Conference 7.286::home_work

    Depends on two items, Larry.
    
    1. Is the carpet sufficiently soiled that it'll take a two pass
    effort with a do it yourself? Secondly you'll have to move all the
    furniture yourself.
    
    2. There is sufficiently enough competition to get a good in house
    steam cleaning for 6 to 10 dollar per room. They move your furniture
    around for you. The pain in the butt is that you have to be home
    to allow the folks to come by to do the work. 
                                        
    /cal hoe

    I rented one of those machines this past summer. It doesn't do the
    greatest job on ground-in dirt, but it sure was a good price.
    
    However.....
    
    I removed the carpeting from one of my rooms last weekend, and lo
    and behold.. mildew was growing underneath the carpeting. Presumably
    from the summer's cleaning job. The carpeting wasn't the best quality, 
    but I would have bet a bundle it should have dried out by now.

    Carpet cleaning machines that you rent at the local supermarket heat
    the cleaning water via an electric heater.  You fill up the input basin
    with hot tap water and turn on a couple of switches --- one for the
    suction motor and one for a heater.  It will heat up the water a little
    more (if at all) before spraying it onto your carpet & sucking it back
    up. 
    
    A carpet cleaning service will typically pull up to your house in a
    van.  The "cleaner" is the van engine + equipment bolted into the
    truck.  The van's V-8 engine heats the water, and it gets it A LOT
    hotter than the small carpet cleaner that you would rent.  Say what you
    will about Ford/Chevy vans; they sure are great water heaters.  In
    addition, they use a larger suction motor as well, since it is bolted
    into their truck instead of being dragged along from room to room on
    little wheels. 

    I have tried both ways and getting a "professional" cleaner service
    gives a MUCH better result, albeit at a higher price.  YGWYPF.

    Last time Sears showed up to my house in their van, they took
    this huge extension cord and plugged it into my house to heat
    their water.  The electric meter almost spun off the base when
    they turned the thing on.  Probably cost me twice as much as
    what they charged because of the electric bill.
    
    I wasn't all that impressed by the Sears cleaning job.  It seems
    as if they never get the detergent 100% out of the carpet and as
    a result it started to get gummy and felt horrible to walk on
    when it was humid out.  I would never do it again.
    
    -al
    
    

    Don't know about Sears' cleaning job but the electric bill
    won't kill you.  Their heater was more than likely drawing
    less than 2 kilowatts for probably less than 1 hour.  That
    boils down to (no pun intended) less than 2 kilowatt hours.
    At our house, that is less than 12 cents.
    
    Don't worry about the spinning meter.
    
    Gerry (my meter is water cooled)
    

Years ago, we had Sears in with the same result as .-2.  The ones with the
van and the long hose are the answer.  The big machines get the carpet clean
by sheer volume.  Until you see one of them work, you can't believe how much
junk is in that carpet.

    When we moved into our house, it had 10 year old gold shag, with
    a corresponding accumulation of kid (4 of 'em) stuff and dog stuff.
    We hired a guy to come in and clean the carpet before we moved the
    furniture in.  This is a four level split.  He did all the bedrooms
    living room, dining room, called me at work, said he was grossed
    out, was leaving, we owed him nothing!  As we were having the wedding
    at the house the following month (no time to replace carpet at that
    point) we asked him to finish it & paid him anyway!  Two months
    later, we got 3 floors of beautiful new carpet. And another sore
    back from moving all our stuff all over again!

    
    I have approx 10+ yrs. experience cleaning carpets (both commercial
    and residential, and presently own a "truck-mounted' (van) carpet
    cleaning system.  A reputable cleaner can clean all the carpets
    in an average home (6-8 rooms, hall and stairs) in approx 2 hours
    max.  This should include moving and replacing furniture, treating
    traffic lanes, and spot stain removal.  As with anything else, some
    cost more than others.......the key is to get a reputable
    person.....ask around!!!
    
    The thing about Sears is that those operators are NOT Sears employees,
    but independent subcontractors. 
    
    In most cases, it is far better to hire a pro. to clean the rugs
    in your home, and when you figure the time spent getting a rental
    machine, figuring out how to use it, doing the job, bringing it
    back..............its far more economical do hire it out.  Also,
    the rental machines hardly ever work correctly, and any reputable
    cleaner will redo a rug if the customer isn't satisfied.
    
    ed.
    

    I bought a 7 year old split entry ranch with totally abused carpets.
    I had Stanley Steemer come in on a 5 area special $89.95, last 
    Saturday.  It took them a hour, moving furniture and all.  No Kidding!
    Even if the supermarket machines did as well, I would not have done
    it that fast myself!  I remember it took me all weekend to do my
    2 room apartment!  They also have evening and weekend schedules.
    
    Phone is 617-792-3988.
    
    Elaine

    I'm interested in knowing about any experience with other than steam
    extraction cleaning.  There are some companies that advertise a
    process called "Chem-Dry", for instance.  Is steam extraction the
    best method?

