Economical way to clean carpets?

**SuzyBee** · 03-25-2008, 12:37 PM

My carpets really need a good cleaning and I don't know if I should try to do them myself or have an outside company come in to do them. I have beige wall-to-wall carpeting throughout my house and it has stains on it from my little dog. I've tried spot cleaning them, but the spots always come back. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Suzy

**mombottoo** · 03-25-2008, 12:40 PM

Do you have a carpet cleaning machine or have access to one? If you do we use a product called Simple Green...it works very well and we have never had any issues with stains coming back.

**Cricket1** · 03-25-2008, 12:45 PM

You can rent a rug doctor machine at a lot of grocery stores, Walmart, and Home Depot for a little over $20 for the day. We used one last year and it cleaned beautifully. You can buy high traffic area cleaner as well as a cleaner for removing pet accidents--also made by Rug Dr.

**G'MaDebbie** · 03-25-2008, 12:58 PM

I recently paid a pretty well known company to come in and clean my carpets. They had an offer of $99.00 for 5 rooms, which I thought was a pretty good deal considering the time and energy it would save me. WRONG!!! They were in and out of my home within 20 minutes and I wasn't pleased with the results. I normally rent a Rug Doctor machine and it does wonders! They have a new version of their cleaner (says somthing about oxygen bubbles on the container), this stuff is the greatest. I had a few pet stains that I thought would never come out and they did! Best part is that they didn't come back like they did with the "professionals" I hired.
It doesn't pay to be lazy!

**shoiji** · 03-25-2008, 02:01 PM

I paid to have my rugs professionally cleaned recently. It had been years and I had a little dog to. Anyway I only went professional since I wasn't sure if the rental ones would do a good job. You might want to just try the rental first. Me, I am looking into buying a rug cleaner, so will be checking out the sales that will be coming up with spring cleaning time here.

**bumplett** · 03-25-2008, 02:09 PM

we purchased a bissell steam cleaner a few years ago. With a house full of pets (kids included) it was well worth the money!

I've used vinegar instead of "carpet cleaner" when it's not too soiled, works great!

**tabithapatrick** · 03-25-2008, 03:00 PM

We also have a bissell...well worth the money! I use vinegar to spot clean....almost everything will come out with that and in the machine I used oxiclean. I have never seen cleaner carpets! I would rent a machine and use oxiclean or vinegar!

**SuzyBee** · 03-25-2008, 03:37 PM

Thanks, everyone, for all your suggestions! I think I will rent a Rug Doctor machine since I can't afford to buy my own carpet cleaner yet.

Cokencaptgirl, I think I know which company you were talking about. I used them several years ago at another house and it cost me so much more because they "talked me into" thinking I needed extra product for the carpets. Yup, what a waste of money, and thank you for reminding me. I think I'll try the other suggestions.

Mombotto, where did you buy "Simple Green"? Can you get it at Walmart's or other stores?

I also think I'll use the vinegar, too!

Wow! I can't wait to get started! I hate not having people over because I'm ashamed of the carpets!

Suzie

**M55FF** · 03-25-2008, 03:38 PM

its for this reason I tore out all the carpet in my house and put down laminate flooring...

I was shocked too how many accidents my dog had had !
and......
the smell was bad, something I guess I got used to.

I'd highly reccomend getting rid of carpet, my allergies have decreased a lot... cleaning is easier too.

Was hard getting thetrash man to pick up all that used carpet... had to use a BIG KNIFE to cut it all up in long sections I could roll up and tie off with duct tape... took a month for him to pick it all up, a little each trash day.

ugh
but sure do love not having to mess with carpet anymore, dog puddles, carpet cleaners and DUST !!

**MirandaK** · 03-25-2008, 03:57 PM

Question for those of you who use vinegar...do you dilute it? What is the procedure?

Thanks!!!

**struglew3kids** · 03-27-2008, 04:09 PM

Ok ladies, I too have dogs and kids. I picked this up from a lady who was cleaning the carpet at a very nice dpet. store. I asked her how she had gotten out a stain..she was spot treating it. She gave me the secret. She uses tide w/bleach detergent!! Just as it cleans out dirt and dirty diapers hehe it cleans your carpets. Now can't always afford Tide so I have tried the laundry soap w/bleach for colors that is at the dollar store and it works just as great!! If it gets to foamy the lady told me to add a few drops of fabric softener as it kills those bubbles. Let me tell you it takes out the stains and your house smells great!!

**ravenmaniac** · 03-27-2008, 05:24 PM

I don't have carpet in my house because of my kids and dogs. I have hardwood and laminate. Much easier to clean and smells better too. Carpet holds odors. When I had carpet we used laundry detergent to clean it. Diluted vinegar to spot clean.

**AprilP** · 03-28-2008, 01:00 PM

I LOVE my Bissel steam cleaner. 85 dollars on amazon and free shipping! It came with a small bottle of their stain remover ( I say small, as it says "TRIAL SIZE" on the bottle) and I used it to clean my son's area rug (it even got out INK) which I had a quote from a local carpet cleaning company for 65 dollars (just for a 5 x 7 area rug) and my daughter's bedroom carpet, as we're getting ready to redecorate her room from a "little girl" theme to an asian one.

Two uses, and as far as I'm concerned, it's already paid for itself.

**cissylu** · 03-28-2008, 07:04 PM

I have a carpet cleaner . we are going to take the carpet up in our living room.
If you wanted you could find a carpet cleaner that didn`t cost a 100;00.

**cab54** · 03-30-2008, 01:11 PM

I also was NOT pleased with the work of 'professional' carpet cleaning crews. To quote them " Do we HaaaaaVE to move this and clean under it?" (Whine, whine, whine)....and they did a really crappy job and left the carpets way too wet. They did just enough to make them smell WORSE if that was possible.

Because of dogs and kids (back then) I bought a Bissell also. Worth every penny. I can control the amt or kinds of cleaners I put in, I can do a whole room or just traffic areas to freshen them up or get stains out (like where the dog likes to lay and drool--eww), I have even gone over and done my sisters' carpets before her son's graduation party (I'm such a nice gal!).