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. They all have one or two cleaning tanks. Some have just one for cleaning solution diluted with water, others have two, one for water, and one for carpet cleaning solution. All have a separate collection tank for the dirty water. 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.

In the final step, the dirty water is sucked into the collection tank. Within 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. vacuum cleaner bag compatibility listYou 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. pool maintenance certification canadaThese units are particularly popular with pet owners and often have the word "pet" in their name.chem dry carpet cleaning process 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. best steam cleaners with attachments

These units work very well, as would be expected, and have wider cleaning paths to make the job go more quickly. cost to install a pool in las vegasSome also include a hose and tool attachment for cleaning stairs. carpet cleaning equipment western australiaThe 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. However, owners are very passionate about their carpet cleaners and we evaluated thousands of owner reviews across retail sites to see how the carpet cleaner performs in real-world use. These owner reviews also provide a window into long-term durability, as many users come back months or even years later to update their original reviews. The result of our research is our top recommendations for the best carpet cleaners. As it turns out, it's an apparent Bissell and Hoover love fest, with a soupcon of Rug Doctor; no other carpet cleaners even come close to those manufacturers when it comes to performance.Best portable carpet cleaner There are probably few homes that would not benefit from a portable or spot carpet cleaner.

Small carpet shampooers can be a lifesaver for wine or other spills of colored liquids, pet accidents or for tracked-in mud. However, they can't handle big jobs or whole house cleaning; for that you need a full sized carpet cleaner or a commercial grade rental carpet cleaner, both of which are discussed elsewhere in this report. "Small but mighty" is how we've seen dozens of reviewers describe the Bissell SpotClean Pro 3624 (Est. $130). Owners love its portability and versatility for cleaning RV carpeting, car interiors, area rugs, stairs and upholstery. This Bissell cleans with attachments that fit onto a hose, otherwise it works just like a full-sized model. It includes a 3-inch stain tool and a 6-inch stair tool. It also comes with a bottle of a well-reviewed cleaning solution, Bissell 2X Professional Deep Cleaning Formula (Est. $20 for 48 oz.). Other attachments are available for optional purchase, including an assortment of brushes, some powered and some specifically for pet messes.

Like all of the Bissell carpet cleaners in this report, the SpotClean Pro is reported as extremely durable, and Bissell gets very good reviews for customer service. One particular feature that many owners mention positively is how easy it is to thoroughly clean out the tanks when you're done using this machine, a task that can be difficult and unpleasant on full-sized cleaners. The Bissell SpotClean's cord is 22-feet long and the hose is 5-feet, giving it a good reach. At just 13.2 pounds, it's considered highly portable by most reviewers, although a few still complain that it's heavy, especially when filled with water. In fact, the only complaint we saw about the Bissell SpotClean Pro is that some reviewers wish it had wheels to make it easier to move around. To them we say, never fear, Rug Doctor is here! The Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner (Est. $130) is nearly as well-reviewed for cleaning performance as the Bissell SpotClean, but it also has wheels and a retractable handle to make it easier to transport.

Rug Doctor also includes a power brush for tough stains. The downsides to the Rug Doctor are its shorter cord, only 15 feet, and higher weight of 15 pounds. However, it does have a slightly longer hose at 5.5 feet. The only real complaint we saw about the Rug Doctor is its awkwardly shaped tank. It's rounded on the bottom, so you have to continually hold it when you're filling it at the tap, something that several reviewers say is difficult to do if you have issues with hand or arm strength. The Bissell's tank is square with a flat bottom. Of course we know that not every pet is named Spot, but regardless of what kind of critter you have you'll be able to make use of the Bissell SpotBot Pet Carpet Cleaner 33N8A (Est. $120). It's quick and easy to set up and use. It also has something you won't find on any upright model: Its automated cleaning mode is universally adored by users, and is particularly helpful for those with mobility issues. Just set the SpotBot down, add water and detergent, press the button and walk away.

The machine will automatically inject the water and detergent into the carpet, scrub, vacuum the dirty water back out, then turn off when it's done. The entire process takes about 3 minutes. If the stain is still visible, you can run the cycle again, and it's easy to move around if the stain is larger than the 7-inch diameter cleaning area. The Bissell SpotBot has a couple of settings for different types of stains, one for fresh stains, the other for set-in stains, just in case they've had a chance to dry before you can get to them. The SpotBot is a very popular choice with reviewers for upholstery and area rugs, as well as traditional carpeting. It also converts to a portable carpet cleaner, with a hose and snap-on attachments, making it a highly versatile machine. Although owners say the Bissell SpotBot does the best job of scrubbing out stains no matter what their source, the Bissell Little Green (Est. $100) is even easier to haul around. The Little Green is almost 4.5 pounds lighter than the SpotBot -- 9.65 pounds when empty, 12 pounds when full -- and its 15-foot electrical cord is just 1 foot shorter than the SpotBot's.

You'll have to pay for that light weight with some elbow grease, though, because the Little Green has no automated cleaning cycle. You must scrub stains manually with the included wand and 3-inch nozzle. However, the Little Green has heated water technology, which is a definitely selling point for some. Owners say the machine works well on small stains, and is easy to assemble and use. Some owners say the suction on this machine is weak, leaving the carpet too wet. A few also find it difficult to clean, and say it's prone to leaking from the hose or the bottom of the machine. Still, when compared to other handheld carpet cleaners, the Bissell Little Green gets excellent feedback. It's also made of at least 50 percent recycled plastic, a notable feature for some owners. One caveat about any spot cleaner is this: It leaves clean spots in your carpet. This is a problem for some reviewers, who say they have to rent a full-sized upright so the rest of the carpet will match the spot-cleaned areas.