    Re: .10
    
    There is a system that employs small sponge particles soaked in
    a solvent.  You sprinkle this on the carpet, scrub it in with
    a beater-brush device, then vacuum.  You can rent these from many
    carpet stores under the name "Host", Sears also sells a version
    of this.
    
    Note that the "steam" cleaners you rent aren't really steam, but
    "hot water extraction".
    
    				Steve

    A question yet unanswered:  Has anyone bought their own carpet
    cleaner and with what success?
    
    						Don
                                                       

    re:.12
    
    I bought a Bissel rug cleaner, as far as I'm concerned it works
    as well as the ones you rent from Taylor rental or at grocery store.
    
    However, I really believe that once you start to clean your carpets
    that they get dirty faster and stain more, but if you need to clean
    your carpets frequently, ie. small children & light carpets!, then
    I think the Bissel is a good deal.  It's easy to use, can do an
    area rug at night after dinner with out the pain of stopping for
    the cleaner, hauling into the house, and then returning it the next
    day.  I believe that the Bissel can also be used as a vacumn, but
    I'm not positive - we already had a shop vac..........
    
    I'm pleased with the Bissel and my family and friends like it too!8^)

    
    Kathy

    
    About a year ago we had our carpets cleaned by Stanley Steamer.
    They did an excellent job. He said that whenever we get our carpets
    cleaned to use steam, never shampoo. The reason for this he said
    is that the shampoo leaves a residue on the carpet which attracts
    dirt more. The steam cleaning dosn't.
    
    Mike

    I desperately need some help as a result of an event this morning.My
    daughter managed to dump an entire glass of grape juice(YES GRAPE
    JUICE)on our beige rug.When I had left for work my wife and I had
    tried carpet stain remover detergent(all this did is turn the stain
    black),vinager and water(which got the black out and brought back
    the purple).The last thing we tried before I left was club soda,this
    seemed to be working.I was told at work that salt would work.
    PLEASE-----any ideas???????
    
    Desperate!!!!!
    Les Borda
    

    
    Dilute it real good with vinager and water. Then poor salt on it
    (a lot of salt, enough to completely cover it). Let it dry, then
    vacuum.
    
    Mike

    
    I haven't tried the vinegar, but I'd be afraid that it might set
    the stain.  I would first try cold water and Borateem (sp?), and
    lots of scrubbing.  It works good for berry stains.
    
    -tm
    

    Don't let it dry before you've gotten the stain as faint
    as you can possible get it.  Keep wetting, pressing with
    something absorbent to soak it up, and repeat with whatever
    your cleaning solution is until you don't see any improvement.
    Then pile on the corn-starch, let dry, brush out, and vacuum
    it up.
    
    I've never tried salt, but I know corn starch just drinks up
    fluids like a sponge.

    You might want to call a carpet-shampoo outfit and ask them (or even
    hire them!  They do a *much* better job than you can do yourself with
    the samll shampooers you can rent).  They managed to get out all sorts
    of stains in my house (no matter what color the carpet is, you spill
    something on it eventually that is a wildly different color...most of
    my carpets are brown/tan/cream which you think would match most common
    spills).

    Thanks for the help everyone,we did our best and it still does not
    come out.My wife called a steam carpet cleaning place that specializes
    in stain removal,he said grape juice sets almost immediately and
    very difficult to get out.He is coming this afternoon but to clean
    the rug but says you will prbably still see the stain.
    Thanks again
    Les Borda.
    

For future reference, disposable diapers will absorb a tremendous amount of
spilled liquid and hold it (away from baby). In houses that have them, they are
usually handy and can be opened and placed "baby side" down and pressed in with
a foot. This also helps when Puppy has an accident (although pressing Puppy into
the spot can be more satisfying).

I can attest to Grape juice staining quickly and not coming out :^(

    Also for future reference, stain proof any carpets where kids (or
    even adults!) might take grape juice!!!
    
    Grape juice (and lot of other things) are natural dyes -- you get
    a chemical reaction and that's it.  Some fibers are more and some
    less liable to stain.  Stain resistance is merely that -- resistance.
    Keeping a stain wet with COLD water, sopping it up as fast as possible,
    and calling in professionals immediately can take care of some things.
    (And some things aren't dyes -- just stains that enzymes or
    neutralizers or soap or other remedies can solve.)  Things that
    SET stains are drying, HOT water, salt! (at least sometimes), mordants
    (like metallic salts, aluminum, iron, etc.), and chemicals that
    react with the dying agent (which changes from dye to dye.)
    
    You can probably figure out what things are more or less hopeless!
    And there are exceptions to every "tip" listed above.
    
    Sherry

    Having endured some mishaps with grape juice that was some years old,
    I'd be inclined to give any children I might eventually have the
    "white" grape juice (Niagra grapes, or is it Delaware?) instead of
    that from the purple Concord grape.
    
    Sherry, is tannic acid (and related compounds) a mordant?  You usually
    get various tannins from the grape skins, along with the dark colors
    (or maybe the tannins HAVE the dark colors).
    
