Community Forums

BobJones · 12-02-2018, 12:55 PM

Hi guys!

Just wondering if anyone has shampooed their carpets and what their experiences were. Mine are fairly dirty so it's been on my mind for some time. I just wanted to see if I might be causing any problems by doing so?

**CLIFFTALL** · 12-02-2018, 12:58 PM

I’d recommend steam cleaning instead. We’ve done this with great results. The residue from shampoo will attract dirt going forward.

BobJones · 12-02-2018, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifftall

I’d recommend steam cleaning instead. We’ve done this with great results. The residue from shampoo will attract dirt going forward.

Thanks for the reply!

I'm guessing I'd have to bring someone in to do that? My mom has some form of rug shampooer but I have no issue with hiring the job out.

Also, would steam cleaning leave the carpets wet or would it damage the particle board underneath?

**CLIFFTALL** · 12-02-2018, 01:32 PM

You can rent a steamer. The machine vacuums up most of the water and the carpet dries fairly quickly. If you have air conditioning on it dries faster.

BobJones · 12-02-2018, 01:51 PM

Awesome!

I also have a large de-humidifier so between the three of them (A/C units and DH) it should be dry fast.

I found several local folks that do it and, while all of them have high reviews, one stands out above the rest. I suspect they won't charge much for doing it since it's such a small area.

Thanks for the advice! I wanted to be sure I wasn't going to damage anything.

**CLIFFTALL** · 12-02-2018, 02:00 PM

A pro will have better equipment and it will dry faster.

Jake21 · 12-02-2018, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifftall

A pro will have better equipment and it will dry faster.

And it isn’t that much. I think we paid around 100.00 for the main salon and the bedroom.

vito.a · 12-02-2018, 05:33 PM

We have ours done professionally.
I've had very good results with Rainbow International Restoration, but last time my wife had a local company clean them and they did not do a very good job.

barmcd · 12-02-2018, 06:20 PM

Like Cliff said, steam cleaning is the way to go. We use a professional, it's well worth the cost and they can do the upholstery at the same time.

Pepper2 · 12-02-2018, 06:30 PM

Use a Pro! The rentals and units available for purchase don't have the suction to remove as much water/steam as the truck mounted system's professionals use.

Of course, not all pro's are equal! Shop around.

Bigd9 · 12-02-2018, 07:28 PM

I do our home and RV carpets and upholstery twice a year using a Hoover Carpet Cleaner. You will be amazed at how dirty the sucked up water will be!

But the older I get, having everything done by a Pro is sure looking better and better all the time.

To answer your question about damage, normally the carpets should NOT get so wet the subfloor ever sees water. You generally only want the carpet fibers to get washed, but not the backing, pad or subfloor.

In our last coach, I even used the Hoover Carpet Cleaner on the white "cloth" ceiling once and boy oh boy did that ever make a difference!

tcg · 12-02-2018, 09:03 PM

I do this for a living, technically you want a company that does hot water extraction.

The terms shampoo, steam clean, and hot water extraction often get used interchangeably. They are three different techniques.

Most truck mounts are hot water extraction, and yes they can pull out significantly more moisture than a rental or consumer machine.

There are some truck mounts that use steam but most carpet manufacturers recommend hot water extraction as steam doesn't really rinse the fibers.

BobJones · 12-02-2018, 09:09 PM

This is an awesome thread - many thanks for all the great replies and experiences! I'm looking forward to getting it done and now I know what to ask for and what to expect!

Captjake1 · 12-02-2018, 09:11 PM

We had ours professionally cleaned 2 months ago. They look horrible now.
Not sure what he did, but they were wet for almost a day....in Arizona!.
Will look into steam or rainbow international