If you are the owner of a carpet cleaner you will have to consider from time to time what carpet shampoo you are going to buy. Your choices fall into two basic categories-cheaper generic carpet shampoos and the more expensive brand name solutions that are on offer.

The majority of carpet shampoo machines will come with recommendations from the manufacturer as to what shampoo you should use in them. This is only in part in the hopes of keeping your future business-as some shampoos may contain substances that could cause damage to the machine and thus choosing the recommended shampoos may extend the life of your cleaning machine.

In particular the plastic components of the machine may be damaged by certain solutions. Those containing citrus extracts in particular may cause pitting in the plastic which ultimately can lead to the cracking of the components and thus the failure of your cleaner in a far shorter time than it’s expected lifespan.

Depending upon your requirements and the level of the soiling of your carpet, the generic solutions may work perfectly well. Given the cost savings that may be available you may find that this is enough of a reason to buy them. Pre-cleaning solutions may boost the effectiveness of your shampoo when directly applied to any stains that you are wanting to remove, and again these may be generic or brand name.

The brand name solutions on the other hand are designed to work well with the machines that they are recommended for and they will not cause any damage to the machine. They may also have other features such as the ability to neutralise pet urine and other specific odors, or be effective at removing allergens from your carpets.

Bissell carpet shampoo, whilst a little more costly than the generic solutions, is a very effective shampoo. It leaves carpets clean and smelling fresh and when used at the proper dilution there is no need to rinse, yet it does not leave carpets tacky.

There are a range of different fragrances available that give you a choice above and beyond the basic shampoo. Bissell carpet shampoo is also available with Scotchguard, which protects your carpet and makes the removal of any future stains far easier by coating the carpet fibers.

Similar solutions for the same machines may also be available that are for cleaning hard floors, and though similar to carpet shampoos they are not suited for carpet use.