    Dick

    Well,here's the final result(after the carpet cleaners)a lovely
    black stain left in the carpet.The cleaning took out quite a bit,but
    the remaining black stain is forever and ever amen!!!I talked to
    my insurance company and the adjuster is to call me back.By the
    way wit nothing to loose I wonder if a mild mixture of laundry bleach
    and water would take out the black and not the carpet color.I recall
    a couple of years ago opening(here we go again)a can of GD grape
    juice and it sprayed up to the white cealing,I touched the spots
    with bleach and they disappeared.
    And now a little levity for all you people with spouses and kids.
    This is the 3rd house destructo occasion in 6 months.Picture it,on
    a DEC relocation,my new house(11 months old)is sold,babysitter with
    kids,mom working dad at new location,sonny boy plays with chemistry
    set(being told 8 kazillion times NOT ON THE CARPETS)dumps a test
    tube full of METHYL ORANGE DYE on his bedroom carpet and tells us
    two days latter($200 deductable and a new carpet for a house that
    is no longer yours).
    Move into new location(house is 5 years old)wife is makinf french
    fries,removes a hot pyrex dish from oven,puts it on the burner and
    she must have forgot the burner was on,KABOOM,the dish explodes,paper
    towel catches fire,hot pyrex melting into the linoleum,thank goodness
    no one injured,however($200 deductble and a new kitchen floor,different
    insurance co.)Now(if you can imagine)I had to call the insurance
    company again!!!!Wonder if I'll get a letter advising me to take
    my business elsewhere due to being a high risk???
    What a year!!
    
    Les Borda.
    
    

    
    
    There such things as "Carpet Dyers" which can come in and dye the
    carpet spot back to its origional color (or at least very close).
    
    Mike

    re.9
    
    You ought to enter that in TAMARA::WAR_STORIES.  It might add a
    little "home-style" to the computer war stories...
    
    Good luck with your Carpet/insurance.
    
    Patrick  (Yea, 49ers!!!!)
    

    
    Why not just admit defeat and call in a carpet company to cut out
    the bad spot and sew in a new piece of rug? May cost a bit, but
    the results could be "good as new".
    
    					Mark
    

    I know this is probably too late now. But, for future reference,
    I always pour LOTS of baking soda on rugs stains. It 'sponges up'
    the stain overnight! I've used this method with wine spills several
    times and never had any stain left when I scrape and vacuum up the
    dried mess!

    re: 8
    
    Dick,
    
    Tannic acid is actually a dye, not a mordant. Tannic acid can be
    found in tree bark and some nuts. When combined with various mordants
    you will get various shades of the yellow grouping
    (brown-yellow-orange). Mordants are chemicals which help set a dye
    vs creating a color. Some mordants (such as copper sulfate and a
    phosphate compound) will influence the shade of color. 
    
    nancy
    that you can ge

    Does anyone out there in noteland have a safe (reasonably) effective
    method for removing candle wax from a rug???  Any effective solvents
    or is it something more mundane?
    
    Any suggestions would be appreciated. ("Replace the rug." is not
    a valid response... :-) )
    
    Bob
    

    Use paper towels and a hot steam iron. Place towel over wax and
    then iron. The wax melts and the paper towels absorb the wax.
    
    Steve

    Mineral spirits/paint thinner will remove most types of wax.  You
    probably want to test it on a hidden piece of the carpet to make
    sure it doesn't hurt the carpet.
    
    - Mark

Steve is absolutely right in 3152.1.

It works (almost) every time. Just make sure of three things - don't set the 
iron TOO hot (let's not burn the carpet, shall we?), use ink/dye-free paper 
(cheap brown hand wipes - yes /// newspaper or colored paper towels - no; heat
transfer is an amazing and irremovable thing!), and (finally) change the piece
of paper that is under the iron frequently (the idea is to sop the wax up, NOT
transfer it from on place on the carpet to another). Tremendous run-on sentence,
no?

Good luck,

Brian

            <<< LYCEUM::DISK$USER:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CONSUMER.NOTE;2 >>>
              -< Consumer info exchange -- for Digital employees >-
================================================================================
Note 1511.0                    Carpet Master Suit                     No replies
IAMOK::DELUCO "A little moderation never hurt anyon" 17 lines   8-JUN-1989 12:34
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    An FYI, as a word of caution .......
    
    My wife just submitted paperwork to file suit in small claims court
    against Carpet Master carpet cleaning service.  They sold her three
    shares of common stock about a year ago as part of a contract which
    stated they would clean all our carpets twice a year for two years
    at no charge, and would clean them for a discounted price (I think
    it was half price) after that.  
    
    Dealing with them since the contract has been a major problem. Messages
    left on their recorder not answered, no-show for appointments to clean
    the carpet, poor cleaning. 
    
    Before the contract we were very pleased with their service and
    never had problems.  It appears that the drop in service level is
    directly related to the fact that they already have our money.

I think this is hopeless but thought I'd ask here as well as call a few
carpet people.  I have a lead stain on a carpet.  A lead brick was used as a
door stop and was rubbed across the carpet over a period of two years
leaving a black stain on a brown carpet.  I figured this would be as
hopeless as getting a rust stain out of something.  Can any chemists out
there offer advice? 

