Obviously, you could clean your carpet by hand but this is not only time consuming but also inefficient. Carpet cleaners with their powerful motors do a much better job particularly on the ground in dirt that may have collected over a period of time. If you have carpets or a lot of children and pets you should definitely consider buying a carpet cleaner.

You could, of course, hire a cleaner from a hardware shop, supermarket or commercial center, the only trouble is that they are heavy to push around and if they have been hired frequently try to choose the one with only partly worn brushes and clean-looking.

If you purchase a carpet cleaner you will find that they are usually much lighter than the rental machines. If they are the full sized cleaner they can be expensive and you may need quite a bit of storage space also it may require you to use their own cleaning solutions, as they say, if you don’t it may void their warranty or damage the machine.

Of the most well- known brands of carpet cleaners, Hoover and Bissell stand out and do the job of removing the dirt and debris from your carpet efficiently. You can find a list of the best ones at the bottom of this page.

What Product Are You Going To Choose?

If you have carpets that have not had any attention for some time they may need a deep clean. How often you should clean will depend on the carpet cleaner you choose, but obviously, you will need a machine that has the power for the purpose required.

When you find a model you like walk it up and down, pick it up, You will need to be comfortable with it specially if you are going to carry it up and down stairs. If you have a lot of stairs or upholstery make sure the cleaner comes with a number of attachments, such as:

Long Hose

It stands to reason that the heavier the cleaner the harder it will be to move about. With a long hose, you can reach the top of a flight of stairs and is less tiring to use.

Tank Size

The larger the tank that holds the cleaning solution the less effort there will be in refilling it, however, if it has a large tank it will be harder to move.

Belt Free

Just like vacuum cleaners some carpet cleaners use a belt that will eventually wear out and will need replacing. Are you going to do that or do you want a belt free cleaner?

Moving Brushes

A brush that moves will give you a stronger scrub than one which has no brush at all or you could buy one that only moves when you activate the machine.

Tank Indicator Lights

On some models, there are lights that come on when the solution tank is empty and needs refilling and on some carpet cleaners there may be a cut off function that stops the cleaner when the dirty solution tank is full.

A few other points worth remembering are:

• Make sure your carpet cleaner is connected to the electrical system in the correct manner. Working with electric and water can be a delicate situation.
• If you are working with a noisy machine for an extended period of time wear some hearing protection.
• Do not either walk or place any furniture on any carpet until it is completely dry.
• Select your carpet cleaner from an approved well-known company.
• It is best to open your windows or turn your fan on when using your machine as cleaning solutions or stain removers can emit fumes. This is specially important if someone in your house has breathing problems such as asthma.

You may find the carpet cleaners listed below interesting to look at:

Bissell PowerLifter Carpet Cleaner and Shampooer 1622 Review
Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner 86T3

Hoover FH11300PC Spotless Portable Carpet Upholstery Spot Cleaner

SpotBot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner