I am getting tired of paying to get my carpet cleaned. Also, they usually have to come back because they either missed a spot or the carpet didn't look clean after it had dried and I could really inspect it. Keep in mind that I am in no way picky or a clean freak but I do want to be able to tell I have had the carpet cleaned.

Does anyone have a steam carpet cleaner they really like and think does a real good job. There are only two of us here but we do live in the country and leaves, dirt and debris can be a problem. By the way, I have what is called a "twist" or I believe it may be called frieze carpet.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

i have the same problem! i cant tell if my has been cleaned either! my daughter has asmatha so its really important! ima bout ready to pull it up and lay some tile down!

I used to have the same problem. I even bought two different home steam cleaners and didn't like them much. We pulled it all out and put in wood floors. It was the best decision ever. So much easier to clean!

My carpet is only one year old so I can't really afford to do that plus I like cozy in my living area as well as our bedroom. We have brick pavers in our kitchen/dining room, hallways and bathrooms. We like them very much. We do have somewhat of a problem in that our house is on a conventional foundation and the soil is clay which is not very stable. We are constantly fixing crack here and there and our floors are not the most level you can find. I am really surprised the brick pavers have not cracked. I do find a hairline crack every once-in-a-while but they are not noticeable to others - just me and my husband.

I do hope I can find a good steam carpet cleaner and may have t consider wood or something else in the future.

I use a Bissell Pro Heat. It does a pretty good job and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I have an older Bissell model and absolutely LOVE it. with 2 dogs, a husband who works on cars, and a 2 year old, my carpet almost always needs cleaned. This machine has been a real workhorse.

Rose Hall

Yep, with the recent carpet investment you really can't pull it up and who knows how wood would do with the clay soil problem. It sounds like your best bet is to keep seeking out carpet cleaner advice. Maybe a few throw rugs and/or runners that could be picked up and washed in a big washer would stretch your time between cleanings.

I have used several steam cleaners... find one that keeps the water heated and has good brushes. I find that after using the cleaning solution, going back over the carpet with just a hot water rinse keeps the carpets cleaner. The cleaning solution leaves a slight tacky residue that dirt will cling to.
Also if you have your own cleaner, you can hit those high traffic areas more often and it is easier to keep them looking nice. I would clean them a couple of times a month at my mom's, as they have clay soil there too. Sometimes spraying a pre-treater and letting it sit helps a lot. Not to mention being able to clean up spills as they happen is great!!!

With 3 boys, and W/W throughout the house, I bought a steam cleaner. As amma says...if you have one in the house, you can hit the high traffic areas, or clean one room at a time, instead of feeling like you have to work yourself to death doing the whole house because you only have a rental for X # hours.

This is the Bissell cleaner we purchased from Costco and it includes free shipping. It works great and dries really fast. We love being able to pull it out of the closet as needed.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...&search=carpet cleaner&Mo=5&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=m ode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogNa me:BC&Ne=4000000&D=carpet cleaner&Ntt=carpet cleaner&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav =&s=1

I have a hoover deep clean that is several years old and like it alot. I also have a frieze carpet and it cleans it really well. I just make sure I make slow passes. :D

Thanks. That looks real interesting. I have been thinking about joining Costco and this just may make me take the plunge.

Bed. Bath & Beyond has them also, and they send out the 20% off coupons often. I know because I have been watching the price carefully.

I have had a Hoover steam carpet cleaner for several years, used by my kids and myself....every other time I just use the hot water to clean the carpet and that works well. Check out Amazon.com for them also.

I have the Bissel Pro. Love it. Even tho I only have area rugs, it still gets used every other month. One way we learned to keep the carpet cleaner was to make sure shoes came off at the door. That means EVERYONE!! Doesn't matter if it's a handyman, deliveryman or guests. If they don't want to walk barefoot or in their socks, I have slippers they can use. They can take them home afterwards if they'd like too! :)
That seemed to cut down alot on the dirt being trafficked in.

I have a Hoover Steam Vac. I love it! I had problems with soil coming to the top of the carpet as it dried. It left horrible spots. My parents got the Hoover Steam Vac and were really impressed with it. So, I thought I would get one. Glad I did. Does a great job, doesn't soak the carpet, and dries quickly. We have two dogs and a cat that are in and out all the time. So I use the cleaner about every other month. Paid around $136.00 from Walmart.
Christine

You can also go to your local public library and check Consumer Reports magazine. This magazine evaluates all kinds of appliances, cars, computers, etc. They do not accept advertising which allows them to remain unbiased.
Rose Hall (the librarian)

Glad someone asked the question. We recently had medium beige vinyl flooring installed in our kitchen and dining room and it makes the living room medium brown carpeting look really dingy. Like some of you gals I found that having someone clean my carpets is costly and they don't always a good job. I remember Helosie, the orginal one, advising that you should go over a cleaned carpet with clear water to pull up the cleaning solution residue.

We have a light Pergo floor in our TV room, very nice, easy to keep clean but there is always a few crumbs or stuff on the floors - you know the stuff that used to be hiding in the carpets that used to be in that room. Same problem with the new vinyl flooring. It's just DH and me so every day or so I go over the floors with one of swifter thinges. Sometimes I use a wet pad, other times a dry or attach a piece of old toweling to pick up the littlel crumbs, dust, etc. So far it's working out very nicely. May in Jersey

I have a Bissell Pro Heat 2x and love it. This is my second Bissell I wore the other one out after having it for 14 years. I shampoo my carpets every 6 months and my mother in laws too.

I love the Bissell it works great. Worth every penny paid for.

I have a Hoover Steam Vac and I really like it. Easy to use. It is probably about 15 years old and has many times over paid for itself.

What is good too is...some even have an attachment to scrub the floors! :)