    I live in Hudson, MA and would like to get my oriental rugs cleaned.
    Does anyone know of a reputable store that will clean oriental carpets?
    What can I expect to pay to have an 8x12 rug cleaned?
    
    In talking to stores are there specific questions to ask and things to
    be cautious of?
    
    

    Look in MOMAX1::ANTIQUE_COLLECTIBLE.  There is a note there regarding
    the care and maintenance (as well as the values) of oriental carpets.
    Try using keyword carpets-rugs in that conference to find the notes.
        
    Hit keypad 7 to add to your notebook.

    Oriental Treasures in Sudbury.  I had a rug
    cleaned and repaired by them, but do not
    remember the cost.  Give them a call.
    
    Sue
    

    
    Mr Moderator, I did a dir/title for carpets and the cleaning of
    same and found no notes.  I am starting one.  If you should know
    of one already listed, please move my note.
    
    I am in the Manchester area and would like to have my carpets cleaned
    professionally.  Has anyone had any good/bad experiences with carpet
    cleaning businesses in the area ??  All replies are appreciated.
    
    Don
    

    Bon Ton Rug Cleaners
    Coolidge Hill Road
    Watertown, MA 
    (617) 924-6103
    
    This is a family-run business (the grandfather started the business and
    the father and son run it now).  The Dohanian family primarily deals in
    cleaning orientals.
    
    They cleaned ours and re-cleaned it when they found a remaining spot on
    the carpet that was not satisfactory to them.  They did an excellent
    job.
    
    To let you know, I am biased.  The Dohanians are personal friends.
    So I know about their integrity and also their involvement in the
    Rug Cleaners Association (nationally).
    
    Give them a call for their rates...much depends on size and if you need
    any repair work done to your carpet.
    
    Regards,
    
    
    
                
    

    Brookline Oriental Rugs in Needham, Mass.  Just about a mile off 128 at
    Needham street.  Turn right at the fire station, about 4-5 blocks along
    on the left.  Shop is in the back.  Huge place, devoted to cleaning and
    repairing orientals.

    Look in the LYCEUM::CONSUMER conference.  Note 1111.8 will give
    you a directory of carpet and carpet cleaning services.
    
    Jim

This note has been temporarily write-locked pending approval of the author.

To the author:  This subject is already under discussion in this file, under the
topics listed in the title.  Please look at these notes; you may find that your
question is already answered, or you may find a note where your question would
be an appropriate continuation of the discussion.  Note that since nearly
everyone uses NEXT UNSEEN to read notes, your question will get the same
exposure whether it is a response to a two-year-old note or it is its own new
note. These topics were found using the keyword directory (note 1111), and you
may find other notes relating to this subject by examining the directory
yourself. 

We do, however, welcome new notes if they explore a specific aspect of a 
problem that may be under general discussion.  And this moderator has been 
known to make mistakes. :^)  So if after examining these notes, you wish to 
continue the discussion here, send me mail.

DCL [Moderator]

    A second for Brookline Oriental Rugs. We've had a few rugs cleaned
    by them with outstanding results.
    
    	               KPT

    In evaluating the suggestions it is important to understand the process
    to be used.  I cleaned a couple of very dirty rugs myself on advice of
    a friendly expert and was surprised.  I vacuumed all the dirt I could,
    then thoroughly wet them with a hose and rinsed the worst dirt out and
    then a very small amount of detergent (I mean minimal) and scrubbed 
    gently by hand or with very gentle light machine brushes.  The final
    was to thorougly rinse by running the hose over the rugs on both sides
    and gently forcing the water through the rug.  It worked and the rugs
    came out beautifully.  An 8x12 is very large for this.  The cleaning
    is not the problem, but the drying.  
    
    There is a complete guide to oriental rugs by a man name Jacobsen
    which provides some sound information on the process and what to avoid.
    
    My rememberance is that chemical cleaning/dry cleaning is not
    recommended and the mechnical squeezing is bad along with strong
    dryers.  I recommend getting the book and then check out any 
    cleaner and ask the exact steps they will use on your rug.

    My neighbor owns Nick's Rugs on RT9 Westbound in Framingham,
    just east of Temple Street.  He's been cleaning oriental carpets
    for many years.
    
    -al

Moderator, I have checked the directory under Carpet and
Clean(ing), but did not find a note discussing carpet/uphostery
cleaning systems. Please move this note if I overlooked some
other place for this note. This note is cross posted in Gadgets
and Appliances notes.

I am seeking advise and experiences with carpet shampoo(er)/cleaner
systems. There are three options that I am considering.

1  The cheapest is the conversion to our Wet/Dry Vacuum that has
   wand and long hose gadget for soap, costing about $49 at
   Best Products.

2  A Bissell system that has a container for the soap, a tank for
   the residue and a long hose that attaches to the kitchen
   fawcet.

3  The third is the self contained system that has a tank holding
   the full mixture of cleaning solution and a water heater to
   keep the solution warm. This is the most expensive, I believe
   it to be about $190 range. My supervisor has one of these and
   he tells me that the tank sometimes tips over because the
   waste water is in a 5 gal upper tank and the castors are too
   close to the base of the tank.

