Have the stains on your carpet finally gotten to you? But do you dread the inconvenience and expense of professional carpet cleaning?  There’s an answer that makes a lot of sense for most homeowners.  The product that we are speaking about is a carpet shampooer.   Home carpet shampooers have become less expensive and easier to use in the past few years, and come with many features and options. More basic models can be purchased for under $100, while larger models will cost $200 and above.
An important note to remember is  that the best carpet shampooer will spray a cleaning solution onto the carpet, work it in with its brushes, and then suck up or extract the dirty water into an onboard reservoir. Sometimes a carpet shampooer requires an attachment to a faucet through a hose. These models are not ideal though, and will have limited range and are usually less convenient to use. Also, they can produce a mess if the hose becomes unattached or even wriggles loose during use.

Most home shampooers today have an onboard water receptacle, which is much more convenient than a hose and can easily be used everywhere in a house. Some models will heat the water internally, others must be filled with hot water from the tap. In either case, look for a large water receptacle and a large tank to hold the extracted, dirty water. Much of the work in shampooing your carpets is in emptying the dirty water and refilling the clean water tank.  In fact I’d say that 40-50% of your time is in carrying this water receptacle back and forth for refills.
The brushes on a carpet shampooer can be either rotating or fixed. Fixed brushes are said to be easier on the nap of the carpet, while rotating brushes clean deeper into the pile. When you compare carpet shampooers your ultimate choice should depend on how often you plan to clean your carpets. If you will shampoo the carpets only once or twice a year, rotating brushes may be best. If you will use your shampooer more frequently, fixed brushes may be the way to go.
Some carpet shampooers have special attachments for use on stairs or confined spaces, and some can be used on upholstery as well as carpets. Hoover carpet shampooers are a good brand that usually comes with many accessories and attachments right out of the box, and they have worked well for me personally in the past.   The bottom line though, is not to focus on only a brand name.  Make sure to look for the features that are most important to you. Some models feature onboard storage of attachments as well, which can be a convenient way of keeping all your tools in one place.
When using your carpet shampooer, the most important rule is to spend enough time extracting the dirty water. There is no point in loosening the dirt and bringing it to the surface, which is what the cleaning solution and brushes do, if the dirt is then left on the carpet. Extract thoroughly, and don’t forget the carpet edges near the wall, for a really clean carpet!

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