Carpet cleaners

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I'm looking for a portable spot cleaner that is 1) built better than the retail units sold at places like Wal-Mart, Lowe's, and Home Depot, and 2) small and light weight.

I've run the gamut of units like Bissell's Green Machine, and probably most of the other brands that have models that are basically the same thing. All work okay when new, but they usually don't even last a year before something goes wrong with them. Fed up with having to buy a new one every year, I decided to go with more of a commercial type unit, the Mytee S-300 Tempo Spotter. It's an awesome unit, puts down a lot of solution, great suction, built like a tank, and I doubt anything would ever go wrong with it. However, the main unit is very heavy and cumbersome to carry around, and the large diameter hose is difficult to handle for me, almost impossible for my wife to use.

Is there one made that fits somewhere in the middle? I need something that's built well enough to last, and is light enough and easy enough for my wife to handle. I realize such a unit is going to be expensive, but I don't care. It would be worth the price if such a unit is available...
 
I take care of small carpet cleaning jobs using a wet shop vac, hot water & TuffStuff, if necessary. 80% of the time, hot water extraction works.

I heat about 800mL of water in a beaker to around 165°F. Fire up the Rigid vac, pour a little hot water on the stain, then immediately vac it up. To do a small area, I use a plastic spray bottle and a 6" sweep nozzle.

Cheap + very effective and I didn't have to buy anything.
 
Not putting you off from buying a HD machine, but I still have a household-duty carpet cleaner working after more than 10 years.
Every time I use it I flush everything with water afterwards. I figure not flushing the solution out of the machine is what kills a lot of the machines (in storage, in between uses).
 
I bought a professional machine geared for spotting and car upholstery cleaning. It's 3 gal tank and pretty east to use and carry. Mytee and others make them.

Only a professional machine has the type of vacuum motor to really extract the dirty water.

I have gone through a couple of SpotBots that lasted a year or so each before I bought the professional machine.
 
Originally Posted By: spackard
Not putting you off from buying a HD machine, but I still have a household-duty carpet cleaner working after more than 10 years.
Every time I use it I flush everything with water afterwards. I figure not flushing the solution out of the machine is what kills a lot of the machines (in storage, in between uses).


I've always done that with every unit I've had. The problem I always have with them is they always stop spraying the cleaning solution...
 
Scour pawn shops or CL and and when you find a Kirby vacuum with the shampoo attachment, you'll never have to buy another vacuum or carpet shampooer again. Mine is 25 years old, still works great, has a lifetime motor guarantee. They are still made in the USA, you can still find parts easily if you need them, the shampoo attachment works great and they are built like a tank. You can find used ones for $100 or less.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: gman2304

Scour pawn shops or CL and and when you find a Kirby vacuum with the shampoo attachment, you'll never have to buy another vacuum or carpet shampooer again. Mine is 25 years old, still works great, has a lifetime motor guarantee. They are still made in the USA, you can still find parts easily if you need them, the shampoo attachment works great and they are built like a tank. You can find used ones for $100 or less.


But they aren't any easier to handle. Kirby's weigh a ton!
 
Bought a new household grade unit at Lowes last year for $99.

Hoover brand.

Works fine, we use it twice a year.

Not for heavy traffic just light duty work, also has upholstery cleaner.
 
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Bought a new household grade unit at Lowes last year for $99.

Hoover brand.

Works fine, we use it twice a year.

Not for heavy traffic just light duty work, also has upholstery cleaner.


Sounds similar to the ones we used to buy....used frequently, they don't work for long...
 
Too many shampooers are used incorrectly. After soaping the carpet, the machine must go thru another cycle of thorough rinsing. Otherwise soap crystalizes and clogs things (over the years) in the shampooer.

Also, water filters help lengthen the shampooers life, in cases where no city water is available.
 
I have a Bissell green machine. Seems every time I want to use it I have to take the heater apart to clean it out or no flow.
 
'But they aren't any easier to handle. Kirby's weigh a ton!'

They do weigh a ton and you don't want to carry one up and down stairs but they handle very easily. The rear wheels drive the machine through a 'hydrostatic like' transmission and I or my wife can vacuum with one hand easily. The shampoo attachment attaches/detaches from the vacuum in less than a minute and is easily rinsed clean in the kitchen sink. No left over shampoo residue in the machine at all.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
I take care of small carpet cleaning jobs using a wet shop vac, hot water & TuffStuff, if necessary. 80% of the time, hot water extraction works.

I heat about 800mL of water in a beaker to around 165°F. Fire up the Rigid vac, pour a little hot water on the stain, then immediately vac it up. To do a small area, I use a plastic spray bottle and a 6" sweep nozzle.

Cheap + very effective and I didn't have to buy anything.
I do that as well. The Man that comes with the van the scrubbing machine does the best job by far though.
 
I buy the Bissell upright cleaners with the hand tools. My last one was $98.00 dollars at Walmarts Black Friday sale.

They work good for a couple/three years then I throw them away and have to buy another.
 
Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Too many shampooers are used incorrectly. After soaping the carpet, the machine must go thru another cycle of thorough rinsing. Otherwise soap crystalizes and clogs things (over the years) in the shampooer.

Also, water filters help lengthen the shampooers life, in cases where no city water is available.



The new Bissell now has a "clear water" adjustment. The older ones did not have this.
 
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I have a Bissell green machine. Seems every time I want to use it I have to take the heater apart to clean it out or no flow.


That's the same thing I've experienced with all of the retail models I've had...they're just so cheaply built they won't stay working...
 
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