We have an Oreck shampooer that has a tank and two motor driven
brushes that applies a solution to the rug being cleaned. This is
a problem since we need to clan the rug often and if we need to
wait for the rug to dry, it's hard to find another place for
our son, Sammy to play while the rug is drying.

Cal Hoe

There is another option, which is the "Host" system.  This is sold at Sears,
maybe other places.  It uses tiny sponge bits that are soaked with a solvent.
You sprinkle the stuff on your carpet, run over it with the machine which
is basically a rotating brush to beat the sponges into the fibers, then
vacuum.  The claim is that the solvent releases the dirt which is picked up
by the sponges.  The carpet is dry almost immediately afterward.

I have not used this system, but it looks intriguing.

				Steve

    
    FWIW
    
    I owned and operated a commercial/residential carpet cleaning business
    for several years.  from experience, i think that you can't beat having
    a truck-mounted steam-cleaning done to your home once or twice a year
    if necessary.  let me explain:
    
    First:  No matter which system you buy, you can't get the power,
    temperature, and efficency of a professional system.  You wind up
    spending $$ for a lesser quality machine.
    
    Second:  You have to do the work.
    
    Third:  The results won't be as good.
    
    CAUTION:  As with all businesses, some are good, and some are bad.  The
    thing about carpet cleaning is that its not rocket science.  Anyone can
    get into the business with a little money and time.  You need to find a
    reputable person with good references. 
    
    Each spring, *LOTS* of cleaning companies run specials.....Check out
    your local paper, etc.   ask around.   these guys are usually hungry,
    because its a tough business to run during the winter.   most don't do
    rugs all year long.  (I personally put my machine in storage DEC 1st
    and started up again APR 1st.)    
    
    You could save alot of aggrevation by spending a little $ having a pro
    come in.   ADVANTAGE:   YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE WORK....
    
    Example:   A typical 3 bedroom, 6-7 room house should run you about
    $125.00 for the entire job......
    
    TIP:  Some operators will discount the work if *YOU* move the
    furniture.  It's much quicker for them if they don't have to.  If you
    can move all (or most) of the Livingroom, diningroom, tv room furniture
    out of the way, say packed into the kitchen, you might save 3-5 $$ per
    room.  also, in the bedrooms, just pick up what you can, and push the
    rest to the walls.  have just the traffic lanes cleaned.  Save $$.
    
    If you have the rugs cleaned on a regular basis, say once a year or so,
    this will work well.   Rugs get dirty from walking on them, very rarely
    is the rug under a bed or sofa dirty.  (A good vaccuuming is all that's
    needed.)  
    
    The thing to remember is that once the operator has the truck "set-up"
    at your home, and comes walking in with the wand in hand, half his work
    is done.  If he doesn't have to mess around moving much furniture, you
    can save $$$.....
    
    
    Find a reputable person to do it for you with the right equipment....you'll
    be much better off!
    
    
    regards,
    
    ed.
    off......

    Re.10 and .11
    I have been talking in the Consumer notes about getting a Dhurrie
    cleaned. The dry cleaning method mentioned here seems to be the best
    bet but I'm having trouble locating either a do it yourself method or a
    contractor. I would rather have a go myself - can anyone point me to a
    rental company who does these chemical cleaning systems ?
    
    Thanks
    
    Rod

You did get a pointer in CONSUMER.  I have seen the Host "dry" system
offered for rent at carpet stores and hardware stores.

				Steve

    The disadvantage I've experienced in using carpet cleaning services is
    the inconsistency of the job quality...I couldn't find one that would
    do as good a job as I would do....every time.  I have two teenagers and
    we all eat in the living room regularly in front of the TV.  I can't
    wait for a carpet cleaning service to come in order to get some of the
    stains up quickly enough.  Also, everyone I've used has left some
    stains uncleaned.  Unless you're right there looking over their
    shoulder or you are willing to go through the aggravation of calling
    them up and getting them back in, it's usually easier to just do it
    yourself.

    Other advantages of do-it-yourself is that you can do it one room
    at a time so the whole house isn't disrupted.  Some carpets need
    cleaning more frequently than others, they can be done more often.
    Spills can be cleaned up much more quickly and easily before the
    dirt becomes attracted to the spot where the spill was.
    
    We bought a Sears cleaner (made for Sears Canada) and it is really
    handy ...  Stability is no real problem unless you are heavy handed
    with it.  It works well, and isn't too hard to use.  It takes maybe
    1/2 hour to clean one room by the time you move furniture and go over
    with a fresh water rinse. (We use a fresh water rinse to help remove
    cleaning fluid residues which seem to attract dirt)  The room is ready
    to use in normally just over an hour.
    
    Stuart

Stuart,

Is Sears Canada selling VAXes yet? It's a combination
canister/wet/carpet and floor cleaning system. (Sells for $299
here in CXO).

