| Carpet Cleaning Appliances |
| Find out everything you need to know before purchasing a carpet cleaning appliance. |
From "Home Made Easy"
episode DHME-134 |
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Host Stephanie Lydecker visits Carolyn Foote, Good Housekeeping Institute's home care director, to discover what to look for when buying carpet cleaning appliances. She showcases multiple appliances and points out features on each that you should look for to best suit your needs.
Carpet Cleaning Appliances- Do you need to purchase a carpet cleaner? It depends on how much effort you want to expend and how often your carpets need cleaning. If you have lots of spills and stains, you will want a handy unit. Plus, rental machines are not always the cleanest, and having the carpet professionally cleaned can be costly.
- The large carpet cleaners are great for removing stains and deep cleaning soiled carpets. A full size carpet extraction cleaner is the most popular on the market. They are the easiest to use (though they can be heavy) and best for overall carpet cleaning. Generally, they have two tanks, one for clean water and detergent, and one for the dirty water that gets picked up. They all work a bit differently, so make sure to read the manual, but generally you put down detergent and water on the forward stroke, and suck it up on the backward stroke. They will spray the water and detergent onto the carpet while the rotating bristles work the solution into the carpet fibers. The solution is extracted on the backward stroke with a vacuum action. It is always a good idea to practice on a scrap piece of carpet to get the technique down and get used to the machine because you don't want to over-wet and damage the carpet. It is best to use this method one to two times a year for carpets that get heavy use. These appliances also often come with attachments for stairs and upholstery. The not so great thing about these is they are heavy and bulky and can take a long time for the carpet to dry.
- Smaller carpet cleaning appliances have the same function as the full size cleaners, but they are much smaller and easier to store. They aren't so heavy and they are slimmer. These are really great for those who don't have heavy traffic or can't push a bigger unit.
- For simple spot removal, a handheld spot remover is good. It is perfect for small carpeted areas. It is designed for spot and stain removal. They are great for quick pickups and light in-between cleanings. These are very portable and easy to use. They are great for stairs and a must for people who have pets. The newer ones remove carpet stains with the push of a button. It does the work and you walk away!
Tips: Get to spills quickly and blot them up or use the suction on these machines to pull stains out of the carpet. Also, when using these machines, never over-wet the carpet. This will damage it and the padding underneath. Use only the recommended amount of detergent to avoid leaving a residue in the carpet, and use a clean water rinse after cleaning to make sure all detergent and soil is removed.
GUESTS :
Carolyn Forte
Home Care Director
Good Housekeeping Institute
E-mail: cforte@hearst.com
Website: www.goodhousekeeping.com
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