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8 Best Home Carpet Cleaners – (Reviews & Guide 2022)

Maintaining a home carpet can be a drag, so getting your hands on the best home carpet cleaner could be the most practical path to take. Carpets give character to a room, but sadly,  – they get dirty easily, and they keep getting dirty if you do not react in time. If you try to wash carpets at home without a carpet cleaner you can’t get all the residue out. Sometimes the situation even gets worse and that’s why your carpets get dirtier after you clean them manually.

Depending on the foot traffic at your home, and on the number of pedestrians (both two and four-legged) you should be able to determine what kind of carpet cleaner you need.  there are plenty of choices out there, but luckily, we’ve also prepared home carpet cleaner reviews to help with that. Let’s begin!

See The Quick Comparison Chart

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Benefits Of Home Carpet Cleaning?

Perhaps it sounds like a dumb question – you clean the carpets because they are dirty, but there are numerous benefits to carpet cleaning that at least might be interesting for you to know.

1. Extend the life of your carpet

Yes, that’s right. Regular maintenance and a good carpet washing at least once a year can extract all dirt and extend the life of your carpet. That way, you are also prolonging the investment – no need to remove and put new carpets again, or at least, not so soon. With regular carpet cleaning, you can enjoy your carpets for years to come.

2. Room Smells Better

Nobody wants to enter the house and then be splashed with a whiff of bad odor. Some surfaces, like carpets, need cleaning and you can’t rely on simple vacuuming once the odor sets in. Whether it’s from the mold, pets, stains or urine, you can protect your indoor air quality and remove the pollutants with good carpet maintenance.

3. Easy Regular Maintenance

You will keep your carpets clean much easier if you regularly vacuum them after getting them a good once-over, at least once a year. It’s very simple when you think about it. Unless you have an accident and spill something, usually stains and dirt are of the dry kind. Including the pet dander, human dandruff and skin cells, shedding, and the rest. Mud and dust, also fit the description. If you vacuum regularly, you can get most of the dry stains and keep your carpet clean and well maintained.

But if you have harder stains that only grow larger, and particles get stuck on them, it’s harder to maintain cleanliness.

4. Healthier Surroundings

Healthier SurroundingsThere are many allergens and bacteria in dirty carpets and when maintaining their cleanliness, you are actually keeping your kids, pets and the entire household healthy. Or at least, not prone to the disease so much.

Kids often play on the carpets, pets get their daily walks and people rarely clean their paws before entering the house when the weather is nice. They are all spending a lot of time on the rugs and can catch a virus, allergy or bacteria. Keeping your carpets clean is imperative if you have a household member with asthma.

5. Maintains Carpet Warranty

Some carpeting manufacturers and companies give a warranty on their products and services if the carpets are cleaned regularly. Some even state that the carpets must be cleaned with an extraction method and in a certain timeframe. It’s best to do it once a year, but warranty conditions go from 12 to 18 months.

6. Spots Grow

You are reading this correctly. If you have a stain, chances are it can grow larger. You probably aren’t delusional if it looks like the stains are getting bigger and bigger. The reason is simple – stains attract more dust and particles, so the stains literally build-up over time. If you leave a stain sitting for a long time, it can even damage your carpet fibers. That is why it’s important to get the stains out as soon as possible.

Best Home Carpet Cleaners Comparison Chart

PRODUCTDETAILS
Hoover FH50150 Carpet Cleaner

Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer FH50150

  • Price: $$
  • Customer Rating: 4.2
  • Weight: 25.8 pounds
  • Size: 20.8 x 13.9 x 22.2 inches
  • Warranty: 2 years
View On Amazon
Bissell 86T3 Carpet Cleaner

Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner, 86T3

  • Price: $$$
  • Customer Rating: 4.7
  • Weight: 52.5 pounds
  • Size: 20.5 x 11 x 42.25 inches
  • Warranty: 5 years
View On Amazon
Bissell 1548 Carpet Cleaner

