Household Carpet Cleaning Machines

Carpet cleaning machines help clean and sanitize your home.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Your carpet could harbor dozens of contaminants, including chemicals, dust mites, mildew and even metal particles. For this reason, cleaning it regularly is important. Cleaning your carpet also helps refresh the carpet fibers to keep the carpet looking as new as possible. If you want to properly clean your carpet, use the right machines available to accomplish the job.

Dry Vacuum

A dry vacuum is a common and basic carpet cleaning machine. Sometimes called an "excavating" machine, it lifts dry dirt from the carpet with a suction mechanism. A rotating mechanism helps loosen the dirt on some models. These carpet cleaning machines come in upright models that you can use when standing, and handheld versions with strong suction power are also available. When using a dry vacuum to clean a carpet, use a carpet powder that either deodorizes or acts as a carpet cleanser to help remove ground-in dirt and debris.

One way to deep clean your carpet after using a dry vacuum is with a carpet extractor machine. This cleaning tool injects water and soap (You decide on the solution and amount injected.) into the carpet fibers and then retrieves the liquid through a suction mechanism similar to a vacuum. When the water comes up from the carpet, it retrieves dirt and contaminants as well. The machine contains a nozzle and two tanks --- one to store the cleaning solution and another to store the extracted liquid. Retrieve as much moisture from the carpet as possible to avoid issues with mold or mildew.

Another way to clean your carpet is to use a steam cleaning machine. This machine contains a water tank, nozzle and heating system that emits hot steam in bursts. The hot steam emitted from the steamer kills germs that lie within the carpet fibers. Some steamers have rotary brushes to agitate the carpet fibers when cleaning. In some cases you can include a small amount of detergent cleaner in the steam water solution. While the steamer may not remove dirt as efficiently as an extracting machine, it does help neutralize any leftover contaminants after vacuuming.