A carpeted staircase adds color, texture, and extra tread for safety on stairs. While you can cover the carpet with plastic runners to protect it from gathering dirt, that is an unsightly solution that should only be temporary. Follow this advice to give the carpet on a high-traffic staircase some special attention to keep it looking new and clean. Just like the carpet in the rest of your home, the carpet on your staircase needs regular vacuuming. It removes dirt, tiny bits of gravel, and debris from the rug that can grind away at it and do damage over time. A standard vacuum cleaner really isn't designed for stairs. It can be heavy to carry and too big for the small steps, making it almost impossible to use properly. To vacuum the stairs, invest in a lightweight, handheld model that's about the size of a small suitcase. It should include different attachments. You can hold the main unit in one hand and guide the attachment with your other. When vacuuming stairs, always remember to start at the top and work your way down.

A hose is good for sucking up surface dirt and may even get some deeper dirt that's loose in the pile. For the best results, use the brush roller attachment, which is similar to the beater brush on your standard vacuum. Doing so loosens impacted dirt and can help your carpet last longer. A stiff broom is also helpful for cleaning your carpeted staircase. It is much more lightweight than any vacuum. Doing so will improve the appearance of the carpet, but vacuuming is still recommended for a deep-down clean. To sweep the carpeted staircase, start at the top and move down. Sweep each step until any debris is on the bottom floor and can be vacuumed or swept away. You can steam clean the carpet on your staircase just as you can any carpet. You'll need a steam cleaner with a handheld hose attachment to do this. If you don't want to purchase a steam cleaner, you can probably rent a machine from a local grocery store. Keep in mind that investing in a home steam cleaner will save you money over time.

You can also opt to shampoo the carpet by hand. It is also the best method of spot-cleaning. Some stains, like those with oil bases, may require a pre-treatment solution that loosens the dirt so it can be lifted from the carpet fibers. Mix specially formulated carpet shampoo with water until you get a light foam. best upright vacuum cleaner under 200Work it into your carpet with a scrub brush. wave pool cleanerIf you have a Shop-Vac or other wet/dry vacuum, vacuum as much water as you can out of the carpet. steam cleaning carpet allergiesOtherwise, use a soft, absorbent towel or cloth to blot the carpet and remove as much water as possible. Once the staircase is completely dry, go over it with a vacuum.Edit ArticleHow to Steam Clean Carpet

Two Methods:Preparing to Steam Clean CarpetUsing the Steam CleanerCommunity Q&A Carpet is expensive, so you don't want to risk steam cleaning it yourself unless you know what you are doing. Improper equipment and technique can cause the carpet to re-soil faster or cause permanent damage to the carpet. Follow this advice on how to steam clean carpet. for a list of top-rated portable steam cleaners. This organization tests steam cleaners and rates them on soil removal, water removal and fiber surface retention. You want to use a steam cleaner that removes a lot of soil from the carpet but also removes the maximum amount of water and doesn't damage the carpet's appearance. Ideally, the steam cleaner should be able to remove enough water that it can dry within 12 hours. Over-wetting can damage the backing to separate from the carpet, and prolonged wetness can cause mold to grow. If the steam cleaner isn't powerful enough to extract the cleaning solution, the carpet will re-soil faster.

Pick a time to steam clean when the carpet can dry quickly. Use a small amount of cleaning solution. Remove furniture and other objects off of the carpet. Fill the steam cleaner's water container with hot water. Add the cleaning solution, as recommended by the manufacturer. Begin cleaning the area of the room furthest from the doorway and move backwards, so you don't walk on the cleaned carpet. Extract as much of the cleaning solution as possible by going over the carpet several times. Rinse out the cleaning solution completely with plain water. Turn on the air conditioner and fans to dry the carpet faster after steam cleaning. If you have to walk on the wet carpet, wear clean socks or plastic bags over the shoes. If you move furniture back into the room before the carpet is completely dry, elevate it on pieces of foam. Stained wood furniture, in particular, can discolor the wet carpet. If you have to walk on the wet carpet barefooted, then make sure your feet are clean so you don't have to keep cleaning the same area you step on over and over.