It's totally self contained so that the soap-solution is in a top
container and the waste water is drawn into a bottom tank.

calvin

    VAXen beware!  We bought a VAX and the first time I washed the rugs, I
    was horrified (to say the least!).  Over the years, I've been renting
    the steam cleaners from the local supermarkets.  Well, apparantly the
    VAX seems to generate more suction than does the rent-a-cleaner. 
    Therefore, when I started cleaning my rugs, all the dirt of the past 5
    years that was ground into the carpet/pad, was pulled to the surface. 
    To top that, the shampoo that is 'made for' the Vax, isn't a very good
    shampoo, so my rugs actually ended up DIRTIER than when I started. 
    Lucky for me, I happened to have some shampoo left from a previous
    steam cleaner-rental, and that took care of everything.
    
    Another point, the VAX shampoo left a terrible dirt-attracting residue
    on the carpet.  But, with the VAX, and the shampoo I've always used,
    the carpets are tan again - and clean through!!!  It's a bit more work than
    the rentals, and the water is a gravity-feed instead of a pump-feed,
    but I'm happy ... plus I don't have to lug the other things around, and
    can do it at my own convenience.
    
    Patty

    No, no VAX in sight at Sears here ... The cleaner sold here is totally
    self contained made apparently by Singer.
    
    It's built sort of like this :-
    
           XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
           X                  XHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHose
    	   X		      X	 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwater feed
    	   X		      X	 w
    	   X	By-pass	      X	 w
    IIIIII X	Vac	      X IIIIII
    I    I X                  X I    I
    I    I X                  X I    I
    I    I X                  X I    I
    I    I XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I    I
    I	 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII    I
    I Water reservoir c/w 2 spd pump I
    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
    
    
    It's effectively 2 concentric tubs.  The reservoir holds 2 gals.
    You can detach the water hose and lift out the vac tub and use it
    as a shop vac by inserting a filter bag over the motor ... and
    it works well.  The two speed water pump lets you do upholstery too.
    
    Finding the right cleaning fluid is more of a problem ... I'm not
    too impressed with Sears own, although it does the job .. just have
    to rinse with clear water.
    
    Stuart

    Has anyone bought SHOP VAC carpet cleaner. There are two types
    one you connect to the sink the other has a water jug.
    They both use your Shop Vac for power.
    Do they work? Good, Bad, Poor. Is the one that has to be hooked
    up to the sink any better? 
    Kmart sell them for $30 to $50. 
    						Thanks
    						Jack

     We were given one a while back, and I've used it once.  It seems
     to do a half-way decent job, as good a a rental Rinse-N-Vac
     does.

     Set-up and cleaning up afterwards is more of a pain, because of
     having to clean out the hose that attaches to your faucet and
     all that.

     It also came with an uphostlery attachment, which was handy.

     -gary

    I'm planning to have my apartment cleaned by pro's, and need to decide
    between steam cleaning and chemical cleaning.  In note 755 (I think) I
    read of someone who steam cleaned, then removed the carpet and found
    mildew growing underneath.  A friend is in the carpet business and says
    don't use steam, it's not good for the carpet, and go for the chemical.
    
    Any comments or suggestions?
    
    Sherilyn

    Does anyone have experience cleaning a Berber carpet, or,
    preferably know of a place that cleans them?
    
    We have a 9x12 crean-colored Berber carpet that is in desperate
    need of a good cleaning.
    
    Would a business that cleans oriental carpets be suitable?
    
    I looked through note 3510, which contains recommendations
    for rug cleaners, but found nothing regarding Berber carpets.
    

In the Greater Maynard area, there's really only one choice, Brookline 
Oriental Rug in Needham, Mass.

Elsewhere, I'd ask an Oriental rug dealer where to take it.

    Nick's Rug on RT 9 in Framingham cleans rugs for alot of the oriental
    rug dealers in the area.  The owner's name is Jeff Gusha.
    
    -al<

    we need to get a curdled milk smell of out an oriental rug. my son
    spilt some milk and the original club soda treatment did not get it all.
    
    
    any advice, pls ?  the smell is getting worse.
    
    thanks.

    Sprinkle baking soda liberally over the area. Let it sit a few
    days. Vaccuum. Repeat if necessary....
    
    Edd

Hi There -

   My wife and I have decided to steam clean our carpets, reanting a machine
from Taylor.  We decided that this is an acceptable concession against buying
new carpet right now.

   I wanted to see what people have to say about how to do the steam cleaning.
What should I do and not do?  Any tricks that help out?  Any pitfalls to watch
out for?  Any thoughts on how to do the cleaning would be appreaciated.

	Thanks,
	   Ike

    
    
    I had good results spot cleaning our carpets with industrial hand
    cleaner, after my kids smeared my wife's makeup all over our bedroom
    carpet. 
    It got out the stains which that RESOLVE stuff would not. 
    Just smear it on the dry stain, and work it in good. Let it sit for 
    2 or 3 min, then soak with warm water. Then vac it up with a wet/dry 
    vac. 
    Worked great!
    
     

Just a word of caution....might be making a mountain out of a molehill...

	Carpet cleaning chemicals have been suspected of having some impact
	in very young children being afflicted by a rare but deadly disease
	known as Kawasaki disease.

