Cleaning Capets - best option

[kiwidreamer]

I'm hoping the houseproud ladies of MN will be able to help me decide which is the best option for cleaning our carpets. We are renting at present, carpets really need cleaning now (3yrs of DS flinging food all over the dining room carpet is not a pretty sight) and at least again when we leave (no plans at present so probably inbetween clean too).

Opt 1 - spray on, vacuum off type product
Opt 2 - rug doctor now and again when we leave
Opt 3 - fancy new vacuum cleaner that can wet vac (kind of need a new vacuum cleaner
Opt 4 - steam mop thingy with carpet cleaner attachment

Obviously each has pro's and con's, mainly around cost but to start the decision process any advice on which of the above options have worked well / crap for you would be really helpful.

oh dear, nothing like mucking up a thread title

I'm not really one of the houseproud women of MN but have a similar problem. I've tried the spray-on and vacum off stuff, it works if I get to a spill immediately but does nothing on old stains/general muck.

I've decided after a lot of research, to hire a rug dr, the amount I could afford if buying a fancy carpet cleaner would mean I got one that would be ok, whereas it'll cost a lot less to hire a rug dr (around £25 at tesco, and about £10-15 for the cleaning solution) and will mean I'll actually get it done, if I buy one it could be say gathering dust for months before I get round to it

Rug doctor I think. I have used. Vax/bissel type domestic carpet cleaner and thought they were rubbish. The carpet attachment of a steam mop didn't make a noticeable difference and I think carpet cleaners that you spray on seam to attract more dirt

I get a man round to do ours every couple of years.