Bissell 1548 ProHeat Carpet Cleaner

  • Price: $$
  • Customer Rating: 3.9
  • Weight: 17.5 pounds
  • Size: 15 x 12.5 x 43.5 inches
  • Warranty: 3 years
View On Amazon
Hoover F7412900 Carpet Cleaner

Hoover F7412900 Max Extract Carpet Cleaner

  • Price: $$
  • Customer Rating: 3.8
  • Weight: 26.9 pounds
  • Size: 20.2 x 15.8 x 29.2 inches
  • Warranty: 1 year
View On Amazon
Rug Doctor Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner

Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner and Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner

  • Price: $$
  • Customer Rating: 4.1
  • Weight: 37.4 pounds
  • Size: 22.8 x 14.2 x 28 inches
  • Warranty: 2 years
View On Amazon
Bissell 1622 Carpet Cleaner

Bissell 1622 PowerLifter Carpet Cleaner

  • Price: $
  • Customer Rating: 4.2
  • Weight: 21.4 pounds
  • Size: 19 x 11 x 44 inches
  • Warranty: 1 year
View On Amazon
Hoover FH50220 Carpet Cleaner

Hoover FH50220 Max Extract Pro Carpet Deep Cleaner

  • Price: $
  • Customer Rating: 3.6
  • Weight: 26.4 pounds
  • Size: 23 x 16.2 x 26.8 inches
  • Warranty: 2 years
View On Amazon
HOOVER F5914901NC Carpet Cleaner

Hoover F5914901NC Steam Vacuum and Carpet Cleaner

  • Price: $
  • Customer Rating: 4.2
  • Weight: 27.5 pounds
  • Size: 20 x 11.2 x 44 inches
  • Warranty: 2 years
View On Amazon

Best Home Carpet Cleaner Reviews

1. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer

Hoover FH50150 Carpet CleanerIf you thought that this list could go without a Hoover, you were wrong – and there is a reason for it. Hoover carpet cleaners are one of the best on the market because they have an innovative approach to cleaning. Their inventions often set industry standards. This brand model is a good entry unit that will get your carpets clean, with ease.

This home carpet cleaner machine is so lightweight, which is a good trait when you have to clean crevices and stairs and carry the vacuum. With this Hoover model, you will truly do it with ease since it only weighs 19 pounds. But that’s not the only thing that makes the mobility simple – there are also 4 handles on it, so you can choose the best way to carry the unit around the house.

You can even clean all your upholstery with an 8-foot hose and upholstery tool which is perfect for stairs and hard to reach areas. The SpinScrub Brush technology makes sure that all carpet fibers are cleaned and vacuumed from all sides, preventing the dirt from build-up. You can clean the area in one go, without having to approach the surface from all sides.

Pros

  • The carpet cleaner is super-easy to assemble, and using it is a simple “plug and play” process
  • Hoover DualIV enables even particle cleaning
  • The package comes with a cleaning solution sample and a crevice tool

Cons

  • SpinScrub brushes can corrode easily if not maintained properly.
  • The lightweight body of the unit will make you want to press harder, even though it is not necessary

Read More: Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Review

2. Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner

Next up is a carpet cleaner with a bit more power and strength, Bissell 86T3 Carpet Cleaner
this Bissel model from the Big Green series. This unit prides itself on being one of the best in the carpet cleaning game when it comes to power-size ratio. It comes packed with several different types of technology that can help you get any kind of stain out of your carpet (including low pile ones), upholstery and/or stairs.

First of all, the extra-large DirtLifter power brush goes the extra length to penetrate the surface level of the carpet and go deep enough to get through the stain in order to fully remove it. Above the set of power brushes, there is a heavy-duty powerful suction module which extracts the dirt and odors with ease.