	So if you are using 'industrial grade' or other toxic chemical
	substances to clean your carpets it might be worthwhile to keep
	children off the place and allow for good ventilation.

just $0.02
-parthi

Re: .0

You can't rent "steam cleaning" equipment.  What you're doing is called
"hot water extraction".

Re: .2

None of the reputable researchers in the Kawasaki Disease field believe that
there is any link to carpet cleaning.  This suggested link was investigated
and eliminated several years ago.  My information comes from Dr. David Fulton
of New England Medical Center, who treated my son for KD in 1987 (the
information is as of 1991.)   BTW, Kawasaki is rare but not "deadly" in the
sense that the disease itself is rarely fatal.  But untreated it can cause
heart damage which can be a problem later in life.

				Steve

    A related rug question: we need to have a rug repaired, since our dog
    did some modifications to one corner.   Any pointers to an 'oriental
    rug repair place'?
    
    Thanks.

    See .4 above.  Most places that clean oriental rugs also repair them.

I am looking to buy Carpet/Upolstery Cleaner/Shampooer. Does anyone
have any recomendations? I'm looking in the $150 - $300
price range.

Comments good and bad most welcome.

/doug

    We bought the Big Green Clean Machine by Bissell. 
    It was originally advertised on late night TV for 
    $299 + shipping. Now you can pick it up at places
    like Pace Discount, K-Mart, Price Club, etc. for 
    about $229-$249.
    
    I have used ours several times and love it. I've
    done carpets, upholstery in my house and car. An
    amazing amount of dirt was extracted each time I
    used it. It's easy to use.  Fairly easy to store.
    
    Jodi- 

    
    We've had ours for at least 12 years.
    Prior to selling our last home, I took home one of the giant
    industrial cleaners we have here at SHR and cleaned the whole
    house.  All 3/4 shag.   After it dried I still didn't like the 
    looks (we had a couple dogs residing inside) so I broke out the
    little sears jobber and you wouldn't believe what it pulled out
    after the heavyduty cleaner!  Be sure to get the powerhead att-
    achment.
    
    Fred

    Hey Doug, when you buy it (whatever model you end up with), can I
    borrow it? :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 
    
    - R.

You'll have to check out what kind of job it did first.
Tell you what, we'll buy both and bring back the
worst one ;-)

RE: .-2 and .-3 Guess I'll check out Bissel and Sears.
Any model numbers on those????

    You can't miss the "BIG GREEN CLEAN MACHINE"!  
    
    As far as I know, there's only one and it only goes by it's name, 
    not a model number.
    
    Viusal hint: It's green and cylindrical in shape.
    
    P.S. stay away from the upright (looks like an electric broom)
    type carpet cleaners that Regina. They might do the job a couple 
    times but after that they become unreliable.  A Regina we owned 
    had to be disassembled each time we wanted to use it so that we 
    could pinch the plastic soap and water tube apart. After months 
    in storage, the shutoff valve would pinch the plastic tube together 
    so hard that it had to be physically separated to get the liquids
    to flow through it. This required us to remove several screws and 
    panels.  It was a pain. 
    
    Jodi-

    Bissel makes several different levels of wet cleaners.
    
    The "Big Green Clean Machine" is probably top of the line.
    It can be a dry vac as well as "steam cleaner".
    
    We bought a "Promax Plus", I think its the next step down.
    I seem to remember it retails for about $100 less.
    It does carpet, upholstery, and floors.  But no dry vac.
    
    We've found this quite useful and use our existing upright vac
    or shop vac for tough jobs.
    
    	Dave.

That's good info. I'll go down and look at Sears 
and Bissell and try to compare them.

thanks,
/doug

    
    I've got a couple'a rooms that have to be done.
    
    C'MON DOWWWWWWNNNN !!!!!    :^)
    
    Fred

Sure thing. Should cover the cost of the machine :-)

    FYI
    
    Bissell's Big Green Machine is on sale at Bradlees this week for
    $199.95. That's even cheaper than the wholesale clubs. And if you
    happen to know some who qualifies for Sr. citizen disciunt you can get
    the price down to $180.
    
    JBS

Thanks for the tip. I think Weds is Senior
Citizens day. Least ways that's the only day
my mother-in-law admits to it :-)

    The Bissell Big Green Clean Machine is a Wet Vac, Carpet & Upholstery 
    cleaner, and can be used as a dry Vac. 

    The Bissell Promax is a dedicated Carpet cleaner and has a slightly 
    less powerful motor.
    
    These things really sUcK!  :-)

Well I bought the BGCM. Tried it out this weekend.
I'm impressed. Now we'll see how it does over the long haul.

/doug

Question: How does BGCM differ from a Shop Vac equipped with the carpet
cleaning setup? The Shop Vac carpet cleaning setup seems to consist of a
special sprayer/vacuum head and a hose that runs to the sink faucet with an
inline soap dispenser.

-Mike

    The BGCM is self contained.  In other words, you fill it with hot
    water and run with it.  No dragging 50 feet of hose around the 
    house.
    
