Anyone have any experience purchasing carpet cleaners?

[transplant99]

I am definately going to pick one up here in the next day or so ( our little dog is getting incontinent in her old age) and have been searching online.

Seems like the best value is something like this...

http://www.hoover.com/product.aspx?m...11900&ds=false#

User reviews on it seem almost all positive and the thing is pretty well built. Gonna go look at it tonight or tomorrow and see the differences close up, but from reading up on it, this particular one covers most concerns.

So any opinions on this stuff?

[speede5]

I would stay away from Hoover. I have a two year old Steamvac that works great, but the hose broke recently and you can't get parts in Canada. The hose is 42 bucks and I have to throw away the unit because I have no way to get it in Canada. It sucks because it is a good unit and I am fully willing to repair it and continue using it.

Also make sure you don't get fooled by the use of the word 'Steam'. The steam vac does not steam anything. It sprays hot water onto the surface and vacuums it up. The water is only as hot as you put it in the reservoir. The unit does not heat or evaporate it. All these home units are the same. Only large industrial units actually use steam. The difference is noticably, but since you will probably use your steamvac more often, you carpets and furniture always look good. And you can clean up nasty spills immediately.

[Ice]

Those type of retail carpet cleaners all leave cleaning residue on your carpet. It will clean the stains, but the residue left behind clings to dirt and dust and what you can end up with is larger, but lighter, carpet stains. So over time, and with regular use, the overall look of your carpet will begin to look worse. I made this mistake with my carpet and did a little research and found a solution that has produced much better results.

For small stains in my carpet, from a kids spilling something or dropping food, I boil water, pour it on the stain, use a towel (a thick enough towel to prevent burning my hand with the water), pat and rub the area until the stain is lifted and then use a shop vac to suck up the water, then cover the area with a dry towel until it is completely dry. Water leaves no residue behind so it won't cling to dust and create another stain from the cleaning.

When cleaning a larger area, I use the carpet cleaner, but while the carpet is still damp, I go over the area again with the carpet cleaner, but this time without cleaner in it, only hot water. if I still see cleaner residue that's visible, I'll go over again with hot water only. This way it limits the amount of cleaner left behind and new stains don't show up as quickly. I have a professional steam clean the carpet once a year and the guy I use makes sure to leave little to no residue behind when he cleans the carpets.

One thing to remember is it takes longer for your carpet to dry with these home cleaners because they are not as powerful as the professional truck mounted vacuums. They don't remove as much of the moisture so if you can avoid walking directly on the carpet until its completely dry, your result will be much better.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Ice

Those type of retail carpet cleaners all leave cleaning residue on your carpet. It will clean the stains, but the residue left behind clings to dirt and dust and what you can end up with is larger, but lighter, carpet stains. So over time, and with regular use, the overall look of your carpet will begin to look worse. I made this mistake with my carpet and did a little research and found a solution that has produced much better results.

For small stains in my carpet, from a kids spilling something or dropping food, I boil water, pour it on the stain, use a towel (a thick enough towel to prevent burning my hand with the water), pat and rub the area until the stain is lifted and then use a shop vac to suck up the water, then cover the area with a dry towel until it is completely dry. Water leaves no residue behind so it won't cling to dust and create another stain from the cleaning.

When cleaning a larger area, I use the carpet cleaner, but while the carpet is still damp, I go over the area again with the carpet cleaner, but this time without cleaner in it, only hot water. if I still see cleaner residue that's visible, I'll go over again with hot water only. This way it limits the amount of cleaner left behind and new stains don't show up as quickly. I have a professional steam clean the carpet once a year and the guy I use makes sure to leave little to no residue behind when he cleans the carpets.

One thing to remember is it takes longer for your carpet to dry with these home cleaners because they are not as powerful as the professional truck mounted vacuums. They don't remove as much of the moisture so if you can avoid walking directly on the carpet until its completely dry, your result will be much better.

yeah i have long had the whole "clean it with roarin hot water" thing going on for years...but this is beyond that and as well we need to do the other areas as well, but the clean a second time without using detergent thing makes sense as well. Good advice, thanks.

I would stay away from Hoover. I have a two year old Steamvac that works great, but the hose broke recently and you can't get parts in Canada. The hose is 42 bucks and I have to throw away the unit because I have no way to get it in Canada. It sucks because it is a good unit and I am fully willing to repair it and continue using it.

I am in the states for now so that part really doesnt bother me as i wouldnt be bringing it with me even when i move back.

[Buzzard]

We bought this.

http://www.bissell.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=3387

It works fantastic. I think we paid a little more for the "pet" features, which I think the only difference was a power brush attachment which we dont use anyway.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by Ice

Those type of retail carpet cleaners all leave cleaning residue on your carpet. It will clean the stains, but the residue left behind clings to dirt and dust and what you can end up with is larger, but lighter, carpet stains. So over time, and with regular use, the overall look of your carpet will begin to look worse. I made this mistake with my carpet and did a little research and found a solution that has produced much better results.

For small stains in my carpet, from a kids spilling something or dropping food, I boil water, pour it on the stain, use a towel (a thick enough towel to prevent burning my hand with the water), pat and rub the area until the stain is lifted and then use a shop vac to suck up the water, then cover the area with a dry towel until it is completely dry. Water leaves no residue behind so it won't cling to dust and create another stain from the cleaning.

When cleaning a larger area, I use the carpet cleaner, but while the carpet is still damp, I go over the area again with the carpet cleaner, but this time without cleaner in it, only hot water. if I still see cleaner residue that's visible, I'll go over again with hot water only. This way it limits the amount of cleaner left behind and new stains don't show up as quickly. I have a professional steam clean the carpet once a year and the guy I use makes sure to leave little to no residue behind when he cleans the carpets.

One thing to remember is it takes longer for your carpet to dry with these home cleaners because they are not as powerful as the professional truck mounted vacuums. They don't remove as much of the moisture so if you can avoid walking directly on the carpet until its completely dry, your result will be much better.

Yup. This.

The best professional job we have had done was by a owner/operator of his own business. He did not use any detergent. Only hot water and a few drops of some magic potion.

The cleaner that we bought does as good as a job as he did. We do not use any soap in it. Sometimes I'll throw a few drops of febreeze in the water for a little smell.

[psicodude]

I have the same one as linked by Buzzard, and it does work quite well. After a few bouts of trial and error, I found that it worked best if I did 1 slow pass with soap and then 2 more "rinse" passes with just water. If not, the carpet would actually dry sort of crunchy.

Another annoyance with it is that it doesn't handle pet hair very well. It sort of clumps up and ends up on the carpet...which is sort of gross. Not a deal breaker, but just be aware of it.

Oh, and I don't have a incontinent animal, I have a 2 year old. (splitting hairs maybe?)

[transplant99]

Thanks for the feedback folks...really appreciated.

Have located 3 stores that sell this stuff that are all close, will be coming home with one of them for sure.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Yup. This.

The best professional job we have had done was by a owner/operator of his own business. He did not use any detergent. Only hot water and a few drops of some magic potion.

The cleaner that we bought does as good as a job as he did. We do not use any soap in it. Sometimes I'll throw a few drops of febreeze in the water for a little smell.

Which cleaner do you have?

[dissentowner]

I think if I was to purchase a carpet cleaner I might choose this one.

[SebC]

^ and there it is.

[Methanolic]

Using a razor might eliminate the need.