Cleaning your own carpet is not that hard.
Although it does require some work, if you can follow a few steps, the effort can save you hundreds of dollars.
Here is what you need to do.
Step 1:Find a good carpet cleaning machine, either to rent or purchase.
Rental machines can be found in grocery stores, rental stores, hardware and home improvement stores.
The rental machines in grocery stores tend to be low quality and the chemicals are overpriced.
Better quality machines can be found in rental stores or hardware or home improvement stores.
Of course, certain good quality carpet cleaners can be purchased reasonably that can save you many thousands of dollars over the life of the machine.
Step 2:Get chemicals for cleaning.
Purchasing chemicals at the place you rent the machine is convenient but can be costly.
Better sources come from your local janitorial supply or other online sources.
You can save 25-50% on the price of chemicals if you are a smart shopper.
You will need carpet cleaning detergent, pre-treater for spots and carpet protector if you choose.
Step 3:Move furniture and vacuum the area you intend to clean.
Step 4:Pre-treat any spots or traffic areas with your pre-treater.
Step 5:Fill up your machine with hot water and carpet cleaning detergent and follow the directions for the machine you are using to clean the carpet.
It is best to start farthest away first, so you don't needlessly track over the damp carpet.
Step 6: Rinse the carpet again with hot water only to remove any detergent.
If you have a carpet rake, fluff up the carpet and spray on carpet protector if that is an option you choose.
Step 7: Move back any furniture and be sure to place waxed paper or aluminum foil under the feet of the furniture to prevent stains.
Step 8: You can speed up the drying of the carpet by placing box fans in the areas you cleaned.
Presto, you are done.
If you did everything correctly, you should have a very good looking carpet, take a break and enjoy the results of your labor.