Follow me over to the blog for more homemade goodness . . .Carpet Cleaners: Better Results Through Chemistry Carpet cleaners improved only modestly in the past 3 years, but that doesn’t mean that performance was ignored. The formulas for carpet-cleaning solutions that are supplied with the appliances are being tweaked to handle specific tasks. Email to a Friend I'd like to share an article I read on Consumers Digest with you... Just as in any good relationship, the key to effective carpet cleaning is good chemistry. Although the carpet cleaners that are on the market received a few upgrades since 2011, the carpet-cleaning solutions that are mixed with water in carpet-cleaner tanks have been revised with the aim of delivering better cleaning performance and a better-smelling environment. The innovations for carpet cleaners themselves include models than can be detached from their wheeled base to provide more-portable cleaning as well as tweaks on how models apply hot water to carpets.

In the past 3 years, Bissell introduced eight carpet-cleaning-solution formulas, while Rug Doctor introduced 18. Hoover says it revised its four carpet-cleaning solutions. Why all of the changes? Manufacturers say the new carpet-cleaning formulas are meant to address specific issues, such as odors or pet stains better, as well as to reduce allergens. Eric Hansen, who is the chief chemist at Bissell, says the key is the variety of surfactants, which are detergents that loosen substances from carpet fibers. He says tens of thousands of surfactants exist, and each has different properties that make it effective at removing particular stains. (Other ingredients that are in carpet-cleaning solutions include additives that are designed to enhance the performance of the surfactants, such as pH-adjusting agents and dirt-suspension agents.) Companies don’t reveal their specific formulas. We evaluated manufacturer and third-party versions of carpet-cleaning solutions that are marketed specifically to eliminate pet stains.

In this particular case, we found that manufacturers’ claims of effectiveness hold true: The solutions leave no visual or scent cues that any mess existed. We didn’t evaluate carpet-cleaning solutions that were formulated to remove tiny dander particles from carpet fibers. pool cleaning service hacienda heightsHowever, George Bodner, who is a professor of chemical education at Purdue University, says such claims are feasible.pool cleaning companies in birmingham al Unfortunately, it seems that no one surfactant exists that can do it all, Hansen says. best canister vacuum cleaner for carpetsSpecialized formulas certainly can be used for general cleaning, but Hansen insists that surfactants that are good at loosening dander won’t be as effective at getting rid of pet residue and vice versa.best robotic vacuum cleaner and mop

He says he’s noticed better combinations of materials, “so you don’t ask one particular substance to do everything.” If you have a pet problem, it’s not the same treatment as a wine stain on a carpet, he says. So, although you have to buy additional carpet-cleaning solutions to handle multiple specific problems, the good news is that specialized carpet-cleaning solutions typically cost the same as regular solutions within a manufacturer’s lineup. carpet cleaning machines gold coastWe found that manufacturers’ carpet-cleaning solutions that are labeled as “anti-allergen” or “pet stain” cost about $20 for a 48- to 60-ounce bottle. carpet cleaning price per sqftThe same holds true for the carpet-cleaning solutions that are sold by third-party companies.best wet vacuum cleaner for carpet

Prespray Treatment Boosts Carpet Cleaning Read Now It’s no surprise that carpet-cleaner manufacturers claim that their solutions work best in their own appliances, but our evaluations didn’t bear that out. We tried the machine-branded solution, an opposing brand, such as using a Hoover solution in a Bissell carpet cleaner, and a third-party solution in the same carpet cleaner on a light tan carpet that was littered with pet hair, orange juice and tracked-in dirt for good measure. Each of the solutions removed all visible residue and noticeable odor that was left from the mess; none outperformed the others noticeably. Another trend in carpet-cleaning solutions is for them to be environmentally friendly. In 2012, for instance, Hoover made its entire line of solutions 100 percent biodegradable. Because dirty water gets poured down the drain or into the ground when you finish cleaning your carpet, “making our solutions biodegradable was the right thing to do,” Hoover President Dan Gregory tells Consumers Digest.

Bissell notes that the detergents that are in its carpet-cleaning solutions also are biodegradable, and it cites its partnership with Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program. The DfE designation, according to EPA, means that each ingredient that’s in a carpet-cleaning-solution formula poses “the least concern among chemicals in their class.” Bissell’s carpet-cleaning solutions are among 87 consumer products that are on the DfE list. March 2010 Canadian Ratings This article appeared in March 2010 Consumer Reports Magazine.There's certainly no lack of cleaning options, including buying a carpet-cleaning machine, renting one, or hiring a pro. We tried them all. While nothing beat the ease and performance of a pro, some of the nine machines we tested came pretty close for less money. Before we put the machines to work, we had to ready our lab. By the time we were finished, it looked like a gang of kids wearing muddy sneakers had run amok.

Panels of off-white nylon plush carpet treated with stain repellent were embedded with topsoil. After vacuuming, we tested each carpet cleaner with its manufacturer-recommended solution and passed over a soiled area 20 But sometimes you just need to clean up a few spills by hand. To test stain removers, we poured specific amounts of wine, coffee, spaghetti sauce, and French dressing on untreated nylon carpet panels. After two hours we blotted up what hadn't beenThe next day we worked in the removers. Here are the highlights of our various tests: Machines that were better at lifting embedded dirt, such as the $270 Hoover Dual V Steam Vac and the $170 Hoover Steam Vac, have larger, more powerful motors. The $80 Bissell QuickSteamer 1770 was a lightweight, in pounds and performance. very good at extracting cleaning solution because it didn't put much down. It was only fair at cleaning. The $80 Little Green compact carpet cleaner claims it cleans as well as a full-sized model and works on stains.

our off-white carpet a medium gray; almost all of the full-sized models did a better job at removing dirt. Green did little on our tough stains. Bissell and Hoover, the two largest manufacturers of carpet cleaners, say you must use their cleaning solutions in their machines or you could void the warranty or cause electrical shock or fire by damaging the machine. The good news is that most of the manufacturers' solutions we tested performed similarly and were very good, which is why they're not in the Ratings. machine doesn't specify a solution, try Fresh Solutions Allergen Complete, sold at Sears. It was tops in our tests and costs Rug Doctor's Mighty Pro, which can be rented at stores nationwide for $20 to $30 per 24 hours, seems like a bargain. as well as some of our top-rated machines, and you can clean a large area before emptying the dirty water. But it was heavy and bulky and left the carpet pretty wet. So you'll have to wait longer to put furniture back in the room and walk on the

Use a dehumidifier to speed up drying. Stanley Steemer, a nationwide chain, outperformed all of the carpet-cleaning machines we tested, removing all visible dirt. Even the best machine we tested left behind some dirt. Stanley also removed tough stains from a staffer's carpets. best machines in our tests only lightened the stains. Coffee and red wine stains are tougher to remove because they tend to quickly soak into carpet. None of the stain removers we tested were very good at removing all types of stains. Vacuum maker Dyson's Dyzolv was the least effective and most expensive. With Bissell's $130 SpotBot compact cleaner, you push a button and walk away while it works. SpotBot removed all of the red wine and most of the tomato sauce from carpet treated with stain protector, but on untreated carpet it wasn't much better than a mediocre stain remover. Instead try a wet/dry vacuum to lift the initial spill. Then apply the stain remover and use the vacuum to suck up the cleaner and stain.