home carpet steam cleaners

[john]

Hi,

I saw it's possible to buy a steam cleaner for home and they are relatively
cheap. Anyone have one? how do they compare to getting it professionally
done?

John

[Vox Humana]

"john" <d@tle65.com> wrote in message
news:7hpQb.9742$JL4.78831@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> Hi,
>
> I saw it's possible to buy a steam cleaner for home and they are
relatively
> cheap. Anyone have one? how do they compare to getting it professionally
> done?

I have owned a Hoover Steam Vac for several years. It does a fairly good
job and is especially handy for quickly removing spills and cleaning high
traffic areas. It leaves the carpet more damp than a professional cleaner.
I would say that professional cleaners are the best, but often you end up
with a couple of kids trying to rush through your cleaning job so they can
get on to the next. The units that you can rent like the Rug Doctor are
also pretty good. Because you are doing the job yourself, what they may
lack in power is made-up by taking your time to do a good job. I see the
home cleaners as an way to keep your carpet clean between major cleaning.
One thing that I noticed is that they leave a lot of solution in the rug. I
believe that over time, this soap residue attracts more dirt and perpetuates
a cycle that requires more frequent cleaning. There is at least one model
available that has a rinse cycle, so I would consider that one. I would say
that home carpet cleaners are an adjunct to regular thorough cleaning, not a
substitute.

[FH]

> I have owned a Hoover Steam Vac for several years. It does a fairly good
> job and is especially handy for quickly removing spills and cleaning high
> traffic areas. It leaves the carpet more damp than a professional
cleaner.
> I would say that professional cleaners are the best, but often you end up
> with a couple of kids trying to rush through your cleaning job so they can
> get on to the next. The units that you can rent like the Rug Doctor are
> also pretty good. Because you are doing the job yourself, what they may
> lack in power is made-up by taking your time to do a good job. I see the
> home cleaners as an way to keep your carpet clean between major cleaning.
> One thing that I noticed is that they leave a lot of solution in the rug.
I
> believe that over time, this soap residue attracts more dirt and
perpetuates
> a cycle that requires more frequent cleaning. There is at least one model
> available that has a rinse cycle, so I would consider that one. I would
say
> that home carpet cleaners are an adjunct to regular thorough cleaning, not
a
> substitute.
>
>

yer right on that Vox.... if yer gonna use a rental or buy a machine, i
suggest the following to keep it from resoiling so soon.

1. get a pump up sprayer at your local hardware store and put your cleaning
solution in it...
2. pre-spray the carpet with your cleaner first and allow it to dwell for
about 15-20 mins to allow it to do it's work breaking up the soil as much as
it can.
3. when using your steam cleaning machine, put water ONLY in it. NO cleaner!
this way you'll be able to rinse the dirt and cleaner out, leaving a clear
rinse which will allow the carpet to stay cleaner longer. the name of the
game is rinse rinse rinse...( btw, the hotter the water the better!!! but be
careful, some / most machines won't tolerate high temps, it can easily ruin
the pump ).

FH- a professional carpet cleaner since 1985

[Dorot29701]

Another thing you can do - is add white vinegar to the rinse water. I have
pre-sprayed, then shampooed the carpet and then rinsed with vinegar water. If
you are careful not to get the carpet too wet - you can do it all in one day.
I have some old towels in the laundry room, too, and use them to blot up the
wet carpet when I finish so nobody walks on the carpet while it's wet.
Dorothy

[Scout Lady]

"john" <d@tle65.com> wrote in message
news:7hpQb.9742$JL4.78831@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> Hi,
>
> I saw it's possible to buy a steam cleaner for home and they are
relatively
> cheap. Anyone have one? how do they compare to getting it professionally
> done?
>
> John
>
I have a Hoover Steam Vac. It does an okay job if the carpet is moderately
clean to begin with. I tried doing at the rugs with it with mixed results. I
had Sears come out, do all the carpets and now use the Hoover Steam Vac to
maintain. The problem is the water doesn't get hot enough to actually
produce steam and my carpets are a thick plush and it doesn't seem to
penetrate as deeply as it should. I usually clean the carpet and then use
clear water with a little vinegar in it to rinse as to not leave soap
residue on the carpet. Also I find adding a little defoamer (sold where
carpet shampoo-ers are rented) to the dirty water tank prevents me from
having to empty the dirty water tank as often.



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