Carpet cleaning

[Sherry Goodman]

I try to keep my carpets clean, and do everything possible to prevent them from getting dirty. We don't wear shoes in the house. We don't eat in the living room. I make my teenage son & his friends drink from sippy cups (although, this seemed to thin the herd down a bit, and my son got called a sissy & beat up over it). If someone has dirty clothes, I have them leave them at the door. I'm at my wits end with this carpet.

What is the best way to clean carpet? Do those little steam cleaners do any good, or is it a waste of money?

[philoÂÂ]

It's not April 1st yet

[Bob S]

How about dealing with your parenting before you worry about your carpets.....

[krw]

Carpets are cheap and easy to replace. Teenagers, not so much.

I generally rent a carpet cleaner but if that's too much for you, hire a professional or replace them every few years.

[Tony Hwang]

They do good.

[krw]

Vinyl? Gack! *Anything* but vinyl.

[Dean Hoffman]

(bit cut)

Including the workmen who come to your house? Isn't this

enough?

[Stormin Mormon]

You need to cut the carpets into one foot squares. Wash them at the laundromat, in the washing machines. Warm wash, cold rinse. Dry on nylon setting.

[DerbyDad03]

Number the backs with a permanent marker so you can put them back in the same location.

On the other hand, if they are cut very carefully to the exact same size, you could mix them up and create interesting designs from the wear patterns, fading, etc.

[Stormin Mormon]

Much like rotating tires on the car, the carpet will last much longer.

[Steven L.]

I own a Hoover MaxExtract 77 carpet cleaner.

It is simply the best damn carpet cleaner I have ever used (and I've used a lot of them). It's much better than the ones that you rent from the supermarkets. It also does the best job drying the carpet after cleaning that I've ever seen. The carpet is dry within an hour or so.

The MaxExtract is a bit expensive. But if your carpets get dirty frequently, then this unit will pay for itself quickly.

[Moe DeLoughan]

The best model to ask for is a Cleveland Steamer. If you visit your local hardware store, the guys there will be happy to get you set up.