Hire a carpet cleaner or diy
- Thread starter ram_man
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The rug doctor you rented costs more than 100 so i would not expect much more. The commercial guys have steam i believe so if your carpets are that bad, they could get better results.
JHZR2
Staff member
Carpets are generally disgusting. Pull em out, especially with small kids.
We have a few Persian/oriental rugs in the house, and some high pile Berber upstairs, but we never wear shoes in the house, and any carpet we can take out and really clean, we do.
Most wall to wall that I've seen is pretty gross after it gets old, no matter how clean the owner may be.
We have a few Persian/oriental rugs in the house, and some high pile Berber upstairs, but we never wear shoes in the house, and any carpet we can take out and really clean, we do.
Most wall to wall that I've seen is pretty gross after it gets old, no matter how clean the owner may be.
Don't buy the $100 carpet cleaning machines. I bought one of those and it did the house once and then a bunch of the internal gears on the brush stripped and it was useless. It didn't do that great of a job to begin with. The problem with the Rug Doctor rentals is no one takes proper care of them. Sort of like a rental car. Run the heck out of it and turn it back in. Does it have a full tank of gas? OK, you're good to go.
The rental can sit in the stores with residual water in them for long stretches of time and who knows what the last person put through it trying to save a few dollars by not using the proper chemicals. Unless a water pump fails or something else obvious goes wrong it is rented out to the next person.
We have three dogs and three teenagers so we needed something. We bought a new Rug Doctor a few years ago as a daily special at Woot.com. The only difference is it is blue, not red like the rentals. Rug Doctor sells them too, it was just the deal was about $150 less. Now I have a machine that I know is being properly used, and I can use it on my schedule. I bought the upholstery attachment so now I can do the furniture, stairs and both cars.
The rental can sit in the stores with residual water in them for long stretches of time and who knows what the last person put through it trying to save a few dollars by not using the proper chemicals. Unless a water pump fails or something else obvious goes wrong it is rented out to the next person.
We have three dogs and three teenagers so we needed something. We bought a new Rug Doctor a few years ago as a daily special at Woot.com. The only difference is it is blue, not red like the rentals. Rug Doctor sells them too, it was just the deal was about $150 less. Now I have a machine that I know is being properly used, and I can use it on my schedule. I bought the upholstery attachment so now I can do the furniture, stairs and both cars.
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All depends on the crew that shows up with the truck mounted steam rig. I've had one company do a half [censored] job and another with same type equipment make it look like new. I think when you DIY w/ a rug doctor type machine its too easy to put too much water into the carpet and cause mold problems down the line.
The big machines can pull a lot more of a vacuum than any machine you plug in. Getting as much water out as possible is key, especially to prevent "wick-up".
It takes a good machine, experienced people and the right chemicals to do the job right.
Don't let a company use anything but a wand on home carpeting. Anything with a rotating brush that is big and heavy may untwist yarns.
The Bissel Pro Heat is the only home one I have found that is good for light carpet cleaning of home carpets. If you have carpets that are really dirty (big dogs) hire a pro.
You (or pro) should be spraying down pre-treat with a pump-up garden sprayer, and then use hot water only in the machine. Or maybe hot water and a rinse chemical. No carpet cleaning solution in the machine.
It takes a good machine, experienced people and the right chemicals to do the job right.
Don't let a company use anything but a wand on home carpeting. Anything with a rotating brush that is big and heavy may untwist yarns.
The Bissel Pro Heat is the only home one I have found that is good for light carpet cleaning of home carpets. If you have carpets that are really dirty (big dogs) hire a pro.
You (or pro) should be spraying down pre-treat with a pump-up garden sprayer, and then use hot water only in the machine. Or maybe hot water and a rinse chemical. No carpet cleaning solution in the machine.
You should PM SteveSRT8 on all your questions on carpets and techniques.
