These machines are an gentle and cost - effective DIY rug cleansing choice .

Jason Donnelly

Vacuuming on a regular basis is the best style tokeep carpet looking and reek reinvigorated , but even the most diligently cared for carpet needs to be deep houseclean from time to time to remove deep implant soils that bring a dingy visual aspect and stale smell to the home . Experts recommend deep cleansing carpeting a lower limit of twice a year , and more frequently in domicile where there are children or darling .

Using a carpet cleaner on a carpet alongside a bucket nearby

Credit:Jason Donnelly

While you may engage professionals to come to your plate to clean carpets , doing it yourself is an easy and cheap task . This scout excuse how to use vertical and portable carpet cleaner toremove stainsand give carpet a deep cleaning .

How Do Carpet Cleaners Work?

Carpet cleaners work by forcing cleaning solution and water into the fibers of the carpet , then usingvacuum suctionto pull out them back out . After the cleaning solution has been introduced to the rug , the cleaner ’s brush promontory agitates and scrubs the fibers to loosen smirch , dirt , pollen , hackles , and other environmental dirt that establish up in carpet over time , produce a disconsolate visual aspect and less - than - novel olfactory perception . During the descent cycle , loosened filth are get out from the carpet along with the cleaning solvent .

Carpet cleaning machines are also called carpeting extractors , rug shampooers , and carpet steamship . However , while some carpeting - cleaning car have a heating component , carpet cleaners do notuse steam to clean house , as steam is not safe for all materials and can make permanent damage to carpet and upholstery if used incorrectly . ( Truesteam cleanersshould only be used on sealed types of gruelling flooring , like roofing tile or lifelike stone . )

Upright , or walk - behind , carpet dry cleaners offer the most efficiency when it amount to clean gravid areas , but they are bulky and heavy , produce them more difficult to store and operate . Portable carpet cleaners , include minuscule handheld model , are lightweight and compact , but cover less area in each pass , get them more time- and labor - intensive to use than their unsloped counterparts . Most machine come with attachments that allow them to be used on other soft surfaces , likeupholstered furniture , mattress , or curtain .

Person using a cordless carpet cleaner on a carpeted floor

Credit:Jason Donnelly

How to Use a Carpet Cleaner

Before using any type of carpet cleaner , whether it ’s a cordless hand-held simulation , a twilled portable model , or an upright theoretical account , it ’s authoritative to consult the manufacturer ’s instructions for your finicky automobile . Cleaning answer , and their amounts and proportion , can deviate widely from machine to machine , and wrong usage can get irreversible damage to carpets and piece of furniture .

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

Prepare the Room

For the best effect , remove piece of furniture and other object , like houseplants or floor lamp , from the room before deep clean house the carpeting . If there is furniture that can not be moved , work cautiously around it to avoid call off or otherwise damaging it .

Vacuum Carpet

Vacuum the carpet to remove as much on the loose soil and debris as possible before begin the cryptical cleaning . As you vacuum , make note of any turgid or particularly deep brand and , if ask , use a rug grunge - removing productto pretreat the stains .

Prepare Cleaning Solution

It is critical to habituate only the recommended amount of cleaner to invalidate damage both the carpet and the simple machine .

Choose Setting

Plug the machine in . If the poser you ’re using has preferences for light , normal , or rich cleaning , choose the one that ’s appropriate for the problem . If unsure , start with the lightest mise en scene and adjust as involve as you scavenge . Turn on the powerfulness transposition .

Release Cleaning Solution

Hold the gun trigger to free the cleansing root into the rug . lick in a straight line , make one slow pass forward and back over the rug .

Suction Up Dirt and Solution

After making one full straits forward and slow-witted , release the trigger and make another straits over the expanse to take out out the dirty cleanup solvent . keep an eye on the armoured combat vehicle , reiterate until the liquid come out of the carpeting is clean , indicating that all the embedded dirt have been take out .

Give Carpet Several Dry Passes

Once you ’re slaked that the discussion section of carpeting is exhaustively clean-living , go back over it using the suction set up to extract as much water as possible from the fibers . This will help belt along up drying time andprevent mould and mildewfrom grow . Watch the weewee storage tank — when you point out that no more water is being pulled from the carpet , move to the next section .

Empty Water Tank

Working in sections , continue cleaning the carpet until the water tank is full . Once filled , empty the dirty urine from the tank . replenish the tank with fresh cleaning solution , as necessitate , following the command in step 4 .

Perform Detail Work

Some carpet cleansing machine come with attachment for detail work , like clean house stairs or tight corner . Detail work is considerably perform after cleaning the expectant areas . Consult the manufacturer ’s instructions for the right attachments and options to apply for particular work .

Allow Carpet to Dry Completely

Even after using a carpet cleansing auto to pull water , the carpet will rest damp after cleaning . grant carpeting to dry out completely before returning furniture to its original office or walking on it .

When cleanse extremely traffic rooms , take dry prison term into consideration . It can take up to 24 hours for a carpet to dry completely after being shampooed . Setting up fans to blow on the rug can help to speed up dry time , and is specially recommend in damp or humid climates .

Renting vs. Buying a Carpet Cleaner

In the United States , Rug Doctor is the most unremarkably available rental option for carpet cleaners ; you could research for rental location nearest you on Rug Doctor ’s website . Renting a rug cleaner will typically cost between $ 30 and $ 50 for a 24 - hour period , depend on the model you choose . with child dryers , which can help to hie up drying time aftercleaning carpet , are also available to lease .

rent a carpet cleanup machine is a practiced idea for multitude toy with purchasing one ; it ’s a relatively inexpensive way to try out it out to see if you like it and determine if the unclouded it provides merits a full-grown investiture .

Pouring solution into a carpet cleaner water tank

Credit:Jason Donnelly

Close-up of a carpet cleaner machine displaying the wash and dry settings

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Close-up of a carpet cleaner on a carpet

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A person pouring liquid from a container into a white bucket placed on a carpeted floor, demonstrating cleaning preparation

Credit:Jason Donnelly

Carpet cleaning using a cleaning device near a baseboard

Credit:Jason Donnelly