Which carpet cleaner is the best? HSS hire or Rug Dr. I need

[butterfly]

Basically my carpets are a bit stained and to make matters worse I think they are harboring moths. I need to have the carpets washed. I need a carpet washer which is 'idiot proof' as I dont want to risk injuring myself or shrinking the carpets. Which ones are the easiest to use? Do you have to vaccuum the rooms before you use the carpet washer? and which ones are your most impressed with?

Thanks in advance.

[Tim S]

butterfly coughed up some electrons that declared:

If you have muscles, I would recommend hiring a RugDoctor from Homebase, B&Q or many other places.

They're heavy, but extremely effective.

Hoovering first is a good idea whichever machine.

If you have any really yuk bits, then buy some spot treatment spray at the same time.

BUT - you did say "moths" - are your carpets wool? If so, please wait for other advice - I've never done a wool carpet, so I'm not sure about shrinkage issues...

HTH

Tim

[The Medway Handyman]

No great worry.

Doctor will give a better clean & faster drying but is best suited to open areas. The HSS 'wand' type machines are more versatile, but less effective.

More info

[Theo Markettos]

have a machine that was originally bought for polishing wooden floors - it looks like an upright vacuum cleaner (and made by Hoover, I think), but with a felt pad on the bottom. It will also clean carpets, where the felt pad is replaced by brushes. There are various tanks inside, but I don't think there's any vacuum action. I'd like to give it a go cleaning a synthetic (cheap'n'nasty) carpet.

Any ideas what sort of shampoo would be used with it?

Thanks Theo

[Alang]

>I have a machine that was originally bought for polishing wooden floors - it

These were around in the 1960s. My brother had one.

IIRC any that can be used for a handwash. That is a bowl of water and detergent and a scrubbing brush. We used to use 1001.

Cleans a big big carpet for less than half a crown.

[The Medway Handyman]

> I have a machine that was originally bought for polishing wooden

You need a dry foam carpet shampoo. The idea is you feed the shampoo from the tank onto the brushes & a lot of foam is generated. When this dries it crystalises, trapping the dirt loosened by the brushes.

Two stage process, scrub with dry foam, wait for it to dry fully, then vacuum up.

[David]

What about the large one from them?

It might not have brushes but surely the pump pressure is higher which give a better clean.