by Carisa Silvesan

Created on: June 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 30, 2011

If you have tried almost every carpet cleaner and spot remover on the market, but are still not seeing the kind of difference you would like to see then maybe you're not getting the right ones for the job. When it comes to getting your carpet clean you want it done fast and right with no evidence that a stain or dirty area even existed. There are some great carpet cleaning companies out there, some products at your local store you should look for if you want the best and some amazing home remedies to get the carpets in your home clean and free of dirt, grease, stains and grime.

First and foremost, is to look into what the Carpet and Rug Institute has to say on what are some of the best carpet cleaning solutions out there. There are some sold in your local supermarket and they can be difficult to find, but worth it if you do find it. They are labeled with a green seal of approval from the Institute itself and have been tested with the result of best carpet cleaning product. The number one warning is to not use soap or carpet cleaning products containing soap. Soap only spreads dirt and grime and can actually make it easier for those to come back on the carpet. Instead look for cleaners that have some sort of "Oxy" product to their name. The number one "Oxy" product on the market is from Woolite. Many people who clean their carpet with this product rave that is has gotten even some of the toughest stains out.

If you would rather have someone else come and do the dirty work for you there is one name that stands out among all the rest of the carpet cleaning companies out there - Stanley Steamer. They have an absolutely excellent reputation and reviewers of their work say their carpets have never looked cleaner since the day they got them installed. A cheaper option, but one that doesn't require a lot of elbow grease, is to rent a steam cleaner. Rug Doctor has earned the title of best steam cleaner to rent and has really gotten the job done for many people who can't or don't want to pay a higher price for someone else to do it. Just know the machine is heavy and there is an added fee for the actual cleaning solution.

Last, but not least, are homemade cleaning solutions that have gotten A+ ratings from stay at home parents everywhere who feel like they clean stains non stop! The best element is White Distilled Vinegar. This is the most widely mentioned and used homemade carpet cleaner on the market. When used as a pre treater or in the tank of a steam cleaner people claim it works wonders. For use in a tank, most people recommend to use it in a 1 to 1 ratio with very hot waer. Others use it straight and claim to get the same resuts. To use it as a spot remover, the number one thing to do is sprinkle baking soda on the stain and scrub it into the fibers and then, with a spray bottle, spray the baking soda area with White Vinegar. Let it sit for 30-45 seconds and scrub with a durable brush with long bristles. By far this is the most tested and most successful way to keep carpets clean.

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