While I am making my to do lists for my spring cleaning...carpets, the wall to wall kind. Boy do mine need help, they really need to be replaced but that's not an option at this time.

How do you clean your carpets?

 

 

We used to hire it out to a great mom and pop company--it is pricey as it's not one of these large franchise companies who constantly run specials and low rates.  When we used those type of companies we ended up with rugs that were too wet and the stench was unbelievable.  We pay double now with great results on our cream color berber--no easy feat as we are an active family with a dog--a great example of what carpet cleaning is supposed to be.  It looks clean, stains removed, and best of all--it isn't left WET like the other cut rate franchise companies left it. Because the correct product and amount of water is used to steam clean, along with experience, there is no extra product left behind on the carpet to attract the dirt again right away, also.

I always hired someone but last week I spent $116 on a Bissell.  Wow, does it do a wonderful job!!  And I can spot clean if I don't want to do the whole area.  I got the carpet cleaner for less than it would cost me to hire someone so it just paid for itself.  It's not physically taxing, either.  Dried fast!  So my advice is to buy a carpet cleaner.  WalMart has some good prices or you can shop around online.

Thanks, Dragon. I have borrowed Mom's Bissel but it's not a purchase I want to make at this time. I'd like to find a good way to clean between borrowing her cleaner.

 

 I found this old thread and there is still good advice here. 

I have since moved and no longer have the old carpets to deal with but still have wall to wall carpeting in two rooms that have to be maintained.

 

My wall-to-wall carpeting must be 25 to 30 years old, and we are not in a financial position to replace it, either. We have almost always kept a carpet shampooer, and have had good results with our current Bissell.

At one point, when DH and I were both working, we looked into getting hardwood floors throughout the house. We would have bought a few area rugs, too. But then our money needed to be spent on gutting and re-doing our bathroom, so the old ratty carpets have remained. Then, we had two extra kids and decided that hardwood floors might be a bit hard if they fell on their heads. (Our kids all have big heads, so that happens more often than you might expect--they're all top heavy, LOL! Seriously, our 18-month old is in the 34th %ile for height, 15th %ile for weight, but his head is in the 84th %ile.)

So we will probably keep our old carpets until we sell our house. Either we'll replace them with hardwood floors (the kids will be older then, and hopefully more coordinated), or give the buyers a flooring allowance when we sell. Until then, we'll just shampoo the carpets when we're expecting company!

got rid of them!  lol upstairs at least.   I did get a carpet cleaner upright but it died.  they all seem to die after lending them out..don't seem to last long anyways.

I have a little green machine to use plus I can throw the rag rugs in the washing machine.    But I have gotten citruso in to do the rugs and couch before..great job and they get stains out the other machine don't.  plan to get them to do the basement soon.  

the key is  a vinegar rinse and getting all the soap out to keep the rugs nice.

I've never cleaned carpets before. I have hardwood floors in all the rooms except for the pantry, kitchen, and bathrooms. I think most people must rent those carpet steamer things because I see them at Food Lion and at Harris Teeter.

I have an Oreck that is used to vaccum the wood floors.