Home Repair and Paint Guide

... The long term benefit is a floor that lasts longer and looks good over time. You can rent machines at most home improvement centers and some large grocery stores for the job. These make it much easier to do the work. Start by thoroughly vacuuming the entire carpet. Then spot clean the stained and heavy traffic areas. Spray these areas with a carpet spot or pretreatment cleaner. Follow directions on the container. Pet stains can be treated with a cleaner that has enzymes for removing pet smells. Be sure to vacuum the carpet again after spot cleaning. Make sure that you use the type of shampoo your carpet and cleaning equipment requires. Read the instructions for your specific cleaner and follow them carefully. Most cleaners require you to mix the shampoo with water and pour it into a tank on the machine. Another tank will receive and hold the dirty solution. Make sure this tank is empty before starting. Once your machine is prepared, you can get started with the cleaning task. Machines vary from brand to brand, but in most cases, you push a button to release a small amount of solution onto the carpet. Then you move the cleaner back and forth over the area to remove excess solution. This vacuuming action also pulls dissolved dirt and debris from the fabric. Move the machine at about 1 foot per second. Don’t go too fast or you will leave too much solution (and dirt) behind. Work small areas at a time. If necessary, apply additional amounts of cleaning solution and vacuum until liquid can no longer be extracted. Slightly overlap additional areas with ones that are already clean. Refill the cleaning solution and empty the dirty water tank as needed ...