I have a ~$150 Bissel cleaner. I mix hot water, carpet cleaner stuff, and a little OxyClean (or liquid hydrogen peroxide, same stuff). Works well on carpets that are dirty, but not heavily stained. If they're really stained, I don't think it would be all that much more money to just replace them vs hire a pro cleaner. Maybe spliut the difference. Buy the $150 home Bissel, use it, get 1-3 more years out of your existing carpet, and start budgeting/saving to replace it then??
I have been VERY successful with renting Rug Doctors for years now. I usually get lucky and pickup a nice clean unit with low hours but there were times where I went to 2-3 different stores because they were either out, or the machines were DIRTY and had a lot of hours on them.
The machine I rent, i instantly clean when I bring it home and run clean water through it outside to flush out anything the previous user left behind. Then I use the Rug Doctors additives and the carpet looks like NEW after I'm done.
The machine I rent, i instantly clean when I bring it home and run clean water through it outside to flush out anything the previous user left behind. Then I use the Rug Doctors additives and the carpet looks like NEW after I'm done.
I have one of those $150 units. They are good for spot cleaning heavily trafficked areas like the hallway to the bedrooms, but I would not use one to do an entire house, unless you only have carpet in a couple of rooms. It's too tiring to refill & empty the reservoirs repeatedly. Plus the machine would probably die before then. Mine lasted several hours (spread out over 2 years) before the motor went kaput
They feature a rotating brush but it won't damage the carpet. The brush is very soft (much softer than a vacuum cleaner's)
You should hire someone. Their equipment is superior
They feature a rotating brush but it won't damage the carpet. The brush is very soft (much softer than a vacuum cleaner's)
You should hire someone. Their equipment is superior
Originally Posted By: ram_man
I would like to clean my carpets, I've used rug doctors and they have sucked!!! Would I be better off buying a 100 carpet cleaning machine or hiring it out? What can I expect from a cleaning service ?
Quick and easy way to hire a good pro: Call the local supply house in the yellow pages. They know who is who. We all go there.
Too busy right now to write a book, but few machines in a truck are PTO, and there are great self powered machines also. Age, maintenance, and most importantly THE OPERATOR are the big factors here. Then your tech needs to understand chemistry and techniques to use on your unique issues which can be very different from the next guy's.
Good luck, PM me and I'll get back to you...
I would like to clean my carpets, I've used rug doctors and they have sucked!!! Would I be better off buying a 100 carpet cleaning machine or hiring it out? What can I expect from a cleaning service ?
Quick and easy way to hire a good pro: Call the local supply house in the yellow pages. They know who is who. We all go there.
Too busy right now to write a book, but few machines in a truck are PTO, and there are great self powered machines also. Age, maintenance, and most importantly THE OPERATOR are the big factors here. Then your tech needs to understand chemistry and techniques to use on your unique issues which can be very different from the next guy's.
Good luck, PM me and I'll get back to you...
Back when we had fewer hard surface floors, if we didn't have time I'd have a professional do the carpets. However, I achieved as good (if not better) results doing them with our own equipment. As a general rule, other than the rare spot cleaning I've only needed to use steaming hot water to clean the carpets in our cleaning machine.
I like having our own carpet cleaner; I don't have to wait for someone to show up, and I can do the carpets on the weekend, early in the morning or late at night.
I've had a Rug Doctor Might Pro Professional for a few years now and it does a great job. That being said, we now have mostly hardwood and stone flooring-carpets are only in the bedrooms, my den and my wife's office. We only need to clean them once every couple of years, if that often. I won't hire a professional again-I'll simply do them myself.
I like having our own carpet cleaner; I don't have to wait for someone to show up, and I can do the carpets on the weekend, early in the morning or late at night.
I've had a Rug Doctor Might Pro Professional for a few years now and it does a great job. That being said, we now have mostly hardwood and stone flooring-carpets are only in the bedrooms, my den and my wife's office. We only need to clean them once every couple of years, if that often. I won't hire a professional again-I'll simply do them myself.
