Comparison of Carpet Shampoos
Whether you're preparing for a holiday dinner, hosting a graduation party, or in the midst of spring cleaning, there are some times that a standard vacuum isn't enough to get your carpets clean. Renting or buying a professional-quality steam cleaning machine can help you get tough stains and deep dirt out of your floor coverings. Before your carpet cleaning begins, you'll need a special shampoo to add to the water in your machine. Does this Spark an idea?
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Concentrated
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A concentrated formula is used to produce some shampoos, offering more bang for your buck. For example, a half-gallon bottle of one concentrated product can produce up to 32 gallons of carpet-cleaning liquid.
Environmentally Friendly
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Some carpet shampoo manufacturers offer an earth-friendly product made from natural ingredients. These shampoos may be free from phosphates, chlorine or other chemicals. They may also lack artificial colors or fragrances. These products may use plant- or fruit-based ingredients.
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Pet- or Allergy-Focused
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Some shampoos claim to reduce allergens like mold and dust when cleaning your carpets, while others target pet odors and stains with bacterial enzymes.
Special Scent
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If you want a fragrance left behind when your carpet cleaning is done, look for shampoos that offer special scents, such as lavender.
Carpet Protector
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Some manufacturers say their shampoos are formulated with a carpet-protecting formula that will help prevent future stains.
Seal of Approval
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The Carpet and Rug Institute, a nonprofit trade organization, works with a laboratory to test cleaning solutions and evaluate them for qualities such as overall effectiveness, rate of resoiling and colorfastness. Products that meet the institute's criteria receive its seal of approval, which can be displayed on shampoo packaging.
Price
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You could purchase standard carpet shampoo online for about 50 cents an ounce in May 2010, while a regular concentrated shampoo could be purchased for 34 cents an ounce. An environmentally friendly product was available for 16 cents an ounce in a concentrated formula.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit woolen carpet texture image by Tolbxela from Fotolia.com
