Buyers Guide to Carpet Cleaning Machines

There are a number of carpet cleaning machines on the market. In this guide, we'll tell you how to compare, what features are the most important for your carpets, and whether or not you are better off owning your own machine, renting one at the local hardware or grocery store, or just hiring a professional.

Vacuuming your carpets on a regular basis is the best way to keep your investment looking great. Its one of several tips and recommendations made by your carpets' creator. Carpet manufacturers, including Shaw, Mohawk, and others, advise full deep cleaning of carpets only once every 12 to 18 months. There are some extraordinary reasons to clean carpets more regularly, but they are just that--extraordinary. Most homes don't need an every 3 or 4 month carpet cleaning. Since using a carpet cleaning machine injects water into your carpet, it can actually cause damage. Water is one of the prime enemies of carpet, in addition to kids, pets, and red wine. Isn't it interesting we use hot water as a cleaning substance. A side note, carpet cleaning machines you buy or rent to NOT clean with steam. There are steam carpet cleaners, but these are for commercial grade carpets that can handle the very high temperatures produced. Don't think because a consumer carpet cleaning machine, or service advertises "steam" cleaning, that its really using steam. This could cause irreparable damage to home carpets.

Here are features to look for in carpet cleaning machines--rental or purchase units

• HEPA filtering. The goal is to reduce airborne allergens. Pet dander and dust are two of the major causes of indoor pollution.
  
• Water temperature control. Either through heating elements in the unit, or through your own manual labor of pouring hot water into the machine, these units clean with hot water. The heat of the water is one of the most critical features in getting your carpets clean. Certain carpet cleaning machines provide a heating element to maintain the water temperature through the work.
  
• Separate solution and recovery tanks. The size of these tanks just means you'll do less stopping and starting. Recovery contains the dirt extracted from your carpet.
  
• Low flow technology. A MUST have in any carpet cleaning machine. Less water into your carpet, means less potential damage. You'll also have less chance for mold or mildew and less damage to your carpet.

The above items are what you'll find in any carpet cleaning machine you would want, either to rent or own. Here are additional features for units you'd purchase. You might include some kind of anti bacterial technology, although to me that just sounds like something someone made up to sell a product. If you are buying a carpet cleaning machine, be aware of the weight of the cleaner. Lugging the unit around can be a pain, especially since it will have water in it much of the time. Ease of use goes along with the unit weight, although hoses and ease of removing the recovery tank are big parts of this. Check out the cleaning accessories that come with the unit, and it wouldn't hurt to take a quick look at the cleaning nozzle. An adjustable nozzle is best.

To rent or to buy, bad Shakespeare, but that really is the question.

You can rent a carpet cleaning machine (Rug Doctor) for a day for $25 to $27 in most locations. Home Depot has a rental center, but doesn't quote prices online.

Buying a machine allows for added convenience, since you don't have to carry it back and forth to the store. It also means the machine is just a few feet away for emergency stain removal. If those conveniences are worth it to you, then purchasing one of the array of carpet cleaning machines on this page is in your best interest.

Which ever solution you decide, keep in mind these thoughts. Less water. Steam isn't really steam in these units. 12 to 18 months. Vacuum, vacuum, and vacuum to keep your carpets clean and lasting.