Carpet cleaner hire
A carpet cleaner (e.g. a Vax or a Rug Doctor) is the perfect machine to deep clean a carpet or rug. They allow to remove dirt which builds up deep down in your carpet if you only vacuum clean it. Cleaning your carpets regularly will extend their lifetime. Carpet cleaners can be used for cleaning carpets, rugs, upholsteries, sofas, cushions, curtains and even your car interior.
The price for hiring a carpet cleaner depends on its area performance and tank capacity.
Carpet cleaner hire guide
Why hire a carpet cleaner?
If you only vacuum clean your carpet, dirt will build up deep down in your carpet. This will cause odours and worsen the appearance of your carpet. A carpet cleaner is the perfect machine to hire if you want to deep clean a carpet or rug (famous brands ar Vax and Rug Doctor). Using spray extraction, carpet cleaners are able to deep clean carpets and remove built up dust, stains and bacteria. Cleaning your carpets regularly will extend their lifetime. While not suited for hard floors, carpet cleaners can be used for a wide range of applications:
- Carpets
- Rugs
- Upholsteries, sofas, cushions, curtains
- Car interior
Which carpet cleaner should I hire?
Carpet cleaners available for hire range from small domestic to industrial / commercial carpet cleaners. Domestic carpet cleaners are suited for use in home, while industrial / commercial carpet cleaners are typically used in large spaces such as offices, halls, restaurants. Carpet cleaners typically have an electric power source.
Key differences between the carpet cleaners available for hire are the following characteristics:
- Maximum area performance: ranges from 18 to 25 m2/ hour. Determines the surface you can clean in one hour. When hiring a carpet cleaner for domestic use, consider hiring one with lower area performance to save costs
- Tank capacity: domestic carpet cleaners typically have 10 liter tank capacity, however industrial carpet cleaners can have tank capacity up to 70 litres. A larger tank capacity reduces the need to refill and hence the number of times you need to stop
Note that most carpet cleaners require cleaning product as well, which you can often buy at the company where you hire the carpet cleaner.
How to use a carpet cleaner?
Remember to always read its manual before using a carpet cleaner. Do not immediately use it on the whole surface you want to clean but first test on a small area, to make sure it does not have unwanted results.
- Prepare the surroundings of where you will use the carpet cleaner by removing furniture and making sure you can freely move over the carpet
- First use your regular vacuum cleaner to remove as much dirt as possible
- (Optional) Pre-treat heavily stained areas with a carpet shampoo
- Prepare the carpet cleaner itself by filling the clean water tank with warm water (not boiling! just hot tap water is fine), adding detergent according to ratio of detergent per liter of water and removing all water from the waste water tank
- Plug in the carpet cleaner and turn it on
- Make a slow wet pass, forward and back
- Make a dry pass over the same area to remove any residual dirty moisture
- Repeat this a few times (wet + dry pass) until the water suctioned in looks clean, however never sit on a spot for too long to avoid over-wetting. Refer to the carpet cleaner manual for more details
- Again use your regular vacuum cleaner after the carpet has dried (after 5-24 hours, depending on your carpet cleaner quality)
Note that most carpet cleaners require cleaning product as well, which you can often buy at the company where you hire the carpet cleaner.
For more details on how to use a carpet cleaner, watch the video below:
Should I hire a carpet cleaner or a steam cleaner?
There is often confusion, but a carpet cleaner actually does not use steam. Machines that use steam (steam cleaners) are used for hard floors (tiles, vinyl, marble, ...) while a carpet cleaner is used for softer surfaces (carpets, sofas, car seats). Deciding which is best suited for you depends on the surface you need to clean.
What is the recommended safety equipment when hiring a carpet cleaner?
When using a carpet cleaner it is recommended to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Recommended safety equipment for a carpet cleaner consists of the following: protection goggles, ear protection and hand protection.
Well-known carpet cleaner brands
Image source: Wellers Hire