    Jodi-

    I brought the PROMAX, since I already had a fairly decent Hoover for
    normal cleaning.  I could not justify the extra expense, but I lived in
    an apartment at the time and did not have a shop area.
    
    The Promax works very well, produces lots of brownish/black water out
    of clean soapy water.
    
    Can anybody recommend a good stain remover (grease, tea, all the tough
    ones) to use with the Promax?

    We use nothing but Simple Green for all of our clothes stains,
    household chores (and cleaning sneakers) and pre-spotting before 
    cleaning the carpets.
    
    It can be mixed in several different water to Simple Green
    ratios to meet your needs.  It's excellent for removing
    grease stains.  You can find SG at almost any grocery or
    hardware store.
    
    Jodi-
    

    
    Resolve for carpets works well for us.

    Before you use Resolve, test it out on a piece of carpet that won't
    show. We tried it to remove some stains from the medium blue rug in our
    van and it took the color out completely! I'm glad we found out before
    we tried it on our wall-to-wall!

    I have one wall-to-wall carpet in the masterbedroom that needs
    cleaning.  (we just moved in).  It is over a hardwood floor.  
    
    Does having hardwood make a difference in whether to go with a rental
    or professional cleaning.  Does the rental leave more water in the rug?
    
    If I only steam clean it this once, will it completely dry using a
    rental?
    
    Can I use "less water" with a rental (don't let it soak as long before
    vacuuming it up) that average if I want?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Lauren

    My wife called me up today all excited about hiring a carpet cleaning
    service to do our entire house. Except for the bit about the Teflon.
    Ya see, we bought this high-quality DuPont carpet (I forget the name,
    but it was expensive), and the cleaner told my wife we'd have to have
    Teflon reapplied to the carpet after the cleaning, or we might as well
    forget all the quality we paid for.
    
    It should go without saying that the Teflon re-application would cost
    more than the carpet cleaning itself. I think the price was $22/room.
    
    Is this all a bunch of bull?
    
      John

    It's a bunch of bull.
    
    		Steve

    
    Does anyone have any hints for getting nail polish out of a berber
    carpet?  The kids decided to paint their nails with a garnet-red 
    polish, and every time they took the brush out of the bottle, it
    dripped on the beige rug.  The babysitter used nail polish remover, and
    then didn't tell me about it when I got home, so by the time I found
    out, the polish and remover had been on the carpet for about 8 hours.
    
    The nail polish remover lightened the stains to a purple color.
    We have a Bissel carpet machine that cleans with hot water and
    detergent, which I used last night, mostly to get the nail polish
    remover out of the carpet.  But i still have about a dozen light
    purple dots on the rug.   Is there any hope of getting this out?
    Naturally, it's right in front of the coffee table, in a nice obvious
    place.
    
    Thanks for any ideas,
    -Lynne
    

    http://carpeteria.com/~carpets/care.htm
    
    Find the spot source in the first column and read across that row for
    the correct spot removal method to try. Continue using the first method
    until there is no longer a transfer of stain to the cleaning cloth. Try
    the first method suggested, then the second, and third, etc. until the
    spot is successfully removed.
    
    SPOT			METHOD
    Nail Polish                 2,1,3,4,6,7,8
    
    
    Key to Cleaning Methods
    
         1. Dry Cleaning Fluid - A nonflammable spot removal liquid
            available in grocery and hardware stores.
         2. Nail Polish Remover - Amyl Acetate - Often has a banana
            fragrance.
         3. Detergent Solution - Mix 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons mild
            liquid detergent (no lanolin, non-bleach).
         4. Warm Water - Lukewarm tap water.
         5. Vinegar Solution - One cup WHITE vinegar to two cups water.
         6. Ammonia Solution - Two tablespoons household ammonia to one cup
            water.
         7. Spot Removal Kit - Available from retail carpet stores or
            professional cleaners.
         8. Call a Professional - If you cannot completely remove the spot.
         9. Vacuum clean.

    i've had good success with (believe it or not) lighter fluid and an old
    toothbrush.  you've got to be aware of the fire hazard, though ... and
    once the stain is lifted, get the fluid washed out ASAP.

    Any update on Bissell Big Green Clean Machine?  The last note mentioned
    this machine was in 1993.  Are all Big Green Clean Machine owners still 
    satisfied with the work it does?
    
    I stopped by Ames and found that it was on sale a couple of weeks ago
    for $199.99.

    
    I rent one at Home Depot for $15.00 each year ( sometimes twice )
    I'm usally out $20-30 to do the house and also the cars ( with
    upholstery cleaner ) But can't beat the pros. The guys I use when it
    get's real bad is : Quick Dry 1-800-428-8834. Prices vary. I saw him
    clean a food place. As he moved the cleaning wand over the floor you
    could see where it had cleaned. We were so impressed we had hime do
    our whole house, them my MIL's, my aunts, etc. Excellent work.
    Please tell him I sent you. ( Ed Riopelle )
    

    
         It's pretty economical for pet owners to buy the machine.  Mine
    was $130 or so, but I use it pretty frequently. Golden Retrievers
    aren't the messiest breed around, but they don't wipe their feet.
    
                                    Greg