professional with truck-mounted steam cleaning equipment.

[Bonnie Campbell]

I have a Bissell that I bought about 5 years ago. Works well and I feel it was well worth the investment.

[David Weaver]

I've had a couple different machines over the years, and NONE of them work near as well as a professional with truck-mounted steam cleaning equipment.

That's definitely true. They clean the top surface of the carpet, and that's about it. They will, however, keep the top surface cleaner than without using them, especially if you have a lot of dust or light pet dirt (by that i mean stuff that isn't like colorfast stains, but just light dirt that comes in with pets).

I got mine after watching my mother run hers over a rug that was in a transit area in the house - it was off white colored because of the dogs and she used one of the cheapie spin scrubs for about 20 minutes and brought the rug back to a near white shade.

The truck steam mounted things puff carpet back up better, and the "carpet steamers" that you rent or buy don't do that. They are a good way to stretch out time between professional cleanings if one wants a professional cleaning. Or in my case, I've got a couple of small slobbering kids, and it's nice to keep the surface of the carpets a little cleaner and dry slobber free so they can slobber all over the place on them without licking as much dirt.

[Matt Meiser]

We had a Hoover for 12 years but the plastic pieces started getting brittle and the third time a part broke we threw in the towel and bought a new Bissell which had better reviews.

I agree the pro machines and services are better, but for spills, kid and pet stains (even a well trained dog is going to eventually get sick or track in mud) and the like its sure handy to be able to take care of it right now. Get it while its still wet and you can usually just suck the mess right up in a couple passes.

And you will be amazed/disgusted by what the thing will pull out of your carpet. Blech!

[Stan Calow]

We have a Hoover, bought for around $100 as I recall. Not great but does work to freshen things up. It helps to go very slowly and not use too much detergent. Actually, works better than the rented ones, now that I think about it.

[Sean Troy]

Thanks all for the info. I'll see what prices are out there now with the holiday upon us.

[Phil Thien]

I use a Hoover filled with boiling (from the stove) water.

Works amazingly well.