If you are shopping for a carpet steam cleaner or carpet shampooer you may be needing to make the choice as to what kind of machine you need. The quick and easy answer is that it will depend in part on what you need to clean.

Both types of machine will be likely to achieve basic cleaning but they each have their pros and their cons. These are likely to affect your choice.

Some kinds of fabric that are used for both carpets and soft furnishings can suffer from damage from the high heat of a steam cleaner. They may shrink or the fibers start to twist, ultimately affecting the final result and maybe spoiling the look of the fabric.

In this case a shampooer may be preferable, as the temperatures involved are lower. Yet these too have their drawbacks-they often take longer for the cleaned item to dry. This can lead to fungal growth in the fabric.

On the plus side, a steam cleaner is going to be better placed for the removal of bacterial and viral contaminants, and since bacteria are most frequently the cause of odors, removing them leaves the carpets fresh and clean. They are also well placed to remove allergens from your soft furnishings and the cleaned fabrics may be quicker drying than shampooed items. This would mean that they can go back into use more quickly.

Often both steam and shampoo carpet cleaners will require some kind of cleaning chemical to be used during the cleaning, and the steam cleaner in fact may need to first use a cleaner and then a second chemical to neutralise the first.

A hoover carpet steam cleaner may be the answer to your storage issues. Both steam cleaners and vacuums are large items that require space for storage, so having a two in one can help to reduce the needed space. The steam cleaner itself it not suitable for every day use as the carpets would be kept too damp, too often, and mildew and fungal growth may be the result. A vacuum unit that can be used without the steam in operation can overcome his risk.

Even the best carpet steam cleaner needs to be used with caution because of the high temperatures involved, as this can obviously present a risk to both the operator, as well as any children or pets that may be present in the house at the time. But when used carefully and according to the instructions provided, they should provide a safe solution to the cleaning needs of your carpets.