Never use more cleaning solution than recommended by the manufacturer. More cleaning solution doesn't lead to cleaner carpet, but it can make the carpet re-soil faster. Review your carpet warranty before steam cleaning it yourself. Carpet with a stain resistant treatment requires special treatment or the warranty is voided. Cleaning solutions that contain bleach or optical brighteners can discolor the carpet. Home Carpet Cleaning: Grubby to GreatThere'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 machines we tested came pretty close for less money. Before we put the machines to work, we had to prep 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 times.

More Power, Deeper Clean Machines that were better at lifting embedded dirt have larger, more powerful motors. Almost all of the full-sized models did a better job at removing dirt. 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. Rental Pros and Cons Rug Doctor's Mighty Pro, which can be rented at stores nationwide for $20 to $30 per 24 hours, seems like a bargain. It cleaned 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 carpet. Use a dehumidifier to speed up drying. Pros are easy but expensive

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. Even the best machines in our tests only lightened the stains. Embedded dirt requires deep cleaning. Check your carpet's warranty or manufacturer's website for suggestions on how often you should clean. Otherwise you could damage the carpet or void its warranty. Some companies, for example, don't allow a pro to reapply stain treatments. Then consider these tips: Separate tanks for hot water and cleaning solution make refilling quicker because you usually need to refill water more often. Smaller tanks mean more frequent refills. Carry and push the machine before buying, especially if you'll be carrying it up and down stairs. Look for models with attachments if you'd like to clean upholstery or stairs. Working with water and electricity requires extra care, so if possible plug the machine into an outlet with a ground-fault circuit interrupter.

Wear hearing protection when using any machine for an extended period of time. Don't walk or place furniture on carpet until it's completely dry. Select a company approved by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a nonprofit organization, to ensure the company carries liability insurance and employs certified technicians. Make sure they vacuum before deep cleaning, and ask about spot removal. Get a detailed written estimate, check references, and obtain an invoice. Some stain removers and cleaning solutions for machines emit fumes, so be sure to open windows and run fans when cleaning. That is especially important if someone in your home has respiratory problems such as asthma. Classes of Cleaners – Things to Consider Homeowners who only occasionally clean their carpets may choose to hire a reputable professional or rent a carpet cleaner. But if you have a lot of carpeting and a house full of kids and pets, you might want to consider buying a machine.

Here are the types of carpet cleaners to consider. Often available at a nearby supermarket, hardware store, or home center for about $20 to $30 a day, these upright machines combine a tank for dispensing cleaning solution, a second tank for holding dirty solution, a vacuum, and a fixed or moving brush into a single, heavy unit. As a result, they're cumbersome to push around. Performance and convenience varied from one machine to the next in our tests. In general, look for the cleanest, least-worn brushes on any machine that you're thinking of renting. They're lighter and less bulky than typical rental machines. Most work by scrubbing in a solution of water and detergent, then vacuuming up the water and dirt. They can be expensive and take up a fair amount of closet space. In our last tests, they produced mixed results. All those that we tested also required you to use the manufacturer's special detergent. For small jobs or tackling stains, a compact cleaner is easier to maneuver than the bigger and bulkier full-sized model, and it takes up less closet space and can be stored on a shelf.

One compact, the Bisell SpotBot, lets you push a button and walk away while it goes to work on stains. In our tests it removed the toughest stain from carpet treated with stain protector, but it didn't do as well on untreated carpet. Bissell's compact cleaner didn't clean as well as most of the full-sized models we tested and did little on tough stains. A Pile of Features Carpet cleaners can be a bit unwieldy, so look for features that will make it easier to maneuver, especially if you have carpeted stairs. Here are the carpet-cleaner features to consider. On upright models, they let you clean upholstery, stairs, bare floors, and tight spots between furniture. As with vacuum cleaners, many carpet cleaners have a belt that, over time, needs replacing--a do-it-yourself task for some owners. Belt-free units dispense with this part. A moving brush tends to give a more aggressive scrub than no brush or a fixed one that moves only as you push the machine, though having one or more does not guarantee good cleaning.