Pros

  • Larger than average water tanks will help you clean for longer periods of time, without the need to go to the sink several times.
  • Bissell has its own famous line of detergents and cleaning agents which work perfectly with this model

Cons

  • The general weight of the unit, even when the tanks are empty, is above average
  • The upright design of the body will make it tricky to store when not in use

Read More: Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner, 86T3

3. Bissell ProHeat Carpet Cleaner

Cleaning preferences vary from person to person, but this Bissell 1548 Carpet Cleanercarpet cleaner was designed to fulfill all the needs and challenges presented. This carpet cleaner from the Bissell family will get the job done, and it will do it at a fast rate, with the skill of a professional.

An excellent feature that this home remedy carpet cleaner has is the Express Clean mode, a setting that enables you to deep clean your carpet/rug and makes it dry in about an hour. Another highly useful feature is the possibility of antibacterial cleaning which helps get rid of the nasty odors in your carpets with ease.

Combined with the mentioned technology, there is a HeatWave technology onboard, which gets you the option of hot water cleaning for some of those nastier stains.

Pros

  • You will find the additional gear that comes with this model extra-handy
  • There are also two separate sample detergents included inside the package
  • The model’s body is designed in such a way that you do not have to put a lot of muscle into cleaning

Cons

  • Even though the model provides a lot of cleaning power, you will have to take some time to get used to it
  • The deep clean mode can be a bit too aggressive, so caution is advised when using it

Read More: Bissell 1548 ProHeat Carpet Cleaner

4. Hoover Max Extract Carpet Cleaner

Hoover F7412900 Carpet CleanerAnother carpet cleaning form Hoover which got our attention with its wide variety of uses is the Max Extract model. As a member of the Hoover family, this unit also comes packed with SpinScrub technology to provide maximum cleaning power at your disposal. Though, this time the manufacturer provided another set of carpet-cleaning utility tools for you to consider.

The SpinScrub system with the counter-rotating brushes got an upgrade in the form of a SpinScrub handheld tool. This is a great advancement if deep cleaning hard-to-reach places is the task that you wish to accomplish. Combined with a powerful 12-amp electric motor, and a 20-foot long power cord, reaching hard spots will not be a problem while using this carpet cleaning unit.

Another well-designed feature that comes with this model is the WidePath nozzle, which as the name suggests, serves to easily cover a wider area with a single stroke of the cleaner. Hoover also put an extra brush in the five-brush system to make cleaning more effective.

Pros

  • WidePath system can sometimes halve the time you spend carpet cleaning
  • This model has an automatic detergent mixing module
  • The controls are ergonomically placed under your palm

Cons

  • While using the WidePath, due to the model’s lightweight body, you will have to put some muscle into the whole cleaning process

 

Read More: Hoover F7412900 Max Extract Carpet Cleaner

5. Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner and Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner

This combo unit comes from another highly-competitive carpet Rug Doctor Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner
cleaner manufacturer, Rug Doctor. As the name suggests, this company takes the job of carpet cleaning quite seriously and delivers on multiple battlefronts in tackling stains. This model is specialized in the ones made by animals.

This Rug Doctor cleaning unit is packed with a Dial Cross Action Brush system, consisting of two large brushes under the machine, designed to deep clean every side of carpet fibers and/or sturdier materials.

Another great feature this model offers is the Super Boost Spray function, which as the company suggests, is for high-traffic and heavily-soiled areas that need to be power-cleaned on a regular basis. And if you need to get to the hard-to-reach area, there is a mobile brush head provided for your convenience.

Pros

  • The extra-large water tank enables prolonged cleaning sessions
  • Rug Doctor stain removers work in synergy with this particular model
  • The long handle on top can be folded for the sake of easier storage

Cons

  • The carpet cleaner is not that easy to clean. If you have pets that shed a lot of hair, you might find this a nuisance

Read More: Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner and Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner

6. Bissell PowerLifter Carpet Cleaner

Another carpet cleaner worth mentioning is the model from Bissell 1622 Carpet Cleanerthe Bissell family. This ultra-light model (15 pounds) is a fast-cleaning tool highly-convenient for everyday use. Even though, as a younger brother to the other models, this unit is not as strong, it certainly makes cleaning practical on a daily basis.

