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Anyone who has carpet in their home knows that there are times when a simple vacuuming will not be enough to clean the carpet. Spills and stains, pets, children, and just normal traffic lead to a buildup of dirt and debris that are not always going to be picked up by a vacuum. Professional carpet cleaners can be called, but unless one only wants to clean the carpet thoroughly once or twice a year, shopping for carpet shampooers usually leads to saving money. Here are some features to look for in a home rug cleaner.
One of the first features one should consider is whether the machine is free standing or must be attached to a source of water, such as a sink faucet. Free standing machines are much more versatile and can be used in areas of the home that do not have easy access to the water supply. In addition, they do not have the tangle of hoses one must contend with while attempting to use the shampooer.
A good carpet cleaner will have two separate tanks onboard, one for clean water and solution and one to catch the dirty water picked up out of the carpet. Most people recommend purchasing a model with two large tanks to eliminate the need to frequently stop and empty the dirty tank and fill the clean one. The truth is that the size and strength of the person using the machine should be considered and the tank size should not exceed what can be handled easily.
Some rug shampooers simply start pumping out cleaning solution as soon as they are turned on. Others have a trigger or lever that the operator can use to control the application of the cleaning fluid. These are probably a better choice because there are likely to be places in the carpet that require additional treatment with the cleaner and others that do not require much at all to achieve the same level of clean.
Another consideration that comes to mind is the ability to use attachments for cleaning drapes and furniture. After all, not all spills hit the floor. Many steam cleaners and carpet shampooers are sold with an array of attachments that can be used. Some are sold as “attachment ready” with the option of purchasing attachments separately as needed.
How often one intends to use the device should also be considered. This is because some have fixed brushes that can be used to scrub problem areas and others have rotating brushes that are always moving as long as the power is on to the machine. If one is only going to use it two or three times a year, the rotating brushes can be quite handy.
However, if one likes to thoroughly shampoo the carpet at least once a month to every other month, rotating brushes increase the wear on the carpet and could cause it to wear out and need replacing sooner. If one is going to use the device frequently, the fixed brush is the better option.
Finding a carpet shampooer with the desired features is not terribly difficult and will normally save one money compared to the cost of hiring professional cleaning services.