Carpet cleaning

[Piglet89]

Hello all

I had a beige loop pile carpet fitted in my hall, stairs and landing 5 years ago in April 2016. In areas of heavy traffic (particularly first flight of stairs up to first landing) it's got really dirty. My fault for choosing light-coloured carpet, you might say.

In August 2020, I hired a carpet cleaner from HSS to try and clean this carpet myself, and I think it made matters worse! It was really heavy and difficult to manoeuvre in the narrow staircase of our house and I'm not sure it was working properly as there was dirty water deposited underneath the removable dirty water deposit tank.

I couldn't look at it any longer, so I bought a Bissell SpotClean Proheat Carpet cleaner (model 36981) second hand on ebay last week.

I tried it out yesterday afternoon on an area of heavy traffic (hall stair carpet leading to first floor landing). Actually very happy with its functioning (small and portable, easily fits on one step), quite strong suction and the amount of dirt it's managed to get out of the hall stair carpet - when I look at the water deposited in the dirty water tank. But, on looking at the dried results this morning, it's not as good as I expected.

The three pics show:

1. Carpet just after installation;
2. Carpet on Sunday 2 May; and
3. Carpet after my cleaning it yesterday afternoon.

I think the surface of the carpet is clean but the dirt and dust has somehow been driven right into the bottom of the loops of the pile and it's this that's causing the marks that still remain. I think the surface of the carpet has actually been cleaned.

But, in the infinite wisdom of the Hive Mind - any tips for what I can do to get rid of these dirty marks that remain?

Sorry for the treatise.

[HamCob]

The best results I've had with carpet cleaning have been from the professionals with van mounted machines. They are able to use hot fresh water/steam. The other machines that you can hire e.g rug doctor or similar just recirculate warm dirty water!
I think the cleaner you've bought sounds great for keeping on top of the carpet once you've got it clean though.

[Piglet89]

Thanks @HamCob for taking time to post.

That makes sense; honestly, at this stage in the game, I’m tempted just to get a new (harder wearing and easier to clean) carpet fitted! I’m really not sure I can make this any better....

[cheeseychovolate]

If you go down the new route, a lot of carpets can now be cleaned with bleach, this might help in the future

[GraceBudd05]

Carpets that are not properly cleaned regularly become dirty beyond recognition.
I get them clean from the most trusted Carpet Cleaning Melbourne experts - Be Sure Carpet Cleaning Melbourne. They make use of green and safe solutions to make your carpet look fresh and completely spotless.

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

@GraceBudd05 too bad they are in Melbourne not the UK, they sound good

[Dumblebum]

Just get a proffessional in it doesn’t cost much and will come up like new. Home machines do push the dirt into the fibre and are best used as maintence on carpets that have been maintained.

We get ours done professionally annually. Bloke comes in with a machine the size of a standard under the counter fridge and they always look like new after. It’s about fifty quid a room.

[nicole45654]

carpet cleaning