Weight, rope length and other factors to consider when buying one of the dedicated machines
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If you have a busy home with a lot of carpets, a dedicated carpet cleaner may be a wise addition to the shaking of your cleaning machine. It can quickly remove dirt and stains in a way that even the best vacuum cleaners cannot.
“Carpet cleaners are completely different from standard upright vacuum cleaners,” said Larry Ciufo, who oversees Consumer Reports carpet cleaner tests. In fact, “the instructions for these machines tell you to use a traditional vacuum cleaner to vacuum the floor first, and then use a carpet cleaner to remove embedded dirt.”
In our tests, the price of carpet cleaners ranged from about $100 to nearly $500, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a spotless carpet.
Through our series of cleaning performance tests, a carpet cleaner takes three days to complete. Our engineers applied red Georgian clay to large blocks of off-white nylon carpet. They run the carpet cleaner on the carpet for four wet cycles and four dry cycles to simulate consumers cleaning particularly dirty areas on the carpet. Then they repeated the test on the other two samples.
During the test, our experts used a colorimeter (a device that measures the absorption of light wavelengths) to take 60 readings for each carpet in each test: 20 were in the “raw” state, and 20 were being taken. After dirty, and after 20 cleaning. The 60 readings of the three samples make a total of 180 readings per model.
Consider using one of these powerful cleaning machines? Here are five things to keep in mind when you shop.
1. The carpet cleaner is heavy when it is empty, and heavier when the fuel tank is filled. Adding a cleaning solution to a model in our rating will add 6 to 15 pounds. We list the empty and full weight of the carpet cleaner on each model page.
The largest cleaner in our test is the Bissell Big Green Machine Professional 86T3, which weighs 58 pounds when fully loaded and may be difficult for one person to operate. One of the lightest models we have tested is the Hoover PowerDash Pet FH50700, which weighs 12 pounds when empty and 20 pounds when the tank is full.
2. For regular carpet cleaning, standard solution is sufficient. Manufacturers recommend that you use their brand of cleaning fluids with carpet cleaners, but they may sell a dozen or more types of special cleaners.
For regular carpet cleaning, no stain remover is needed. If you have stubborn stains, such as dirty pets, you can try solutions sold for such stains.
3. Check the setting, attachment and length of the hose. Some carpet cleaners have only one water tank and cleaning fluid. But we found it more convenient to have two separate water tanks, one for water and one for cleaning fluid. Some even pre-mix the solution and water in the machine so you don’t have to measure the full tank of water every time. Also look for a handle to make it easier to move the machine.
Settings to consider: Some manufacturers claim that their models can clean hard floors such as wood and tiles and carpets. There are also some carpet cleaners that have a dry-only setting, so you can absorb more water after the initial cleaning, which may speed up the drying time.
Our testers noticed that the hose length varies greatly. Some models have a 61-inch hose; others have a 155-inch hose. If you need to clean hard-to-reach areas, look for models with longer hoses. “If your stairs are carpeted, you will need longer hoses to reach the steps,” Ciufo said. “Remember, these machines are heavy. After pulling the hose too far, you don’t want the machines to fall off the stairs.”
4. The carpet cleaner is very loud. An ordinary vacuum cleaner can produce up to 70 decibels of noise. Carpet cleaners are much louder-in our tests, the average noise level was 80 decibels. (In decibels, the reading of 80 is twice that of 70.) At this decibel level, we recommend wearing hearing protection, especially when you use the machine for a long time. Therefore, please buy noise-canceling headphones or earplugs that guarantee up to 85 dBA. (Check out these tips to prevent hearing loss.)
5. Cleaning takes time. The vacuum cleaner can come out of the closet and is ready to use. But what about carpet cleaner? Not that much. First, you must move the furniture out of the area you plan to clean, and then you should vacuum the carpet. Next, fill the machine with cleaning fluid and water.
When using carpet cleaner, you can push and pull it like a vacuum cleaner. Push the carpet cleaner to arm length, then pull it back while continuing to pull the trigger. For the dry cycle, release the trigger and complete the same steps.
To suck the cleaning solution from the carpet, use a carpet cleaner to dry it. If the carpet is still very dirty, repeat the drying and wetting twice until the cleaning fluid removed from the carpet is clean. When satisfied, let the carpet dry completely, and then step onto the carpet or replace the furniture.
You are not finished yet. After enjoying your work, you must unplug the machine according to the instructions in the user manual, clean the water tank, and remove all debris from the brush.
Read on for ratings and reviews of the three best carpet cleaner models based on CR’s latest test.
I am interested in the intersection between design and technology—whether it is a drywall or a robotic vacuum cleaner—and how the resulting combination affects consumers. I have written articles on consumer rights issues for publications such as The Atlantic, PC Magazine, and Popular Science, and now I am happy to address this topic for CR. For updates, please feel free to follow me on Twitter (@haniyarae).
Post time: Sep-01-2021