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Does anyone know which store bought carpet cleaning machine works best and easiest on cat messes? I need to tackle my carpeting and the cats have been bad. I have CFS and need a simple, quick and effective method.
Buttercup admits it: "We're guilty!"
By Jazzmin Flower from Alta Loma, CA
I have a Bissell Pro Heat. I don't recall the exact model, but it's an upright. They have one marketed for pet owners. I don't know why or what makes it better than the non-"pet" models.
Carpet cleaning is still no fun, but the upright is *much* easier than the old canister carpet cleaner my mom used to have. The weight of the machine does the work for you.
Since you're dealing with messes from your cats, also consider an enzymatic cleaner. It helps to break down the biological messes so that the cats don't come back to that same spot. Enzymatic cleaners can be found at pet supply stores, or even stores like Wal-Mart.
We have a Hoover upright, but the thing that really works on stains: pet, food, ink, coffee , blood, grease, cosmetics, rust, even wine, is a product called Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover. My husband got it at Lowe's or Home Depot and it is great! You spray it on a stain and wait a few minutes, then blot by hand or go over the spot with your shampooer. (I usually put a little of it in the water reservoir as well.) My father-in-law spilled a whole glass of red wine on the carpet on Thanksgiving and you can't even tell where it happened!
I have the Dirt Devil CE7900 Platinum Force Carpet Extractor/Shampoo Steamer. My sister had the same and so did my mom. All houses with pets. My sister's finally wore out (she kept lending it to other people) but mine is 8+ years old and I love it yet. With kids/grandchildren/dog in the house, this is the best I found. Anyway, make sure it is a hot water type of steam cleaner.
I always put Febreeze (about 1 TB) in the water tank to rinse the carpet as a final step after cleaning it. It keeps it nice smelling and fresh. Remember to vacuum daily when you have pets. This helps. Also make sure you change out the belts on these items often too, they don't have to break to be replaced. A tight belt makes the vacuum work and pick up better, making the carpet look better longer.
All good advice: I was thinking of trying one of the Hoovers at Target but I should study all these models mentioned here again on their websites. I have an old Big Green Clean Machine from Bissell but I don't think it can handle the toughest spots. They have these odd boxy red carpet cleaners to rent at Food 4 Less that seem to be entirely made of light weight plastic. I wish Stater Brothers still had their rental line as they were really sturdy. Anyone remember what brand manufacturer those were?
I am late to post this. :)
What is the best rug shampooer to buy?
By linda from Corning, NY
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Want is the best home carpet cleaner machine to purchase for soiled traffic stains?
By nosey70
Can anyone suggest a good rug shampooer that is not too expensive and easy to use? Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Monica from PA
Is this something you want to purchase or rent? (12/20/2004)
By Tori
I found a small one on Montgomery Ward site. It's 99.00, it depends on the size of your house I guess. (12/21/2004)
By brharr3
If you could find a friend or relative that owns a RAINBOW vacuum cleaner, it has a shampoo attachment that works very well. They may even have some of the solution that is used. It's worth a try! (12/31/2004)
By Jeanette
Go to kirby.com and click "Schedule a personal in home demonstration today!" Your nearest Kirby office will come out and show (not tell) you what their system can do. I've had a Kirby for over 20 years with ZERO problems and outstanding performance. I just upgraded to the new model with the transmission and I'm again more than happy with it. Just think, you have nothing to lose. They will come to you, show you what the Kirby can do, clean any room in your house for you FOR FREE! And if you, for only God knows why, don't like it they will take it with them, no strings attached.
My Kirby has saved me thousands of dollars in carpet replacement alone. In fact, even with 5 of us living on this carpet, it looks as good now as it did 20 years ago. All we do is vacuum once a week and shampoo once a year. I know of no other system that can do that. But again, you have nothing to lose, and thousands to save. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. (01/15/2005)
By Matt
If you are purchasing, I would buy the Hoover. It has all the attachments. I really love mine. (04/27/2008)
By Deb
I am thinking of getting a carpet shampooer. I really don't know what to look for. If you have one, can you tell me what the pros/cons of that particular machine are? I appreciate any input. Thanks!
