Steam cleaning carpets - effective?

misterE_3

Hi All,
Unfortunately my carpets are looking a little worse for wear.

I'm looking to purchase a cleaner so I can give them a regular clean. I read in "What's in this stuff?" that a steam cleaner can be used for cleaning carpets and is less harmful to the environment than a carpet cleaner which uses detergent.

Has anyone had any experience cleaning carpets with a steam cleaner and how effective is it? Can you recommend a steam cleaner model?

Any help much appreciated as always!

wigglygiggly

I have had two steam cleaners in the past (Morphy Richards if I remember rightly) and they both went bang after 6 months. I used to think they did a good job until I bought my Bissell, so now I wouldn't go back to steam to be honest.

Peartree

Strictly speaking, a domestic steamer doesn't actually 'clean' a carpet as such, certainly not deeply. What it does is open up the pile of the carpet which gets ground down with wear, basically, it is 'fluffing up' the carpet and the carpet will look much better for this. It will also loosen dirt and stains but a domestic steamer doesn't really have anything to 'suck up' that dirt. The pads supplied may just rub some off. Steaming is actually good for your carpet - manufacturers use steaming in their processes. It will also get freshen them up, get rid of mites, etc.

However, if your carpet is dirty, you will need to use another sort of cleaner to make a difference and, unfortunately, will probably have to use a detergent of some sort. I've got a Vax carpet cleaner which does a reasonable job but is incredibly heavy to use and big to store. However, the dirt that comes out of a carpet that looks quite clean into the waste water reservoir is quite shocking!

Having said all that, I am a complete fan of steam cleaners, even though I don't think they necessarily do all the manufacturers promise. They do mean you don't need to use as many chemicals in the house and are exceptionally good if you have allergy or asthma sufferers in the house. They are also worth their weight in gold when you're defrosting the freezer!

Mine went kaput last year (after many years' service) but I've been borrowing a friend's. She got hers at Aldi and it's just as good as any of the other models I've used. I'm just waiting until they come back into Aldi and will buy one for myself.

Peartree

misterE_3

After reading all the helpful advice, I really could do with getting both a steam cleaner and a carpet cleaner. The steam cleaner would have been great last night when I spent ages defrosting the fridge freezer drawer with a hairdryer. I'd only like to buy one really. What I think I'll do is buy a steam cleaner from Argos that claims to have good cleaning abilities. If it doesn't live up to its hype then I'll return it within the 16 day no quibble period, then get a carpet cleaner instead.

MEGANJODELLE

Hi,

I would suggest you consider one of the Polti Steam Cleaners. I borrowed one from a friend to try on my beige carpets. I'd seen the machine demonstrated on QVC so many times but couldn't justify the cost if it didn't work. There are never shoes, pets or children making contact with my carpets. However, I was amazed at the dirt it lifted off on to the towel covering the cleaning head. As another poster said, a Steam Cleaner won't actually suck up dirt, but a good one will take up alot of the "grime" as such. Also, it does freshen up the smell of your home beautifully and kills dust mites. Unlike the cleaners that use water, a Polti will leave your carpets dry in a hour or so. I then go over the carpets again with the Dyson to extract the mite corpses......I am somewhat obsessive....

kathyd_2

I'm looking to buy a cleaner/steamer as well so this advice has been invaluable.

I think I may suggest to members of my family that it would be a good idea to buy a cleaner (to get rid of the dirt) plus a steamer (to refresh the carpet pile). If we split the cost between our households it shouldn't work out too expensive.

Thanks.

Lord_Gardener

We use a Vax V028 pro for general carpet cleaning

http://www.vax.co.uk/vax/product_range_detail.php?rangeID=49

Plus a JML hand held steam cleaner for difficult spots

http://www.ciao.co.uk/JML_Handheld_Steam_Cleaner__Review_5524236

They have proved to be a great combination!!

johnjp

I am a trained carpet cleaner. I took my training with the `National Carpet Cleaners Association`, a professional body set up about twenty years ago. It`s aims were to raise the standards of operators in the industry and has the full backing of many carpet manufacturers. I had to pass a technical exam which covered areas such as identifying carpet and upholstery fibres, the science behind the detergents (and some chemicals) used in cleaning and more.
If you want to have your carpets cleaned properly I would suggest you use a professional. How much are your carpets worth? Do you know what fibre combination your carpets are? If you damage your carpets will your insurance pay for the damage. A professional cleaner may cost you more than D.I.Y. (damage it yourself!) but they will know their stuff and in the unlikely event of ANY damage, they will be liable and it`s their insurance that will pay for it!
I have `retired` from carpet cleaning so have no reason to beat the drum for them except that I know it`s much easier to get someone else to do it and, this is a money saving forum, if your damage your expensive carpets you won`t be saving any money then!
Look in the `yellow pages` in the professional trades pages or look for `NCCA` and `Prochem` trained operators.

Moneymaker

Well, JohnJP beat me to it but I would never buy a DIY carpet cleaner. I think it's worth paying a professional once a year.