Professional Carpet Cleaning Service vs Purchasing a Carpet Cleaner

[HeyIt'sMe]

[I also posted this on the Budget Board]

Anyone previously use a professional carpet cleaning service but then buy a carpet cleaner and just do it yourself instead? If so, are you happy with your carpet cleaner? If yes, what brand/model is it?

I usually have Stanley Steemer clean my carpets every 6 months or so. I just have them do the downstairs (living/family room, dining room and hallway) and that costs $81. I usually have my living/family room sofa and chair cleaned once a year. That costs $93.

So we are looking at $174 to have only a part of the house (I also have an upstairs w/4 bedrooms and a finished basement) and 2 pieces of furniture cleaned one time.

Today I saw at WalMart a Bissell ProHeat 2X Upright Deep Cleaner at WalMart for $189. I was very tempted .....

TIA,
Debbie

 

[L107ANGEL]

Buy the steamer!! I am lost without mine

 

[Papa Deuce]

We bought one for $189.... the "pro" costs $400 per time at my house, if they do the whole house. It isn't cost / time effective to have them clean just a portion of my home, IMO.

The pros do a better job, for sure. At the same time, my machine does a really good job. And I only clean the rooms I want.... when I want.

Even the professionals don't make my carpets look like new... and with 2 dogs, I clean cerain carpets a lot more than I would if I had no dogs at all.

 

[Rustysmom]

We had a professional clean the carpets in our old apartment, and to tell you the truth, they didn't do any better a job than my Hoover Steamer does. My kids are pigs and it's so nice to have the steamer right in the house and pull it out whenever I need it.

I can't remember the exact name of it right now, but I know it's a Hoover SteamVac or something like that.

 

[DawnCt1]

I have had the pros come in and frankly I prefer renting the Rug Doctor from Home Depot. It is powerful, does a great job and I don't have to find some place to put it. I HATE clutter, so I take it back until the next time. The cost is about $25 or so. Cheap enough!

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

Thanks for the feedback. I really am leaning towards buying a carpet cleaner. It would be nice to be able to clean what I what when I want.

I do have a Bissell SpotLifter that does a really good job for those occasional spills - I have 2 cats, a DD (10) and a messy DH.

Now I just need to decide on which one to buy.

Debbie

 

[mickeysgal]

We bought a Hoover SteamVac with Power Surge about two years ago and I'm lost without it. It was worth every penny. It really lifted the dirt out the carpets that I had just had done by a service!

The one thing I do not like about it is it's attachment for stairs. To me, its worthless and cannot get the job done right. I do the carpets, but I guess I'm going to have to call someone just to do the stairs. How do those of you do your stairs?

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

By the Hoover! The thought of someone else's GOOP being pushed into my carpet makes me sick!

(Germophobe party of 1 your table is now ready!)

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

By the Hoover! The thought of someone else's GOOP being pushed into my carpet makes me sick!

(Germophobe party of 1 your table is now ready!)

This is another reason I want to buy my own carpet cleaner. I really started thinking "Who knows what was cleaned up at the houses before the techs come to my house?".

 

[L107ANGEL]

By the Hoover! The thought of someone else's GOOP being pushed into my carpet makes me sick!

(Germophobe party of 1 your table is now ready!)