We clean FAR more stone, ceramic tile, and wood/laminate than carpets these days. About 70% of our business is in hard floors, then area rugs, then on-site carpet cleaning.
NONE of our clients wait, we work for busy professionals who do not have the time or energy to clean their own homes. Few people with a large property do DIY cleaning. Some of them have never even seen us as we work with their housekeeper or staff and just mail them a bill.
Lastly, no way can you compare a modern truck POWERED machine with anything you plug into a wall. A positive displacement blower is a very different generator of vacuum than a centrifugal impeller type, not even in the same zip code. Scalding heat and raging suction mean a much better job in the hands of a professional. Not just a small incremental improvement!
Then there is your health. Small electric machines exhaust waste air right in the room with you. If you knew what happens when you aerosolize contaminants commonly found in carpets with water and low heat you would never rent/diy again!
I still don't understand the ignorance surrounding soft versus hard floors. Sweden virtually eliminated carpets yet has much higher rates of allergies now than before the change. Properly maintained rugs/carpets actually capture the contaminants that you would be breathing if you had hard floors...
NONE of our clients wait, we work for busy professionals who do not have the time or energy to clean their own homes. Few people with a large property do DIY cleaning. Some of them have never even seen us as we work with their housekeeper or staff and just mail them a bill.
Lastly, no way can you compare a modern truck POWERED machine with anything you plug into a wall. A positive displacement blower is a very different generator of vacuum than a centrifugal impeller type, not even in the same zip code. Scalding heat and raging suction mean a much better job in the hands of a professional. Not just a small incremental improvement!
Then there is your health. Small electric machines exhaust waste air right in the room with you. If you knew what happens when you aerosolize contaminants commonly found in carpets with water and low heat you would never rent/diy again!
I still don't understand the ignorance surrounding soft versus hard floors. Sweden virtually eliminated carpets yet has much higher rates of allergies now than before the change. Properly maintained rugs/carpets actually capture the contaminants that you would be breathing if you had hard floors...
Originally Posted By: ram_man
What should I expect to pay for a decent quality job?
Varies wildly by level of service. We use a 12 step procedure that is extremely thorough and give an ironclad warranty that covers ANYTHING no matter what. You either are happy or you get every penny back.
Any reputable cleaner should come and give you a FREE demonstration and a quote at your convenience. Then you can elect to do the work then or reset it to another date.
Here in FL we charge an average of 45-55 cents per square foot for what we actually clean, watch out for the guys who measure the whole room and then don't even move the furniture!
What should I expect to pay for a decent quality job?
Varies wildly by level of service. We use a 12 step procedure that is extremely thorough and give an ironclad warranty that covers ANYTHING no matter what. You either are happy or you get every penny back.
Any reputable cleaner should come and give you a FREE demonstration and a quote at your convenience. Then you can elect to do the work then or reset it to another date.
Here in FL we charge an average of 45-55 cents per square foot for what we actually clean, watch out for the guys who measure the whole room and then don't even move the furniture!
Here we get three rooms regardless of size for $99 and they do a nice job. I wouldnt think of DIY when its this cheap.
You can't beat a professional deep/steam clean. No DIY will come close to a professional clean. Trust me, we've tried DIY. We have it done once a year and consider it as standard maintenance along with air duct cleaning. We have dogs, allergies, and a child with asthma.
We pay $150ish for about 900sq ft of carpeting including having furniture moved. We have a steam mop/cleaner for all the other hard surfaces.
We pay $150ish for about 900sq ft of carpeting including having furniture moved. We have a steam mop/cleaner for all the other hard surfaces.
Vacuum the carpet thoroughly before the cleaners arrive. Move little things out of the room. I worked for one of the major cleaners when I was in college. Kind of fun revving the truck up to a certain rpm and engaging the vac system. Strong enough to pick up a bowling ball. Had to wash the trucks every day at the end of the shift.
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