| It used to be cost-prohibitive to own your | | | | that features a hose for more versatility, |
| own carpet steam-cleaner, but these days you | | | | and comes equipped with car cleaning tools |
| can have your pick of models. Before you | | | | and a bare floor attachment. The Bissell |
| choose a carpet cleaner, take a look at the | | | | ProHeat 7950 Steam Cleaner appears to feature |
| different options out there and decide what's | | | | the same types of attachments, but is priced |
| best for you. For instance, are you a | | | | at about $100 more? Is it a rip-off? |
| neat-nick who wants to shampoo all of your | | | | |
| carpet on a regular basis? Do you have pets | | | | This is where comparing features comes in |
| or kids who are prone to spilling? Do you | | | | handy - the Bissell has an onboard heater |
| have mostly carpet, or would you like a | | | | that keeps the cleaning water warm throughout |
| machine that can clean your tile, laminate, | | | | use, which according to experts, gives better |
| and hardwood, too? Will you mostly be | | | | cleaning power. But, is it always necessary? |
| cleaning high traffic areas like halls and | | | | If you only plan to do one room on a given |
| stairs, and sticking to a vacuum for the | | | | day, you might not be using the steamer long |
| rest? How much storage space to do you have | | | | enough to need the heater, so the Hoover |
| available? You have so many choices | | | | would be perfect for you. |
| available, so to avoid becoming overwhelmed, | | | | |
| assess your needs before you begin shopping. | | | | Would a Spot-Cleaner Be Sufficient? |
| | | | |
| How Much Horsepower Do I Need? | | | | When you have kids, pets, or both, spills and |
| | | | accidents can be a part of your everyday |
| The most important decision when buying a | | | | life. If you mostly want a steam cleaner to |
| carpet cleaning machine is to decide how much | | | | catch those spills before they turn into |
| power you need. First, decide if you want an | | | | stains, or for small jobs such as |
| upright, canister model or a spot-treater. An | | | | high-traffic areas only, a spot-cleaner would |
| upright machine is operated similar to your | | | | probably be more than enough machine for you. |
| regular vacuum. These machines are best if | | | | The biggest benefits with the small machines |
| you plan to clean an entire room of carpet | | | | are that they're easy to store, easy to use, |
| four or more times a year. If you know you'll | | | | and best of all, they're quite inexpensive. |
| use it at least that often, an upright | | | | You can get powerful name-brand machines by |
| machine is probably best for you. Keep in | | | | Bissell and other companies for $30-$70, |
| mind, though, that they are usually | | | | depending on features. They are great for |
| comparable or larger in size to your upright | | | | busy families since they can be pulled out, |
| vacuum, so plan ahead where you want to store | | | | used, and put away in a matter of minutes. |
| it. | | | | |
| | | | Don't be fooled by the designation of |
| Canister models are often able to hold more | | | | spot-cleaner. These powerful little machines |
| liquid, so if you have a lot of carpet and | | | | can also be used to clean stairs, |
| you'd like to be able to clean it all in one | | | | high-traffic areas like halls and entries, |
| day, a canister model might be right for you. | | | | and small rooms like carpeted bathrooms, even |
| They can be slightly harder to manage, | | | | in the largest homes. They're ideal for |
| though, because unlike upright models, they | | | | apartments or small homes where a larger |
| have a separate hose, which will need to be | | | | machine would be overkill. In a small room, |
| drained and cleaned. However, because of the | | | | you can clean the entire area with your |
| flexibility, they are great for cleaning | | | | "spot" cleaner. |
| stairs and behind furniture. But do your | | | | |
| homework! Some upright models have separate | | | | Just asking yourself a few simple questions |
| cleaning arms with attachments. | | | | about your needs before you head to the store |
| | | | will save you a lot of hassle. Be realistic |
| Compare, Compare, Compare! | | | | about how often you'll really use your new |
| | | | carpet cleaner, where you plan to use it, and |
| When you start your quest for an upright or | | | | how you'll store it when it's not being used. |
| canister steamer, you may be surprised at the | | | | There are so many choices that you'll be able |
| variety of features available. For example, | | | | to find one that meets your specifications |
| the Hoover SteamVac Plus is an upright model | | | | exactly. |