Diane
I have a Bissel ProHeat and it's been OK, but just OK. It has come in handy at times with a dog, cat, and 3 grandkids, but it is very temperamental. The soap dispenser doesn't always work properly, the tank isn't very big so you have to dump the water often, and I don't think it heats up much at all. I agree that it's good to have one around for quick clean ups, but I personally would not buy another Bissel (05/13/2008)
By Kayray
I had a Bissell that broke. When I took it to my local vacuum repair he told me he would not touch it. Told me to only buy Hoover if I am going to buy one. I have had a couple of Hoovers and so have my parents and have not had any trouble with them other than normal wear and tear. (05/13/2008)
By MurphTheJo
I have a Rug Doctor. While it's kind of big, it does a great job of cleaning. It's like the kind that you rent. The part I like is that it doesn't just let the water set on the carpet, but sucks all the stuff up. Dirt is attracted to soap, so models that scrub and allow the dirty stuff to stay in the carpet just make things worse. After cleaning, I often will do a second time with plain hot water just to make sure that everything has come out. The suction is great on these, so the carpet dries really fast, too. (05/26/2008)
By susan
I have owned a Hoover shampooer for years. I had a Golden Retriever. Max had a few accidents over the years. Hoover cleaned terrifically. It is a little heavy, but it is wonderful machine. I have always had new looking carpet after using the Hoover and it always removed the smell. Hoover Pre-spot cleaner is terrific product, also. (07/09/2008)
By Debbie
I bought a Bissell Proheat shampooer about 2 years ago. It broke down two months ago because the shampoo sprayer stopped working and the plastic around the screws holding the bottom of the shampooer cracked. These two things happened about the same time. I would never buy a Bissell product again. I found the quality of the product and workmanship poor. It is also extremely expensive to replace the broken parts. It would be cheaper to buy a new shampooer. I am thinking of Hoover. I bought the Bissell because the department store salesperson recommended it. That was a mistake. (07/22/2008)
By Wayne
We have a Bissell Pro-heat X2 and we love it. Our house always smells so nice and clean and it sucks up the water better than any other we have used including having the professionals come in to steam clean. We have used our Bissell several times, our neighbor used it to clean up after visiting dogs and our son has used it to clean up his dirty carpet and truck. I wouldn't rent another steam cleaner from a store again. The last time we rented our house smelled terrible from previous use. (08/16/2008)
By Patty
I recently bought Kirby Sentria that was demo model for $900. The vacuum removes the embedded dirt, and the shampooing attachment just literally shampoos the top of the carpet. Works well for normal skin oil buildup from bare foot traffic. Spots/stains require elbow grease. If you start with a newer carpet and regularly shampoo (maybe twice a year) your carpet should look almost like new for a very long time.
You basically just need to shampoo the regularly trafficked areas and vacuum the rest and your carpet will stay clean. Once in a long while you might want to shampoo everything. If you're starting with an older, dirty carpet, I suggest you vacuum very well (slowly) a few times especially over the regularly trafficked areas and rent a carpet cleaner that steams/agitates/vacuums deep down and then you'll be able to maintain the cleaned carpet with regular vacuuming and shampooing using the Kirby system.
I was hoping that the shampooer that attaches to the Kirby was better, but it is limited because it cannot "vacuum" the carpet as it shampoos. Maybe a future Kirby will be able to. Please note that this is my personal opinion and recommendation and any other opinions are highly encouraged because we all have different experiences. (10/03/2008)
By Larry
I have sold Kirbys for more then 8 years. They work great if you use them and only if you use them. The problem is that most people have a bad vac and when they go to clean their carpets they just push the dirt deeper which in turn makes your carpet get more stains in a few weeks when you walk on it. If you have a problem with your Kirby call the local office and they will come out and show yo how to use it. (10/21/2008)
By Matt
No one has mentioned the Rainbow. We have a cleaning lady come over and she brings her Rainbow E series tank system with the shampooer attachment and I am really impressed. It does as well as hiring the pros to come in. We have had a Hoover steam vac, but it has lost suction and leaves too much water in the carpet. I am looking for a used or rebuilt Rainbow. Any other Rainbow users out there? (11/13/2008)
By Jeff
Ditto on the Bissell Proheat, mine broke after a couple of uses. I phoned them and they also have terrible customer service people. Don't waste your money on Bissell. (12/17/2008)
By Tim
If you need to shampoo often a Bissell will not hold up. They work great when they work but the parts that go out the most they will not sell to consumer, all planned I am sure. Take bad motors to a alternator starter repair shop, some of those guys can redo motors. (02/07/2009)
By Cliff P.
As a mom with a husband, 3 kids, 3 dogs and 2 cats, I am forever cleaning! I have owned the Bissell, Hoover, and Dirt Devil shampooers. (The Bissell and D.D are junk! The Hoover, is not a lot better.) My Hoover just quit working last week. When I had seen the infomercial on TV for the Rug Dr, I had to give it a try. It's the best! My floors have never looked, smelled, or felt so good. This machine is truly amazing. The vibrating bristles make sure ever fiber is cleaned and fluffed, and it sucks the water up so good, my rooms are dry in no time.
It's a pricey machine starting at $500, but worth every penny. I will never waste money on the other ones again. Plus, they have payment plans, and you get $150 of free cleaning solutions. If your not happy with it, you can return it. So, you have nothing to lose. You can also order on the web site (www.rugdoctor.com) and see the machine in action. Walmart has the smaller Rug Dr. for only $499. I have the wide track model, but I am sure it works just as well. (10/22/2009)
By Leslie
I am thinking of getting a carpet shampooer. I really don't know what to look for.
