Carpet Cleaning-Do it Yourself or call a Pro?

How often should carpets be cleaned?

Many homeowners make the mistake of assuming their carpet and upholstery are clean just because they look clean. What they may not know is that, over time, even the most spotless looking carpets and upholstery collect germs, dust and soil below the surface. To increase the useful life of your carpets & upholstery, most carpet manufacturers recommend you have them cleaned regularly every 12-18 months - and that could be before you even recognize they're dirty

Lets be honest, this is probably the most often asked question when someone considers carpet maintenance.

What type equipment should I rent?

Supermarket Rental Units

Steam Machines

For just a few dollars you can rent a "steam cleaner" from most local supermarket or home stores. Don't be misled by their names. All these rentals have certain things in common. For instance none heat the water. Your water is only as hot as available from your tap. The most disappointing part is they are all underpowered. These machines are designed to dump the expensive cleaners into the carpet but not to remove the water from the carpet. Be ready for very long drying times.

There also is another danger here. The inexperienced homeowner will tend to use much more water then is necessary. He can easily contribute to serious problems such as the developing of loose carpet seams or the growth of mold and mildew.
According to our survey, it seems the Rug Doctor Brand is one of the best available.
As consumer reports noted, look for a machine that is cleanest (least used) with least worn brushes for best results.

You may or may not realize that all rental companies make their profits through the cleaning products. So read the labels before you purchase and follow the instructions closely.
Look for cleaning products which say they crystallize or leave no residue in the fibers of the carpet. These products might not clean any better then others but it is the residue that makes spots and stains return after cleaning.

Shampoo Machines

These type machines usually will have dual brushes for agitating the fiber in your carpets. They are meant to be used with specific carpet shampoo products. Many of these machines can also be used on hard floors so be sure you purchase the proper shampoo for carpets.
You mix the shampoo solution and it is gravity fed over the brushes as you shampoo the carpet. There is no means for extraction of the cleaning solution so you must be very careful about the amount you use. Usually the foaming type cleaning solution disappears as it drys.

Home Machines; Are they a worthwhile purchase?

While we could find homeowners who do say they love their Bissell and Hoover carpet scrubber/cleaners, we could find no professionals at all who would come near to recommend any. Even Consumer reports say they are all severely underpowered and leave too much moisture in the carpets.

These types of machines are excellent for removing small stains and spills if treated soon after they occur. But as with the rentals, one must realize their main purpose is to sell their respective cleaning chemicals.

As a matter of fact, a representative of one of the biggest names in vacuums told me recently that they had developed a specific carpet cleaning chemical and as a result had to develop a machine that would utilize it.

If used properly, these machines will clean the upper layer of carpet fiber but as with the rentals, you must be very careful not to use too much water. They simply are not capable of removing the moisture.
Again when it comes to cleaning chemicals, look for cleaning products which say they crystallize or leave no residue in the fibers of the carpet.

So are they a worthwhile investment?

It really depends on the use you will put them too. For example, if you have a couple dogs or maybe a little guy running around the house, a machine like this might very well keep you carpet in decent condition as long as you don't expect too much from it. But then again, a good commercial grade wet/dry vacuum might be more practical.