The 4-row dual rotating DirtLifter power brushes allow you to get the stains out of the way with ease, with no need to go back to the same spot over and over again. To make things even better, you can use the hot tap water and enable deeper cleaning combined with the Bissell carpet cleaning formula (sample size provided with the purchase).

Additionally, making this carpet-cleaning unit more portable, the manufacturer included a 2-in-1 onboard tank system, to keep the dirty and clean water separate and easily disposable.

Pros

  • This model has a smaller frame and allows for some more complex maneuvers around the house
  • It is fairly easy to clean the brush and the tanks after use
  • The slim design allows you to store it almost anywhere

Cons

  • This particular model is intended for horizontal surfaces only. It does not come with a hose extension for other surface orientations

Read More: Bissell 1622 PowerLifter Carpet Cleaner

7. Hoover Max Extract Pro Carpet Deep Cleaner

One more carpet-cleaning unit from the Hoover company,Hoover FH50220 Carpet Cleaner but this time a more powerful one specialized for professional cleaning. This model combines several cleaning systems in a single unit, making cleaning jobs easier and more practical.

The crown feature of this Hoover unit is the pressurized edge-to-edge cleaning technology. The cleaner makes a wall of pressurized water strong enough to loosen and/or lift stubborn stains and make them disappear.

This unit also comes packed with SpinScrub technology and its 360 counter-spinning brushes, cleaning all sides equally. Additionally, the dirty and clean water tanks are completely separated and can be emptied one by one, which helps you clean at your own pace.

Pros

  • This model proved to be useful against older and more stubborn stains
  • The upholstery tool allows you to reach hard-to-reach places and clean them with the full potential this unit has to offer

Cons

  • The water reservoirs on this model, both for clean and dirty water, are smaller than average. So, a few additional trips to the sink may be necessary

Read More: Hoover FH50220 Max Extract Pro Carpet Deep Cleaner

8. Hoover Steam Vacuum and Carpet Cleaner

HOOVER F5914901NC Carpet CleanerAnother Hoover unit packed with a combination of tools and accessories to help you clean faster and with greater effectiveness. Being that Hoover is a major competitor in this industry, we expect no less than pure utility and great craftsmanship.

This easy home carpet cleaner has a SpinScrub 360 Brush system. It makes the brushes counter-rotate and scrubs all the angles in order to reach down and get through the stain better. If you need to attack a more sensitive one, or a different stain whatsoever, there is a 3-speed brush control. This enables you to go into 3 possible modes: high and normal for regular and more stubborn challenges, and low for gentle cleaning.

To make things even more effective, this unit has the option of heated cleaning, for quick-paced cleaning sessions that need to dry faster. And the CleanSurge control enables you to apply extra detergent from the detergent tank in order to tackle heavier stains and often-treaded areas.

Pros

  • The body of this particular model is lighter than average, making it extra easy to maneuver around the house.
  • The SpinScrub is a great addition for upholsteries and other textile surfaces

Cons

  • It will take you some time to master the CleanSurge mode of the unit
  • Some users report that the cleaner uses excessive amounts of detergent. Just take a moment or two to figure the system out, and this will not happen.

Read More:  Hoover F5914901NC Steam Vacuum and Carpet Cleaner

How Dirty Can a Carpet Be?

Well, we will start with a simple question – Do you actually know how dirty our carpets are? The answer will shock you. According to a study, more than 70 percent of people admit that they cover the stains on the carpet with furniture instead of cleaning them. Far from the eyes, far from the heart apparently also works in carpet cleaning. There are many types of dirt with serious consequences that can call your dirty carpet a home.

1. Mold

Mold is very dangerous and if you sense it, you should deal with it as soon as possible. Some compounds produced by mold are airborne and can cause serious issues. Some of them include difficulty in breathing, sinus infections, sore throat, migraines, bronchitis, even joint pain. Mold has a nasty odor, but these health concerns from mold spores are far greater than any bad fragrance.

