Carpet Cleaning with the Steam Cleaning RugDoctor

If you don't have a Carpet Cleaner you can always rent one from your local supermarket. Below is and article about how to Steam Clean your carpets with the Rug Doctors.

We found this great article at: http://prohowtos.ipower.com/content/carpet-cleaning-steam-cleaning-rugdoctor

If you've got pets or kids and your beautiful white or beige carpets have seen better days maybe it's time to rent a RugDoctor from your local supermarket!

These things are great, pick yourself up one of their bottles of carpet shampoo - a big bottle if you've got a lot of cleaning to do or you haven't cleaned in years. The machines rent at most supermarkets for under $40 in most cases. You can sometimes rent them in a 4 hour time block - but this is only for those of you who threw a party while your parents were gone and you've only got a few hours until they come home! Maybe if you only have one room with a carpet then this 4 hour period could be for you. But I still suggest renting it for over night.

Follow the directions completely before using. Make sure not to use any other soap then the soap that they provide. The reason for this is dish soap and other soaps will foam up and make a huge mess of everything, including the machine. Just fork out the extra money for the proper cleaner - it's worth it.

When the RugDoctor's water tank is filled with the cleaning solution and water, flip it on. Don't move to slow or to fast. Pretend your walking with a 2 year old for their first steps. Keep it moving and never stop in one spot with the machine on. The reason is that the jet that sprays water in the front. The agitator is in the middle and the vacuum is in the back. If you continue to spray water/steam without moving it will soak into your floors and could damage your sub floor. Start the spray when you start moving and finish spraying but continue to vacuum up the left over water.

You'll want to cover high traffic areas first. You'll more then likely need to go over these areas a few times. Every time you go over the carpet the steam will let more dirt free from the fibers - you can continue to clean until your dirt bucket is full or you're out of soap. If you clean on a regular basis you shouldn't need to pass more then 3 times on a high traffic carpet. If you don't clean regularly, you'll use up a bottle of the cleaner on just your hallway! I did this for a friend - they had not cleaned their carpets in over 8 years and the carpet stairs we're filthy and black water continued to come up after a dozen passes.

The unit comes with a hand wand - great for cleaning corners and edges of the carpets and even stair treads. Because you're not lugging around a big machine up the stairs I like to spray the step first from a 6 inch distance. Let it soak in for 15 seconds. Scrub it without the vacuum option on. Then finally vacuum it all up. If you're still seeing lots of dirt on the steps continue doing this until they are clean. Stairs will be the dirtiest area of your house.

Beyond cleaning your carpets this also works pretty well on ceramic tiles and linoleum - stay away from hardwood floors! For tiles simply do the same as you would with a carpet. I wouldn't rent one of these things just for your tile floor - it's just if you already have it and you are in the mood for cleaning.

Also, if you've got allergies to dust or pollen, make this a part of your spring cleaning every year - you'll notice a huge change in your symptoms with a dust free home. This is a must for carpet owners - think of your carpets as clothing on your floor - you walk on it, you sit on it and play on it. You've got to clean it once and a while too!

If you're concerned about the chemicals in the carpet cleaner - RugDoctor now offers a green line of cleaning products for your carpets. The carpet cleaner is an OXY product - safe for fumes and a powerful cleaner too. This product works just as well, if not better then the non green version! Try it out!