We are thinking of getting a steam vacuum because we have very light carpet. Now that we have a kid, our carpet gets tons of spots on it.
Originally our plan was to do occasional carpet cleaning from pro's like Stanley Steemer.
But a friend recently commented how great steam vacs are.
So my question is are steam vacs worth it? Do they work that well or occasional carpet cleanings from pro's better?
We have no experience with either so thought I'd ask the mamasource community!
BTW... you guys rock! When my husband and I were discussing this... asking here was one of my first thoughts. I love this site! Thanks in advance!
I have one by Bissell and I love it. Just used it Sunday. They're not as thorough as the pros' machines but who can afford a pro every week or two?
I boil the water in my teakettle before I put it in the machine.
I rented one once and it was a pain. However, I have a friend who did something much smarter. She and 2 other people on their block all went in and bought one and whenever any of the 3 of them need it, they can use it and it's cheap and doesn't take up space in ALL of their homes ALL the time, and they're very happy with it.
Yes it's crazy-expensive but it IS very good for you. You really don't want to breathe in particles on your carpet, and clean air should be a big priority when you have kids so I would recommend it. If you can go in on it with a friend, even better!
We borrowed a Hoover Steam Vac from my MIL and it was great. Yes, not QUITE as good as a rug doctor, but it also costs 1/4 as much and it was nearly as good. We used it for whole-carpet cleaning and then for spot cleaning (we have cats that barf, and a 2-year old) until we returned it a few weeks ago. Having it around was enough to make us consider getting one ourselves....
If you're going to use it for spot cleaning frequently, it's worth getting. If you're just planning on doing whole-carpet cleaning occasionally (like every 12 months) I might just go to your local Dominicks or Jewel and rent a Rug Doctor. They cost about $30 to rent for a day.
Our steam vac works great too. I have three kids, a puppy and my husband and I too...I myself have had an ocassional coffee spill. Yes it is a pain to lug out. But to know I do not have to spend 300 to have my carpets cleaned, when half of that cost is spot cleaning...to me it is so worth it. And in the future, I plan on changing my carpet type. It seems like the carpet I have although not horribly light, it attracts dirt very easily. I can not wait for the day we get new carpet. Which is not for awhile due to a new puppy. Also, Stanley suggested using a shop vac. to get out a staining liquid like coffee...Using water and trying to get it out that way. But that I think is even more work.
I have the Hoover SteamVac and I really like it. It's a major pain to lug it out, get it ready & it does take a while to do the whole room...BUT, it works great! Doesn't do as great a job of the pros, but definitely helps extend the time between professional cleanings. We just cleaned our light beige carpet with it a week or so ago & my husband couldn't believe the difference. Hope that helps!
Best money we ever spent to buy one. We still have the pros in every once in a while--- BUT--when your kid pees on the carpet, takes her poopy pull up off and sits on every single stair before you catch her, shoots juice from a juice bag from the kitchen into the family room and "forgets" she's not suppossed to color all over the furniture you'll be glad you have one.
We got a Hoover from Kohl's during one of their sales--cost about $130. My husband didn't want to get one---but after borrowing the neighbor's for the 3rd time in a week after our daughter peed in the middle of her room beacuse the next door bathroom was "sooo far away" even he decided it was a good buy.
I think it depends on the brand. Rug Doctors are expensive to buy- they have a website you can Google, but really do the job well.
I bought a steam vac and it really doesn't do as good of a job as I'd like. I've ended up renting Rug Doctors between professional cleanings and my steamer just takes up space in my laundry room. I do have a Spot Bot (Bissell) that works wonders on little spots once you have the carpets clean. I wouldn't spend the money again on a steam vacuum myself.
We have a steam vac and it is so worth it!! It does a wonderful job. Because we have a puppy and preschooler, it has gotten a lot of use in the year that we've had it. And my husband even used it on our cars just recently and afterwards my car looked brand new. The Spot Bot is something else I've heard great things about. It's only to clean little areas, but my friend has one and swears by it.