2. Stomach Flu

Did you know that you can get the stomach flu from a dirty carpet? It is also quite common to get it this way. The so-called Norwalk virus, or Norovirus, that causes the stomach flu can survive on an uncleaned carpet for more than a month. And even the top-rated commercial vacuum cleaners can’t get it out.

3. More Bacteria

More BacteriaThat’s not the only virus or bacteria that you can get from a dirty carpet. Some of them are Campylobacter, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Enteritis. Stachybotrys Chartarum is a mold bacterium that prefers wet carpets, and whose toxins can cause lowered immunity and dermatitis.

MRSA, one of the toughest bacteria around can easily get inside your carpets. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, MRSA loves damp areas like gyms, locker rooms, hospitals. People can carry it for years, even if they are healthy. MRSA can become untreatable and even lead to death.

4. Bed Bugs

Yeah, bed bugs aren’t native only to beds, unfortunately. You can find them in the carpet fibers as well. But that is not all. Just one-bed bug can travel 100 feet to find a host and bite him. They usually go out at night, while everyone is asleep. The worse part is that they can feed on human and pet blood for 15 minutes before anybody realizes they have been bitten.

5. Dust

More than 2000 dust mites can be found on just one ounce of carpet. Indoor air quality control showed that there are twice as many pollutants and dust indoors than outdoors. Dust mites are bugs that love to eat dead skin cells that we shed in pounds during a year, and they prefer carpets for their nesting. When mixed with dust mite residue, some dust can be airborne and cause allergies. One carpet can have several pounds of dirt on it and under it.

How Do Carpet Cleaners Work?

They don’t – you have to work them. Joking aside, carpet cleaners have a way of functioning and perhaps it will be helpful to know how they make your carpets look brand new. Carpet cleaning falls under the extraction cleaning method, where a carpet cleaner extracts deeply embedded dirt and stains. Every carpet cleaner consists of:

1. Pump

All these carpet cleaners, use water, naturally. A pump on any carpet cleaner serves to pump out the water at a certain pressure. Depending on the level of strength of the unit, pressure output (measured in PSI) can range anywhere from 60 to 500 Pounds per Square Inch.

2. Vacuum

The vacuum part is responsible for extracting the dirt and the carpet cleaning solution from carpet fibers. There are several types of motors that run the vacuum, and some units have even up to three 2-stage motors. For the best results, buy a unit that has at least one 2-stage motor.

As a bonus, you can check our top-rated lightweight vacuum cleaner guide.

3. Airflow

Airflow is the number that describes the power of the vacuum. The larger the airflow, the larger the power of a carpet cleaner. The measurement for airflow called cubic feet per minute or shortly, CFM. Usually, carpet cleaners have 100 to 200 CFM.

4. Water Lift

The power of the carpet cleaner is also seen in the aptness of raising the dirt and extracting it. The water lift number actually describes the suction power of a carpet cleaner and can go anywhere from 100 to 250 inches.

5. Heating Unit

The heating unit heats the water in the rinse tank. Usually, good carpet cleaners can heat the entire rinse tank in under 3 minutes, to a temperature of up to 210 Fahrenheit degrees.

6. Cleaning Solution Tank

This is a tank with clean water where you dilute the cleaning solution.

7. Rinse Tank

Rinse tank is the tank that holds the dirty water and vacuumed particles. It’s also called a recovery tank.

Home Carpet Cleaner Buying Guide: How to Choose a Carpet Cleaner?

Rugs are wonderful inventions. If you ask your kids, they will even tell you that carpets and rugs are magical, and sometimes as hot as lava! Luckily, you know that it’s a great way for them to play with their toys and not catch a cold. Which is why it’s important to keep them clean.

If you thought that buying a carpet washer would be a simple task where you could go and just get one, you are mistaken. There are lots of things that you need to consider before buying the best carpet cleaner for your needs. We will address all of them in our carpet cleaning buying guide so that you don’t make a mistake and buy a unit that can’t satisfy your cleaning needs.

