Carpet cleaners?

[noserider]

I recently returned from my first long camping trip (two weeks) and had a blast. My carpet took a pretty good beating having 2 dogs along and some semi wet conditions at a couple campgrounds. I bought a runner and a couple others mats to put down but they slid around quite a bit and I thought it would be best to remove them before someone ( mother in law) tripped and fell. I will one day replace the carpet with laminate but not for a year or so most likely. I want to abuse these a little more.

Since I can't afford to have Stanley Steamer come after each trip, I was wondering about purchasing a steam cleaner. I have read on the forum about others buying the little green machine but is that more for spot cleaning? Any other cleaners out there for under a few hundred dollars?

[POPPASMURF]

We use the Bissel floor and carpet cleaner machine- it surprises us each time we use it at how clean it leaves the carpet and tile RV floor. Having 3 dogs it gets exercised a lot. Latest was wife found Bissel pet & carpet formulation to add to the hot water we use. It really did the job in the MH.

[oldmattb]

We have used one of the rental machines from Lowe's or Home Depot while on the road.

Park at the store. Roll it out and run it on the generator, upholstery tools good for edges. Roll it back to the store, and drive around with the windows open for an hour.

The domestic-type machines clean fairly well, but they do not hold up well. I had apartments, and the consumer machines were good for about a year. I bought a commercial-type machine, a Rug Doctor, abused it for five years, and it still looked and worked like new. Some Walmarts sell them.

Matt B

[Dutch Star Don]

When we had our Monaco, that was carpeted, we also used the Bissell. If you do your homework, you can find them on sale. They also have an upholstery brush for cleaning the tighter areas of the coach. We use to clean ours twice a year. I would use a spot treatment on any bad areas and then shampoo the entire coach. The Bissell lets you select light, medium or heavy soap. I always used the light soap, if you don't get all the soap out, it gets dirty faster. Once I cleaned the entire carpet, I would go over it again with just water to get any residual soap.

When done, I would open all the windows turn the fans on and then use some car wash towels and to dry areas that were dirtier and were still wet. I would lay them on the carpet and then walk on them.

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by POPPASMURF

We use the Bissel floor and carpet cleaner machine- it surprises us each time we use it at how clean it leaves the carpet and tile RV floor. Having 3 dogs it gets exercised a lot. Latest was wife found Bissel pet & carpet formulation to add to the hot water we use. It really did the job in the MH.

Everything is the same as above except we use a Hoover Carpet Cleaner in both the house and the coach, and we have 1 dog and 2 cats.

For the coach while we are on our yearly 3 month trips, I also use a wet/dry small shop vac and a 1 gallon pump up type garden sprayer. I normally keep windshield fluid in the pump up sprayer and use it to clean the windshield along with a extendable handle windshield squeegee. Works GREAT! Then when one of the pets... or wife... has a uh oh moment and the carpets get dirty, I just switch the windshield cleaner for Bissel pet & carpet formulation spray on and use the shop vac to suck up. That has worked great also. As a side benefit, I can clean the inside of the toad when someone experiences a spill such as tipped over milkshake.(I'll blame that on the dog since she can't refute the accusation).

[LPD218]

We have an older canistor Bissel with wand. It takes a little longer but I can get all the way to the edge of the wall. With four dogs and 3/4 of the MH carpet, I use it several times each season. The Bissel pet formula does work very well.

We also take a hand-held small Bissel spot cleaner with us to clean spots before they set.

[VSPA]

We have two dogs and are temporary full time in a dirt pad park while house hunting. Get a razor blade knife, remove carpet, install quality full sheet vinyl, and add a variety of throw rugs. This RV only has carpet in drivers and passenger seat area and under dining booth, the rest is vinyl. First 4 units had all carpet. I love the near all vinyl and will remove the under the dinning booth at a later time and DW loves it as well. I do the floors and general cleaning while the she is out doing the laundry and cleaning of the floors is basically shaking out rugs, and using an old style dust mop and Swiffer wet mop.

[kiscart]

Just used my Bissel a couple days ago! Carpet looks fantastic! Hate to tear it out because it looks so great. Maybe next year!

[noserider]

Thanks for the replies. I was looking online at the Bissells. There are many models. Any specific ones recommended?

[Bigd9]

A lot of people are on the "no carpet" bandwagon but that is not for us. We like carpet because it is quieter, and warmer in the colder temperatures and with the built in vacuum cleaner a snap to keep looking great. But as they say, each to his/her own.

[opusdog]

Bissell makes a small portable carpet and spot cleaner that has a built in heater and holds about 48 oz of cleaner and waste. It is small enough (about 20" long x about 10" wide and about 12" tall with a wrap around hose and a couple of optional cleaning heads in addition to the standard 3" head. I can clean the removable front carpet in about 20 minutes and the bedroom and slide carpets in a similar amount of time, but I have stone tile throughout the rest with area throw rugs. It is small enough to fit easily in the basement, and works very well ( the water is removes is always filthy and the carpet always very clean). It cost about $120, I think, but should be available online for potentially cheaper. The one I have is purple, but I only see a model called Little Green Pro-Heat now that appears to be the equivalent. It would take a long time to clean a wall-to-wall carpeted rig, but it is really easy to fit along edges and in corners, and can also be used for upholstery.


Tom and Sherri DeWire
Richmond, VA