Soap solution: Washing-up liquid was more effective at removing stains than some expensive carpet cleaners, experts found Washing-up liquid will clean carpet stains more effectively than specialist products costing more than eight times as much, researchers claim. found that costly sprays and preparations claiming remarkable cleaning powers are often not up to the task. By contrast, a 78p bottle of Morning Fresh produces a better result for most stains and will go much further. Soapy water made with the washing-up liquid was at least as effective as, and in many cases more so than, 13 out of a total of 17 specialist products tested by Which? The consumer group daubed pale carpet with black coffee, diluted Ribena, red wine, chocolate spread, curry sauce and blood. It allowed one set of stains to dry overnight and then created a second set of fresh marks to see how the various products performed. 'There's a huge array of carpet stain removers in the shops but ordinary washing-up liquid outperforms many of them,' Which?

'The washing-up liquid solution was as good or better on blood and fresh Ribena and did a terrific job on red wine. Only chocolate spread and dried-in coffee defeated it.' Soda water, often suggested as a useful alternative to specialist preparations, did not score well across the range of stains. said: 'It was good at removing blood and fresh Ribena, but it didn't match the specialist products on the other stains.' A spokesman for the group said the 500ml bottle of washing-up liquid scored four out of five for cleaning fresh stains and dry stains. Bottom of the stain-cleaning league was one of the most expensive products in the test, Bissell Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner at £6.70 for 355ml. It scored three on fresh stains and just two on dry. said: 'This is a "Don't Buy". As well as finding it difficult to apply, it wasn't good at removing stains, and we found it removed the colour from dark carpet when left.' said a host of cheaper specialist carpet and upholstery cleaners also did well.

Top score went to Sainsbury's own Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner spray at just £2.43 for 500ml. Rug Doctor Spot & Stain Remover spray came in second at £2.99 for 500ml, with Tesco's own-label spray at £2.44 for 500ml in third. Fourth spot was taken by Bissell's OxyKIC at £7.82, an aerosol spray. said: 'Cheap spray options from Sainsbury's and Tesco outclassed the big brand names Vanish and 1001. We found liquid and aerosol sprays easier to apply than other formats and results were better.' Bissell said its products were specially formulated to tackle tough stains and dry quickly without leaving any sticky residue. It said of its Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner: 'The fabric-safe brush works gently on expensive carpets. It gently loosens and removes tough stains and embedded dirt.'No matter how frequently you vacuum, carpets eventually show their age. But often, what we consider general wear is just a combination of stains and dirt ground into the carpet fibers. Before you spend the big bucks to replace that tired-looking carpet, you might consider a thorough cleaning.

There are three basic ways to do so: hire a professional carpet cleaning service, rent a carpet cleaning machine or buy your own carpet cleaner so you can haul it out whenever you need it. Also referred to as carpet shampooers, carpet cleaners are quite simple and straightforward. pool cleaner houstonThey all have one or two cleaning tanks. cheapest dyson vacuum cleaners ukSome have just one for cleaning solution diluted with water, others have two, one for water, and one for carpet cleaning solution. steam cleaners for carpets etcAll have a separate collection tank for the dirty water. best way to clean grout on tile counters

The carpet is sprayed with diluted solution, that cleaning solution is agitated by power brushes or manually by the user with a hose attachment. Some have an extra step where you can spray clean water to rinse. carpet cleaning companies west midlandsIn the final step, the dirty water is sucked into the collection tank. carpet cleaning powder for vacuumWithin that process, the user often has a lot of control for squirting extra cleaning solution, doing an extra rinse, or taking another pass or to suck up more water. The inconvenient part of any type of carpet cleaning is having to deal with wet carpeting. Drying times depend upon how powerful the suction action is and how much of the remaining water the unit removes. Our research shows that three hours is about the minimum wait time you can expect for dry (or dry enough) carpets from the best carpet shampooers.

Some carpet cleaners have heated, forced air systems that will speed that up somewhat. When you fill the water tank of a carpet cleaner, it's suggested that you use hot water for the best cleaning and sanitizing, but that water will gradually cool down as you work. Some carpet cleaners have systems that keep the water heated, which is a very desirable feature for some. Full-sized carpet cleaners are usually as large as, or slightly bigger than, upright vacuum cleaners, so you have to allow for storage. You also use them like an upright vacuum cleaner, pushing them back and forth along the carpet. A full-sized carpet shampooer is great not only for regularly-scheduled whole-house carpet cleaning, but also for dealing with bigger spills, such as larger amounts of spilled liquids, refreshing heavy traffic areas, and dealing with widely-scattered stains or spots. Some include a hose and attachments for cleaning upholstery or stairs. Depending upon the model and price, features may include forced air heating systems to help dry the carpet more quickly, or heated water systems to keep the water hot.

Portable carpet cleaners are smaller and use a hose with attachments, rather than being pushed back and forth. They are great for stairs, upholstery, mattresses, automobiles and RV's, or just for spot cleaning of spills or pet accidents. Portable carpet cleaners often include just a brush-type attachment, so you may have to do a bit of scrubbing with it, but some have optional power or turbo brushes that will do that work for you for a relatively small additional investment. Some also have heated water technology. Spot carpet cleaners offer "set and forget" convenience. They are self-contained units with built-in rotating brushes and a timer. You just fill it with water and solution, set it on the stain, push a button, and it will squirt, spin and then suck the water out automatically. These units are particularly popular with pet owners and often have the word "pet" in their name. Rental carpet cleaners are professional-grade carpet shampooers that you can rent, usually from supermarkets or hardware stores, for about $25 per day, plus the cost of the cleaning solution.

These units work very well, as would be expected, and have wider cleaning paths to make the job go more quickly. Some also include a hose and tool attachment for cleaning stairs. The downside is that they're large and heavy, although some have handles on the body of the unit to make transport easier. If you rent a carpet cleaner frequently, buying one might make sense; they're actually pretty affordable and may pay for themselves quickly with regular use. In this report we recommend carpet cleaners, but before you can deep clean, you need to vacuum thoroughly to remove loose debris for the best results. If you're not happy with your vacuum cleaner, see our recommendations for the best upright vacuum cleaners and canister vacuum cleaners, both of which we cover in separate reports. Alternatively, if you're looking for a way to deep clean your hard floors, check out our separate report on steam mops. There are very few expert reviews or professional tests of carpet cleaners; those we found are either rather dated or testing is not well-detailed.