1. Carpet Size

Carpet size is the first thing you need to consider when making a purchasing decision. If you have hundreds of square feet under the carpets, you won’t get only the best portable carpet cleaners. Well, you can but you shouldn’t, at least. The trick is to choose the size of the tank that can best fit your needs. If you have a vast area to cover, you should select a larger tank.

Carpet cleaners that have smaller tanks will need refilling often, mixing cleaning agents over and over, and all the rinsing… You will have to stop your cleaning every once in a while to run to the sink. This way, you can clean the designated area with one go.

2. Storage Space

It’s not the same if you live in a tiny apartment or in a large house. Carpets still need cleaning, though. If you have smaller rug areas and limited storage space, you can always invest in compact units or even portable spot cleaners. If you have enough space, and plenty of areas to cover, you can choose bulkier units that come with all possible cleaning solutions in one machine.

3. Level of Stains

Carpet Cleaner ReviewsWell, this is a no-brainer. If you have heavily stained carpets that weren’t cleaned in ages, even the most professional carpet cleaner will have to struggle to get everything out. The hack is to invest in a good unit and use the best cleaning solutions for various needs. There are specially-designed cleaning agents for every type of stain out there.

Just remember that if you do have a heavily soiled carpet, you might have to clean it several times, and with several cleaning agents, to make sure it’s really clean. Buy the carpet cleaner according to your needs. If you just need a regular carpet cleaning now and then, any light and the medium unit will do the job well.

4. Type of Stains

There are different types of stains, and not all carpet cleaners are equipped to deal with all of them. Pet odor and urine, children’s mess around the house, spilled food or wine, mud, regular dirt… There are so many types of stains, so you should choose a unit that can clean all of yours.

5. Ease of Use

Some of the carpet washers are built like spaceships, and you might feel like you need an astrophysics degree just to operate one. Some are so simple that they only have an on/off button. Cleaning your carpets is a nuisance, a necessary evil that nobody actually likes doing but it needs to be done.

Adding over-complicated attachments, buttons and unnecessary options to the whole ordeal doesn’t seem like a good idea. Especially if you need a simple carpet cleaning unit. To make your carpet cleaning as smooth and easy as possible, try to select the unit that can easily clean in multiple directions.

6. Pets

We adore them, but pets can get quite messy. You can’t really explain to your dog not to track mud from the backyard on your beige carpets. There is the fact that most pets shed, including the hair and the pet dander. No issue there – even we shed a lot. But somebody needs to clean that.

There are specially designed carpet cleaners that have special filters in place so that they can tackle the dirt and hair.

If you have pets, you should definitely invest in these specialized pet carpet cleaners because using a regular carpet cleaner with parts that can get easily clogged with pet hair is a disaster. You will get friendly with the people in the repair center, which isn’t something you should strive for if it can be avoided.

Buying a carpet cleaner that cleans pet stains also means it is a high-quality unit that can remove the majority of all other types of stains. These units are durable. You can also invest in any efficient professional cleaner, they also have enough power to deal with pet stains.

7. Children

Carpet Cleaner ReviewsNo need to speak about the love we have for children, but boy do they make a mess! Spilled food and beverages from falsely advertised spill-free sippy cups, snacking, water coloring on the carpets, crayon art… The list goes on and on, including the number of accidents in just one week.

The efficient carpet cleaner should be right there on the list of things you need to buy when the baby arrives because it’s best to treat the stains as soon as they are made. Not to mention the fact when kids start crawling around the house and playing on the carpets – you want those areas squeaky clean. Don’t worry about the chemical cleaners, if you keep your rugs clean, you can use 100% natural cleaning solutions that aren’t toxic for kids, or just use hot water carpet cleaners.

8. Weight

As you can see from our top-rated commercial carpet cleaners list, those aren’t lightweight. If you don’t want to lug around dozens of pounds just to get your carpets cleaned, there are more portable units and some spot cleaner tools that weigh under 10 pounds. Of course, you can still get a regular cleaner that weighs around 15 – 20 pounds, and it will get the carpet cleaning job done up to your standards. Power comes with weight – just keep that in mind when trying to decide which unit you want to buy.

