Cleaning the Carpet

[sidkaye]

We are considering renting a machine to clean/shampoos the carpet.
Anybody have any tips or experiences to share.

Thanks. Sidney

[sidkaye]

We are considering renting a machine to clean/shampoos the carpet.
Anybody have any tips or experiences to share.

Thanks. Sidney

[Clay L]

We found that a brand called Rug Doctor that can be rented at many grocery stores did the best job of any we tried. They have one model that is narrow and works well in an RV.

Last fall we ripped all of the carpet out and installed laminate flooring and no longer have to mess with it.

[thmdamit]

I agree the rug doctor is great,however dont make the mistake that I made. I did not check the underside of the rented equipment first.That mistake resulted in my off white carpet being stained pink.The person who rented the carpet cleaner before me obviously sucked up red dye.After I finally got hte carpet the right color I hired a boat canvass company to make me snap down covers (an inexpensive alternative to tile or wood floors )I can sweep it now.

[paz]

We always use Capture. It is a "dry" cleaning system. You spray lightly with a liquid that releases the soil, brush in a powder that absorbs the soil, then vacuum after it sits about half an hour. Capture does a good job and you don't have to wait hours for the carpet to dry. No lugging a huge, heavy cleaner through narrow spaces either.

Just bought a Capture cleaning kit at Lowe's for about $20. It will do the entire rig.

[rockintom]

We bought a little Bissel green machine and use it about once a month (Fulltimers). I use heated water and the Bissel cleaning formula warmed to just below boiling. Cleans pretty darn good, but don't over wet the carpet. Make smooth and slow strokes. Use the vacuum part alot to aid in drying. I think it was $69. at W-Mart. Not all WMs carry them. Stores nicely in our bathroom closet (closed bath). I've used the Rug Dr. but it was cumbersome to handle in the rig. OK in the B&S. Have rented one and shared with the neighbors to save cost. We called the professionals but over $100. Not cost effective. rockin'

[sidkaye]

Thanks for the input.
I especially appreciate the tip on checking the bottom of the machine.

Sidney

[NeilV]

I have used all 4 methods, Wet Foam Shampoo (Blue Luster/Hoover Twin Head), Wet Extraction (Rug Doctor/Advance/Clarke Gravely/Green Machine), Dry Foam Extraction (Von Schrader) and Dry Powder (Capture/Host) and each has it's good and bad points.

Wet foam is good unless you have a lot of spills that have soaked into the carpet but it is less likely to damage the carpet and will not remove the stain guard. Scub it in and when dry vacume it up. It dries fairly fast and you can be back into your rig in 2 hours or so.

Wet Extraction is good if things have gone too far and as a last resort. If used with warm/hot water it will many times remove your stainguard with the first use. With cold water it will remove your stainguard after 3 to 5 washings. It is the most damaging to your carpet and subfloor and it can put you out of your rig for the whole day waiting for it to dry. I use it for pet accidents, spills and errant mechanics who spill and track a lot of wet dirt into the rig. Once used on your carpet you will need to use it more often as the stainguard becomes less effective. It can also start a mildew bloom if you don't get it to dry fast enough.

Dry foam extraction (really damp not totally dry) is the best of both worlds. Generates the foam in the head of the machine, applies it, scrubs it in and then extracts it with the dirt. Used with the proper chemicals it will not remove the stainguard. Most machines are a bit cumbersome in tight spaces. It dries fast and you can be back into your rig in 1 hour or so.

Dry powder is good if you do it regularly. You can use it while people are walking on the carpet, it does not require a special machine (you can work it in with a bristle or rubber broom) and it does not put you out of your rig. It can clog up your vacume cleaner bag/filter fairly fast. I use it on the last day of a trip when we head home and vacume it up when I get home. Walking on it does no harm and helps work it in. Certain types of soil that the other methods won't touch dry powder many times will get out but it is not very good on a heavily soiled carpet.

I still have machines for the first three methods and have used everthing except for the dry foam extractor in the RV. Each has their place. Regular use of a decent vacume cleaner is important and a thorough vacuming right before cleaning is critical to getting good results. Don't waste your cleaning solution on loose dirt left in the carpet because it was not vacumed very well (dirty filter, too fast, etc)

[sidkaye]

Neil V,
Thanks for taking the time to describe each of the methods. Another revelation for me is the issue of damaging the stain guard of the carpet. There is always more than meets the eye.

Sidney

[jfb]

First year with our 2005 (bought in Sept 2004) we had a commercial outfit come in and shampoo our carpet for $99.99. Then we purchased a "good" unit (Bissel?) for about $150 and have cleaned the carpet ourselves twice a year for the last three. Figure we're way ahead....

[DAN L]

has anyone tried oxyclean for the whole moho? we have used it to spot clean the carpet and on the ceiling to spot clean with good results.

[bbry]

I just bought a 5 X 8 plush carpet rug & laid it on top of the installed light beige berber. I think it looks great & keeps me from nagging the grandchildren as much.