-
Always vacuum your carpet before steam cleaning to remove loose dirt. If your carpet is highly soiled, which easily happens in walkways, try spraying a cleaner onto the carpet before steam cleaning. There are several that foam and lift ground-in dirt, grease and soils. Spraying a cleaner beforehand will assist the steam cleaner in getting your carpet even cleaner.
Once you've vacuumed, treated any spots and sprayed a cleaner, prepare the steam cleaner with the manufacturer's recommended soap. Start in a corner and work toward the hard floor so you won't need to walk on the wet carpet after your steam clean. A good tip is to move the steam cleaner slowly. Steam cleaners need to move much slower than a dry vacuum. Steam cleaning slowly will get the carpet wet and then let the machine suck up dirt and grease. Very dirty carpets might need to be steam cleaned twice.
When using a smaller unit that you've bought yourself, go over a room or area with the spray feature on to work in the cleaning product. Then go over it again while spraying and sucking the water up. After these two steps, go over the area one last time just sucking up any moisture. This three-step process will get the carpet cleaner and drier. If you rent a larger machine, follow its directions. Usually you pull it backwards slowly while spraying, then lift the front end to move it forward again. -
You can get more features and a stronger vacuum by spending a little more money. It's well worth it if you like keeping your carpet clean. Steam cleaners are something every parent and pet owner should have. If you're purchasing your steam cleaner, look for one that heats the water while it's running. Some models do not heat water, but rely on hot water that you add. Very hot water cleans much better than just warm water, and it dries much faster. You'll notice a huge difference if you use a model that heats the water.
Another needed feature is a hand tool. That way, you can steam clean into the corners, treat spots before going over an area and clean spills in between cleanings.
Another option is to rent a steam cleaner, which might help because you can rent a larger machine than you can buy. These are powerful and also heat the water so they clean your carpet really well.