How To Use a Carpet Cleaner?

Okay, we understand how this sounds, but there’s more to carpet cleaning then just turning the cleaner on and starting the ordeal. Well, that is an option too, but if you want to make the most of the carpet cleaning, and do it as soon as possible with the most satisfactory results, then keep reading to find out all the steps.

Step 1 – Vacuum

You should prepare your rug for cleaning by vacuuming the entire area, twice if need be. If you administer a cleaning solution on the dirty surface, it will stick to the dust particles and won’t treat the carpet, so it won’t clean it. Remove all the dust and clumps the best you can, so that the next steps can be easily completed.

Step 2 – Dampen the Surface

Most carpet cleaners will have two (or more) modes – the rinse mode and the wash mode. They can be named differently from unit to unit, but the end result is the same. One mode uses only water, and the other also apply the carpet cleaning shampoo.

In this step, you need to dampen the rug area with the rinse mode.

Step 3 – Pre-treating the Stains

If there are some exceptionally hard stains, you should pre-treat them with spot cleaning solution. Enzyme cleaning carpet shampoos can be diluted in water and applied to the stains. They break the bonds of dirt particles and dissolve them over time. Sometimes it would be best to leave the solution over-night to settle in and work its magic.

Step 4 – Washing the rug

Washing The RugWhether you pre-treat the stains or not, you should carry on with washing the carpet. There are generally two types of carpet cleaning solutions – enzyme ones and regular shampoos. If you have a regular carpet shampoo, you can clean it almost immediately after you apply it. The enzyme shampoos, as we said above, need time to break up the dirt so you should let them set before you wash them away.

Some people let a couple of days pass before rinsing the enzyme shampoo. It all depends on how soiled the rug is. Some urine removers and deodorizers and heavily soiled areas need to be treated several times. If you have just a “regular” dirty carpet, letting the enzymes work overnight will be enough.

After letting the shampoo set, simply rinse the carpet. Make sure to rinse it well because if you leave the shampoo residue on carpet fibers, it will attract clumps of dirt so your carpets truly can get dirty much faster after the cleaning. When in doubt, go over the area with the carpet washer twice.

Step 5 – Don’t Forget to Ventilate

Ventilation is crucial, especially when it comes to enzyme solutions. If you have heavily stained areas that smell bad and use an enzyme cleaner, things will get a lot worse before they get better. You need to ventilate the area for several reasons – first is to make the smell endurable if it’s a room that you have to use until you clean it.

Secondly, your rugs will dry faster in ventilated rooms. Also, even if it’s not an enzyme cleaner, even regular shampoos can have a strong scent, especially if you use more cleaning solution than necessary. You can use fans if you have them. Some of the carpet cleaners also have a dry heat feature to help speed up the process of drying.

Step 6 – Vacuum Again

When they are wet, and during the drying process, particles can get stuck to the carpet surface, so after the rug has been properly dried, you can run the vacuum again to pick up any leftover dry dirt and particles.

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Carpet Cleaners

1. Should I rent or buy a carpet cleaner?

It depends on your needs and whether you are willing to clean your carpets. It’s easier to just pay the professionals to get the job done, but it’s also quite costly. You should do it at least once a year to extend the lifetime of your carpets, hold the warranty and generally, have super-clean and bacteria-free rugs.

It is much more cost-efficient to buy your own unit than to rent it every time. Also, accidents happen, which is especially true if you have kids, pets or both. If you have a carpet cleaner on hand, you can easily remove the stain as soon as it occurs, so there’s no permanent damage to your carpet fibers. It’s always better to have your own carpet cleaner than rent it.

