A question re:spray on carpet cleaners

[PrairieRose]

I've used those in the past and have always thought that yes they do make it look much better in the short term but later actually attract stains. I've come to the conclusion that the soap that is them, leaves a greasy residue which under normal conditions (household traffic---kids, pets, etc..) would make a darker spot than the places in the same traffic that I didn't use it on. I was just seeing a commercial on tv about how using one in particular would actually keep *this* amount of ick out of the carpet. I was puzzled as to whether anyone else has had the same experience with them as I have.

[Katybird]

That is my thought on it also. They do seem to just attract dirt and grime after a short time. I run just a plain water with an ounce of vinegar through my steam carpet cleaner every couple of times and "shampoo" my carpets with it. It seems to cut all the old cleanser that has been left in the carpets and the smell is minimal and dissipates when it dries. My carpets actually feel cleaner after the vinegar water cleaning than the commercial carpet cleaner.

[Amanda W]

Well, I swear by Resolve in the spray bottle. I've found it gets stains/dirt/misc. pet nastiness out better than anything else. I've only had one stain (spilled soda that sat for 24 hours before anyone noticed it) that kept coming back. I still get my carpets professionally shampooed once a year, but I really am happy with Resolve.

[Jerseygirl]

A lot of cleaners also remove the coating that the carpet has, allowing new stains to settle in the area you have now cleaned.

[jdr250]

Last time I bought carpet, the salesman explained it perfectly. All carpeting comes coated with scotchguard type product. Once you shampoo it the first time you take the stain guard out. Then it's essentially like laying a towel on the floor and walking all over it, it's going to get filthy in a heartbeat. Plus soap residue also attracts and holds dirt. When using cleaner, I always rinse with plain water. It helps but dirt still saturates the fibers. The salesman recommended after cleaning your carpets apply another coat of scotchguard. It does work but can get pricey if you're like me and clean your carpets frequently (dogs, kids, cats etc.) Now I just clean them with a vinegar, water and borax solution once a month and my carpets look great.

[Judi Dial]

My answer to this is to get rid of my wall to wall carpeting, something that's definitely on our list TO DO next year. I'd rather have unbacked area rugs, most of which are made with natural fibers. I have LOTS of small ones of these, dhurries, sort of, in the bathroom, at the entry, etc. I wash 2 a week in cold water in my washing machine. The big ones need to go to a cleaner once a year.
I'm careful when I buy rugs to buy them so that they're NOT backed by plastic (so you can just turn 'em over an make them wear longer) and have fringe if possible. (also helps with the longevity). Also, I try to avoid very light colors or very dark ones, as both show stains really quickly.

JD

[kestrel91316]

I decided to try a "pet stain remover" spray (that I have carried at the clinic for years, lol) on some spots on my carpet from dear Boochi's vomiting (he overindulges on occasion). I learned the hard way that just dish soap and watere leaves a residue that attracts more dirt.

So I brought home a can of The Equalizer and used it to spot clean, and am really happy so far. Interestingly, it smells to me like 409 and the floor stripper we use at the clinic. So probably my next experiment is just to use some of the 409-equivalent "heavy duty cleaner-degreaser" in a spray bottle and see if it does as well, because the Equalizer stuff is a bit pricey even at wholesale.

You just spray it on, let it sit maybe 30 seconds, and blot up all the liquid you can. Voila!! A few spots I have had to treat a second time, but that's all.