Hi there, just looking for some advice on carpet cleaning  ie is it worth it?

We usually have all wooden floors with the dogs but just moved and cant afford it yet, the stairs and landing carpet is flipping cream!! so as you can imagine is looking pretty grim and there are a couple of wee stains on it, will these come out with a carpet cleaner???

I am better getting a proper carpet cleaning co out or are the ones you hire yourself good enough?

i seem to remember years ago we had carpet and hired one of those, when it was first cleaned came up good but after a week the stains re appeared!! is this what happens?

Any idea what price I can expect to pay pls?  I am putting a gate on stairs next week so dogs wont be coming up to mess up again (unless they are 100% dry)

many thanks

This is a good product that works really well.  Always use the Bissell shampoo as it's got Scotchguard in it and helps to keep the carpet clean.

http://www.bisselldirect.co.uk/product/103

Personally I'd always get a proper carpet cleaning firm out.
Most cleaners you buy or hire just aren't powerful enough. They simply push water and the cleaning solution into the carpet but aren't then strong or powerful enough to remove enough fluid. The carpet remains damp for too long and the shampoo leaves a sticky residue. That's why carpets appear dirty again not long afterwards, the dust and grime simply sticks to it.
If anybody ever says to you that their carpet cleaner is great and they use it all the time then their carpet cleaner isn't that great at all.......it's because of it that they have to keep cleaning the carpet !.
Also, as long as you check beforehand, most prefessional firms will have insurance to cover damage. Old carpets and some really cheap ones don't always respond well to cleaning.

> If anybody ever says to you that their carpet cleaner is great and they use it all the time then their carpet cleaner isn't that great at all.......it's because of it that they have to keep cleaning the carpet !.
>

I think most dog owners clean the carpet often because dogs make carpets 'smelly' more than 'dirty'  :) :)

If you search steam cleaners, the post where I asked the same question will come up.  I've just bought a Vax dual V thingy (can't remember the model no) and it's fab!!  It dries brilliantly so the carpet is barely damp when you've finished!

I decided to buy my own because I've got a leaky oldie so getting someone in every time it needed cleaning would have cost me a fortune. It was worth every penny!

paula

> I think most dog owners clean the carpet often because dogs make carpets 'smelly' more than 'dirty'  :-) :-)

Oh if only... my carpets are definitely dirty!!

I am a fan of the rug doctor myself, not actually used one personally yet but we hired one for work a while back (dark beige office carpets that were literally black from dirt and oil from the warehouse, not to mention spilt tea and coffee) and it was fantastic.  I will be hiring one soon for here - I would much, much rather spend the money on vinyl flooring but I can't afford to.

Oh, and for individual stains I heartily recommend good old 1001 stain remover - it comes with a scrubber on top of the can, and is absolutely brilliant stuff!

So how much do you think Ill have to pay for a professional carpet cleaner to do the stairs and landing? rough idea?

Thanks everyone for your replies, im still unsure though what to do

I have a vax and first I thought it was good but after 6 months a big blue spark appeared from the rear and the brushes failed to turn. Vax repaired foc and I have it back and noticed the plastic trigger now has a rubber coating over it. It does work but it does leave chemicals on your carpet even if you set it to rinse only.
Where I work at a care home they use a rug doctor which is ok but some stains still remain. It does a better job than the Vax and so it should as its twice the cost.
I've also got a Polti steam cleaner which is great for getting top dirt out of carpets but not deep down. What it does is kill bugs due to temperature.

Paddington Bear
What they charge, in my experience, will depend on the area to be cleaned.  I have used Chemdry in the past and they have been VERY good ...........moving all the furniture themselves and then replacing - I just go out for 4 hours with the dogs and leave them to it.

I have however recently purchased my own cleaner;  after the first use I thought it was CRAP.  However, it was pointed out to me that most people (myself included!) are not patient enough and use them far too quickly.  I have subsequently found it to be VERY good,  but God it's boring going at a snails pace!  :-( 

Chemdry is the company I know most about. Years ago my brother worked for them and knows a fair bit about cleaning carpets. They shoudl have full insurance cover as well.

I think I pay around £15 a room but he usually knocks a bit off if I get a few done.

Oh thats not bad, Ill see if theres a chemdry in my area to come and do it then, would imagine I would struggle to do stairs with a machine myself!

Thanks all!

My daughter had a carpet cleaning company in and it still looked dirty as far as I was concerned.  I bought a Bissell and cleaned again and was very pleased with it.  I worked hard on spot cleaning - my granddaughter had spread the red wax covering of Babybels everywhere!  However my experience of using it is that it freshens up the pile and makes the carpet look really clean.  After a bit of wear it flattens and the stains show up again.  That is not to say that it doesn't get a lot of dirt out of the carpet - it does.  I would never go back to using those great heavy things you hire.