2. Can I get a headache from cleaning solutions?

Can I Get a Headache From Cleaning SolutionsThis is a tricky question. Yes, even if the product is all-natural, it can cause a headache. But that is because any strong scent can cause one if you are overly exposed to it. Even if the fragrance is beautiful. The thing is, the brain and senses work differently. After 15 minutes, your senses will stop noticing the fragrance, whether it’s good or bad. You will get used to it. So that means that you can spend hours cleaning a carpet with heavy fragrances and not notice it at all.

That is why you should keep the rooms aerated, especially during the cleaning.

3. Can I use heated water on all carpets?

No, each carpet material has a label where you can read how to use it and clean it. For example, wool carpets can shrink if you use hot water instead of cold water on them. Generally, natural fibers tend to shrink under hot water.

4. How to select the best carpet cleaning shampoo?

There are several types of top-rated carpet shampoos and solutions. There isn’t the best one, but there are some that are better at removing certain types of stains. Shampoos and solutions for cleaning pet urine and odors are naturally best for those types of stains.

Hot water with a solution is great for removing ink, ketchup, coffee, and wine. Some cleaners work best on greasy and oily stains. Baking-soda powders are great deodorizers that lift the dirt and odors, clump around them, so you can remove it with a regular vacuum.

We have a guide for buying carpet cleaning shampoos for various stains and needs right here.

5. Is there a difference between a carpet cleaner and a steam cleaner?

Yes, and it’s quite simple. Steam cleaners dampen the surface and clean the area with hot steam, but in terms of carpet cleaning, steam cleaners are quite ineffective. They use dry vapor, and carpet cleaners can use hot water, but mostly they rinse the cleaning solutions and extract the dirt from the carpet fibers.

Steam carpet cleaners usually have a wand hose attachment. Regular carpet cleaners cover a larger surface at one go and are generally the units that you have to push and pull over surfaces.

6. How often should you clean your carpets?

If we are talking about cleaning, once or twice per week is enough to keep the home clean and get rid of most of the dirt. If you have a heavily soiled area, you should vacuum anywhere from two to seven times per week. Carpet cleaning frequency depends on environmental factors.

When speaking about carpet cleaning and carpet washing, it also depends on the type of dirt, the level of stains and their severity. For generally clean-looking rug with perhaps some light soils, you should clean the heavily-used area at least once per year. If it’s a medium soiled rug, you can clean it every 6 months to keep it fresh and good looking. If you have a heavily soiled carpet, you can clean it every 3 months.

Some people just get their carpets dirtier than others. This is especially true if you have pets, children, lots of people in the household, or guests even. Carpets get dirtier if you walk with your outdoor footwear inside, as well.

7. How long does it take for carpets to dry?

Well, it all depends, but if you ask people who had their carpets washed, they would say it takes ages. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make your carpets dry faster. If your carpet cleaner has that option, you can vacuum it with dry air. You can also turn all ceiling fans above the cleaned surfaces if you have them. Keep the areas well ventilated to shorten the drying.

Also, you can be careful about cleaning and washing. Using too much of a cleaning product can prolong the drying later. Follow the label instructions. You can also vacuum with the PSI level turned to the maximum, which will lift and dry the surfaces in the process.

Wrap Up

There are plenty of things, dead and alive, that could be living in your rugs. According to a microbiologist study, a rug can be 4,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat! When you consider how dirty your rugs can be, the best thing to do is invest in a carpet cleaning unit. You can make sure that your carpets are fresh and clean, and allergen-free. With our home carpet cleaner reviews, you can easily select the best unit.

We have chosen some of the best units on the market to find the best home carpet cleaner so that you don’t have to waste time on research. If you have any questions that we haven’t answered in our FAQ section above, feel free to write them in the comments below. And happy carpet cleaner hunting!

If you still have some time, you can also check our steam mop reviews.

About Joseph Hughes

Joseph Hughes works as a hotel manager, orchestrating a whole crew of people in charge of things like maintenance, restocking, and cleaning. Along the way, he learned that clean floors play a crucial role in first impressions. He decided to make this library of blogs and guides and help out anyone that cares about floor cleanliness – from homeowners to cleaning crews.

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