Cleaning carpets

Layla · 16 August 2004 at 4:31PM

Does anyone know the best way to clean carpets? We have just moved into a new house where there is carpet in EVERY room - even the shed has fitted carpet! All the carpets really need cleaning and I want to buy a machine to clean them but I am confused. Which is better

a steam cleaner

a wet and dry cleaner

or a carpet cleaner?

I don't want to buy the wrong one and find that I have wasted my money. ???

16011996 · 16 August 2004 at 4:33PM

a wet and dry vac is what i have, love it. check your local paper for offers on people who do it for you, had mine done right through in a day for £60 (washed, shampooed and dried). cheaper and less tiring that hiring for a weekend.

lisyloo · 16 August 2004 at 4:41PM

Your best bet would be to get it done professionally.

Some of the machines to use yourself do not dry the carpet well enough and leave a sticky residue which then attracts dirt.

The professionals will have much better machines and you'll see much better results.

trafalgar_2 · 16 August 2004 at 5:26PM

If you don't get them professionally cleaned

You want one of these

http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/CatalogueItem_10114.html

Look around you might find it cheaper

I can definately recommend it and it doesn't leave your carpets wet.

And you'll have it there to use again and again

Chris25 · 16 August 2004 at 7:51PM

Trafalgar, does it have a long enough hose to do the stairs?

Layla · 17 August 2004 at 12:57AM

Thanks for all your replies. I've always been put off having a professional come in and do the whole house as it seems like it would be a bit of an upheaval. Where do you put all the furniture while it is being done? Our house is quite full having moved to a smaller property and I thought that not only would it be cheaper in the long run to buy a machine but at least I can do it at my own pace

I will have a look in the local paper though and see how much they charge and also have a look at the wet and dry cleaners and the one recommended by Trafalgar.

No one's mentioned the steam cleaners yet so I will take it that they are not much good for carpets!

Thanks again

trafalgar_2 · 17 August 2004 at 2:28AM

I've never used a steam one but
I would worry about shrinkage using steam but as I say have not used one so I don't know if that could be a problem :-/

tru · 17 August 2004 at 12:27PM

I use a steam cleaner.
If the carpets are really dirty though, it's better to have them cleaned professionally, then keep them clean with the steamer occasionally.
Carpet shampoo that you can buy in the shops has soap in it so it leaves a sticky residue that attracts dirt (like Lisyloo said), professional cleaners use different chemicals (which you can't buy in the shops, grrrrr).

trafalgar_2 · 17 August 2004 at 1:20PM

Trafalgar, does it have a long enough hose to do the stairs?

Yes it does Chris25,I've used it on mine

trafalgar_2 · 17 August 2004 at 1:23PM

Carpet shampoo that you can buy in the shops has soap in it so it leaves a sticky residue that attracts dirt (like Lisyloo said), professional cleaners use different chemicals (which you can't buy in the shops, grrrrr).

I use the recommended Hoover product for my machine and it doesn't leave a residue :-/
Prehaps because it has a really good rinse system so more shampoo is removed

But that's only in my experience

tru · 17 August 2004 at 2:05PM

Hello Traf ;D

I've just had a look at your link for the Hoover cleaner, I'm tempted to get one now, especially as it rinses well ;D I would probably use a lot less than the recommended shampoo dose though, you can't see or feel the residue, but it's there. Or so carpet people have told me. And one of those carpet people was my hubby, so it wasn't as if he was trying to sell me something. Or was he ??? ;D

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Cleaning carpets

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