When I first moved into my apartment a year ago, my carpets looked brand new. Even though I vacuum regularly, months of shoe and sneaker traffic, feline hairballs, and who knows what else has diminished the look of the most lived-in portion of the dwelling. In my old apartment, I didn’t care much for the state of the carpets, but here, I’d like the place to be more presentable to guests.
My first attempt was with Carbona 2 in 1 Oxy-Powered Carpet Cleaner, a bottle of cleaner with a brush for treating and cleaning soiled areas. With the hairballs (and accompanying regurgitated dry cat food) being my primary concern, this product performed adequately at best. I was considering hiring professionals, but this would be an expensive proposition.
Somehow, I found myself chatting with a co-worker the other day. She has a large and messy dog, a black Labrador I believe. This co-worker—let’s call her Mary—is a former single homeowner who has downsized to an apartment for the past year and is planning to begin looking for a new house, but in no rush. Mary swears that the Hoover SteamVac will perform just as good as any professional service and will cost much less.
I’ve decided to put that claim to the test. Amazon.com is selling the Hoover F5912900 TurboPower 5200 SteamVac Carpet Cleaner for about $150 but I was able to beat that price in person at the local Bed Bath & Beyond. The product has great reviews online and this may be the first time I’m looking forward to cleaning.
My girlfriend and I assembled the device on Sunday, but I’m waiting for the next opportunity for its first use. I will need to set aside time for the cleaning plus six hours for the carpets to dry. This is apparently a short period of time compared to the time required by other cleaners.
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11:46 am (reply)
Good luck with the steam cleaner! It might save my upstairs carpets. I have an 80 lb Golden Retriever so I just went with wood floors downtstairs. He’’s surprisingly not too bad on them – but they’ll require some refinishing soon. As for the carpet upstairs I just try to keep it vacuumed – that’s the most I can hope for, I’m afraid.
12:59 pm (reply)
I got a Bissell a few months ago, and like it very much. However, what I really need is new carpeting, and this cleaner is nothing like a professional cleaning. I think it’s great to have on hand and better than renting a steamer. It is lightweight and very easy to use.
1:09 pm (reply)
We really need to get a decent shampooer for our carpets soon too. Can’t wait to see how the results play out.
5:01 pm (reply)
I rented a Rug Doctor from Wal-Mart once. It worked great on my apartment, but I do not have pets.
7:12 pm (reply)
i bought myself a hoover steam vac about 4 yrs. ago now and it still works well. had to take it in to the shop once (cost $35) cuz i left it out in the shed during the winter and got a crack in a hose. at first i used the shampoo they recommended
but then checked around and found a good deal at Sears. you can get a big old jug of cleaner thats concentrated (only have to use a capful) for about $14 the last time i bought some.
i work for seniors and sometimes they pay me to clean up a room or two so it payed for itself within the first year . i did not like the attachment cuz it left too much water behind for my taste but my 18 yr. old son used it and was ok with it. did find out the hotter the water you use the better it works. i have a
75 lb. husky so understand the whole dog hair problem. good luck.
11:06 pm (reply)
We had one of these growing up (older model of course) and they work well. It basically pays for itself after one or two uses. The only issue for an apartment would be storage, but if you have room it is well worth the investment.