I am thinking of getting a carpet shampooer. I really don't know what to look for. If you have one, can you tell me what the pros/cons of that particular machine are? I appreciate any input. Thanks!
Diane
I have a Bissel ProHeat and it's been OK, but just OK. It has come in handy at times with a dog, cat, and 3 grandkids, but it is very temperamental. The soap dispenser doesn't always work properly, the tank isn't very big so you have to dump the water often, and I don't think it heats up much at all. I agree that it's good to have one around for quick clean ups, but I personally would not buy another Bissel (05/13/2008)
By Kayray
I had a Bissell that broke. When I took it to my local vacuum repair he told me he would not touch it. Told me to only buy Hoover if I am going to buy one. I have had a couple of Hoovers and so have my parents and have not had any trouble with them other than normal wear and tear. (05/13/2008)
By MurphTheJo
I have a Rug Doctor. While it's kind of big, it does a great job of cleaning. It's like the kind that you rent. The part I like is that it doesn't just let the water set on the carpet, but sucks all the stuff up. Dirt is attracted to soap, so models that scrub and allow the dirty stuff to stay in the carpet just make things worse. After cleaning, I often will do a second time with plain hot water just to make sure that everything has come out. The suction is great on these, so the carpet dries really fast, too. (05/26/2008)
By susan
I have owned a Hoover shampooer for years. I had a Golden Retriever. Max had a few accidents over the years. Hoover cleaned terrifically. It is a little heavy, but it is wonderful machine. I have always had new looking carpet after using the Hoover and it always removed the smell. Hoover Pre-spot cleaner is terrific product, also. (07/09/2008)
By Debbie
I bought a Bissell Proheat shampooer about 2 years ago. It broke down two months ago because the shampoo sprayer stopped working and the plastic around the screws holding the bottom of the shampooer cracked. These two things happened about the same time. I would never buy a Bissell product again. I found the quality of the product and workmanship poor. It is also extremely expensive to replace the broken parts. It would be cheaper to buy a new shampooer. I am thinking of Hoover. I bought the Bissell because the department store salesperson recommended it. That was a mistake. (07/22/2008)
By Wayne
We have a Bissell Pro-heat X2 and we love it. Our house always smells so nice and clean and it sucks up the water better than any other we have used including having the professionals come in to steam clean. We have used our Bissell several times, our neighbor used it to clean up after visiting dogs and our son has used it to clean up his dirty carpet and truck. I wouldn't rent another steam cleaner from a store again. The last time we rented our house smelled terrible from previous use. (08/16/2008)
By Patty
I recently bought Kirby Sentria that was demo model for $900. The vacuum removes the embedded dirt, and the shampooing attachment just literally shampoos the top of the carpet. Works well for normal skin oil buildup from bare foot traffic. Spots/stains require elbow grease. If you start with a newer carpet and regularly shampoo (maybe twice a year) your carpet should look almost like new for a very long time.
You basically just need to shampoo the regularly trafficked areas and vacuum the rest and your carpet will stay clean. Once in a long while you might want to shampoo everything. If you're starting with an older, dirty carpet, I suggest you vacuum very well (slowly) a few times especially over the regularly trafficked areas and rent a carpet cleaner that steams/agitates/vacuums deep down and then you'll be able to maintain the cleaned carpet with regular vacuuming and shampooing using the Kirby system.
I was hoping that the shampooer that attaches to the Kirby was better, but it is limited because it cannot "vacuum" the carpet as it shampoos. Maybe a future Kirby will be able to. Please note that this is my personal opinion and recommendation and any other opinions are highly encouraged because we all have different experiences. (10/03/2008)
By Larry
I have sold Kirbys for more then 8 years. They work great if you use them and only if you use them. The problem is that most people have a bad vac and when they go to clean their carpets they just push the dirt deeper which in turn makes your carpet get more stains in a few weeks when you walk on it. If you have a problem with your Kirby call the local office and they will come out and show yo how to use it. (10/21/2008)
By Matt
No one has mentioned the Rainbow. We have a cleaning lady come over and she brings her Rainbow E series tank system with the shampooer attachment and I am really impressed. It does as well as hiring the pros to come in. We have had a Hoover steam vac, but it has lost suction and leaves too much water in the carpet. I am looking for a used or rebuilt Rainbow. Any other Rainbow users out there? (11/13/2008)
By Jeff
Ditto on the Bissell Proheat, mine broke after a couple of uses. I phoned them and they also have terrible customer service people. Don't waste your money on Bissell. (12/17/2008)
By Tim
If you need to shampoo often a Bissell will not hold up. They work great when they work but the parts that go out the most they will not sell to consumer, all planned I am sure. Take bad motors to a alternator starter repair shop, some of those guys can redo motors. (02/07/2009)
By Cliff P.
As a mom with a husband, 3 kids, 3 dogs and 2 cats, I am forever cleaning! I have owned the Bissell, Hoover, and Dirt Devil shampooers. (The Bissell and D.D are junk! The Hoover, is not a lot better.) My Hoover just quit working last week. When I had seen the infomercial on TV for the Rug Dr, I had to give it a try. It's the best! My floors have never looked, smelled, or felt so good. This machine is truly amazing. The vibrating bristles make sure ever fiber is cleaned and fluffed, and it sucks the water up so good, my rooms are dry in no time.
It's a pricey machine starting at $500, but worth every penny. I will never waste money on the other ones again. Plus, they have payment plans, and you get $150 of free cleaning solutions. If your not happy with it, you can return it. So, you have nothing to lose. You can also order on the web site (www.rugdoctor.com) and see the machine in action. Walmart has the smaller Rug Dr. for only $499. I have the wide track model, but I am sure it works just as well. (10/22/2009)
By Leslie
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