DIY carpet cleaning foam suggestions

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  ShannonN on 02/07/2021 - 10:23

  +5

  Just hire a britex and use their shampoo etc works well

  • 

    roberttimmms on 02/07/2021 - 11:21

    Is the Britex a must have you reckon, or could I get away with the foam and then a Dyson or something?

    • 

      BGcarpetcleaning on 02/07/2021 - 12:23

      The foam will leave residue - dirt and spills will stick to the residue and look dirty again very quickly - it is like using a dry shampoo for your hair - you might do it in between washes just to get by but it is never a replacement for a proper wash with shampoo and rinse. Those foams can also clog the filters on your vacuum cleaner and void any warranty you may have - check with Dyson before using any product like this.

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  megaalc on 02/07/2021 - 10:41

  +1

  can use Vanish Gold , then britex with their shampoo

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  Crosscade on 02/07/2021 - 11:39

  +1

  I've used the Strike and Dr Beckmann carpet cleaners, they are largely only useful for spot stains from pets. If you are cleaning a whole room, I think that you might need a couple of bottles.

  Even vacuuming with my Dyson afterwards, I don't think they do as good of job as a proper carpet clean.

  You could try buying a cheap wetvac from Bunnings to suck it up as that will help pull more liquid from the carpet and get a bit more through.

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  BGcarpetcleaning on 02/07/2021 - 12:18

  +1

  I would not recommend using any of those products - they can cause more issues than they resolve! A lot of the supermarket products are not very good - they do not remove dirt and stains and they can leave residue behind which causes the carpet to re soil very quickly. Some supermarket products also contain bleach which can result in colour loss from your carpet which is permanent. We have been to many jobs where this has been an issue. Professional carpet cleaners have the right products and equipment to clean the carpet properly - just think about washing your hair or your clothes - do you just spray on some product and leave it there? Cleaning is a 3 part process which involves, chemical reaction, mechanical agitation and rinse extraction. You need to be able to clean, rinse and extract for a thorough clean - this cannot be done with any of these products - all of them will leave chemical residue on your carpet. If you feel confident in using a small hire machine then that would be a better option than any of these products, however you do need to make sure you follow the instructions and rinse and extract - it won't be too hard if it is just one room - I would not recommend this for the whole house as the machines are small and the extraction is not very powerful - you also need to empty & refill the small tanks a lot more frequently than a professional machine - but it would be good enough for one room - just make sure you extract as much water as possible. If you leave the carpet too wet it will go brown and mould may grow. You also need to weigh up the cost/savings and take into account the cost of replacing the carpet if it all goes wrong! I would always recommend using a professional carpet cleaning company for peace of mind - however I understand that this can be considerably more expensive than some DIY methods, so I would recommend calling around and seeing if you can get someone to come and do it for you at a reasonable price and weigh that up against the cost of machine hire and doing it yourself - I would not recommend using the products from the supermarket.

  • 

    Switchblade88 on 02/07/2021 - 12:46

    -2

    You should probably replace all your dashes with the Enter key. You know, to clean up your text.

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  John Kimble on 02/07/2021 - 14:48

  Are you renting or buying the new place? If renting shouldn't it have been cleaned well on exit? And you would hope the same for buying, but dunno if it's mandatory?

  Hiring a Britex will only set you back about $100 after you buy the related chemicals.

  Then it's about $50 per hire.

  Otherwise, you could buy a machine for a few hundred if you want something you can keep and do regularly, but I doubt they will do as good of a job as the hired Britex or a professional.

  https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleani…

  • 

    roberttimmms on 03/07/2021 - 09:59

    +1

    Buying - I think I'll just go with the hire like you said, then I've got the chemicals for next time. I can't imagine I'll be doing this that often anyway

    • 

      John Kimble on 03/07/2021 - 14:55

      Yeah, we try and do it once every year or two. We don't have space to buy our own machine, so we are happy to hire it instead.

    • 

      pndl on 08/07/2021 - 20:54

      Only advice is, go easy on the shampoo and err on the less concentrated side. If you use too much it will take a long time to extract it completely, it will leave a sticky feeling and attract dirt.

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  AndyC1 on 02/07/2021 - 16:13

  +2

  If you hire a britex or rug doctor etc and want to save money then you can get away with going to woolies or coles and buy some eucalyptus wool wash (used for cloths) and just use it with warm water in the machine. It does a good job if the carpet is okay, but will not get out stubborn stains or stain spots. Do not use allot of wool wash or any chemical as you want to leave as little residue as possible.

  After using the britex put a fan on the area to dry it out ASAP and if it is cold put a heater on as well.

  The cans from woolies/coles are only good for getting spot stains out and not any decent area.