Long gone are the days where a carpet shampooer is available only to a professional cleaning service. Now they are made for home use for you DIY cleaning needs or you can rent one from your local home improvement store. But owning is a better way to go as you can find a reasonably priced shampooer for the cost of a good cleaning so purchasing your own can really save you money in the long run. Aside from the standard upright models you can find some that are made as handhelds. When vacuuming just isn't enough, a good carpet shampooer will get those ground in stains and dirt.

When purchasing one look at all the features that come with it so you can find the best deal. Water tank size, various brushes and other attachments are all important factors to consider when it comes to making a wise investment.

Most carpet shampooers have tanks of varying sizes that hold carpet cleaner. There is a flow hose that runs from the tank to the brush area. The brushes then work the solution into your carpet for a deep cleaning by completing a few hundred revolutions. This kind of shampooing can easily remove stains from wine, coffee, pet stains and other hard to clean stains. Once you have applied the solution you will typically have to wait a few hours for it to set in. Your shampoo should foam well enough to get into the fibers of your carpet and work at the dirt or stain. This isn't to say that you should flood your carpet with solution. When it comes time to clean up the solution you will have a residue remain behind if you are not able to clean it all up. So using just enough to cover the stain is plenty.

The more expensive carpet shampooers will have some interesting features like multi-action agitation with multiple brushes that rotate at different angles and directions. Some have direct heat dryers to follow up your shampooing with. Some of the nicer features include a pre-programmed powered scrubbing technology that has different settings for tougher stains. More typical features include attachments like an upholstery brush and crevice tool for cleaning cushions, mattresses and smaller area rugs. Nearly all carpet shampooers have water tanks of varying sizes for holding and dispensing shampoo solution and many can be left to shampoo while you complete other tasks around the house.

A carpet shampooer will keep your carpets looking their best at all times. How many times you need to actually use one is a factor to consider when deciding on purchasing one for your home. Of course over your carpet's lifetime you may need to use one several times. That alone will let it pay for itself and save you in professional shampooing or using a carpet shampooer rental. Often one cleaning will suffice to make your carpet look new again but depending on your circumstances you may find you need to clean more often than others. Children and pets can often create unwanted spills which can't always be wiped up. This is where it's nice to have your own shampooer to use at will. The type of shampooer you will need will be determined by your needs. The more attachments a home carpet shampooer has the more it's going to cost.

A practical shampooer to look for if you are cleaning small areas in different parts of the house is a handheld shampooer. These are a little bigger than a handheld vacuum to account for the cleaning solution tank. They are extremely versatile and make cleaning hard to reach areas that are difficult or impossible to hit with a standard home carpet shampooer a breeze. They are far less expensive than larger upright models and can just tip the $125 scale. One at this price will have some really nice features included so you can assume you can find them for under $100 otherwise.

You can find all your shampooer needs by researching them online. You will find many reviews to help you decide which shampooer will best suit your needs whether it's for frequent use or just to refurbish an old carpet. Some of the more popular brands to look for are Kirby, Hoover, Bissel and the Dirt Devil carpet shampooer. The video I've included goes in depth about using the Kirby Carpet Shampooer.