Before getting into that, a note to be completely clear: I was not compensated in any way whatsoever for buying/trying that particular carpet cleaner (pictured at left), and I paid normal retail prices. I chose it after reading recommendations on the website of Consumer NZ (and I am a member of that organisation). There was only one retailer that sold that model, and that’s the reason I went to that particular store—again, there was no compensation of any kind. That out of the way…
This entire cleaning project was related to Leo: He is, I think I’ve made clear, the mostest bestest companion, however, he does have two flaws. Sometimes he barks a bit too much, and sometimes he pees in the house, always in the hallway leading to the bedrooms, bathroom, toilet, and garage (where the laundry is). It was this particular flaw that was the problem.
My carpets are all a mix of grays and blacks that make it a (very) dark charcoal sort of colour, and that means that I can’t usually see any wet spots. On the other hand, a “scuff mark” may look wet, and the only way for me to be sure is to touch the carpet. If it’s wet, I have a carpet cleaning machine Nigel and I bought many years ago—maybe 10? It has a hand-held nozzle at the end of a hose, and you press the trigger to spray water (with or without cleaning solution) on the spot, then release the trigger to then suck the water out of the carpet. It works well, but it’s intended mainly for treating spots, and I have to get down on my hands and knees, something that’s not as easy as it used to be. Well, it’s the getting back up that’s the issue, really.
The full problem here is, first, because I can’t see wet spots in the carpet, I don’t necessarily know Leo peed inside, so the spots dry, and that’s a problem because it makes the hallway smell (and it encourages him to hit the same spot again). Then there’s the problem of having to get down on the floor to clean it.
To deal with all this properly, I decided to get an upright carpet cleaner that has an agitator brush so I can thoroughly clean the carpets. I could rent such a machine for $50 a day (plus cleaning solution), but I think it may be too heavy for me to lift into and out of my car by myself. Having my own machine would be a better option, I thought, and it’ll pay for itself in a little more than 5 uses.
I looked on the Consumer NZ website and found the machines they liked best. There was the home version of the supermarket one, but it was quite expensive. So, too was their top recommendation (at around $700), a machine that also has handheld functionality, something I didn’t need since I already have a spot cleaner. My choice was the “also recommended” model, which was just an upright carpet cleaner—and less than half the price of the top recommended one.
On Sunday, after a rest day on Saturday, I used the machine, and I thought it went well.
I’d already thoroughly vacuumed the carpet, so all I had to to was put the machine together (no tools—just slot the handle in, really). Then, I filled the water tank with water and the included cleaning solution, and I was ready to go.
I downloaded and read the manual before I placed my order, so I knew how to use it—and I took on board their advice. How it works is that you turn the machine on and the brush in front starts spinning. You squeeze the trigger to spray the water/solution mix onto the carpet and the brush massages it in and then starts to suck the dirty water out of the carpet. You then release the trigger and pull the machine back towards you, and it sucks out more water. The manual recommended again pushing the machine forward and then pulling it back (without the trigger used) to suck up even more water, and that’s what I did.
The machine was easy to use, and not at all heavy to use or move. It was loud, as such machines tend to be, but I didn’t think it was horrible (I have far noisier machines). I did have a little trouble keeping the power cord out of the way, mainly because the power point is in the middle of the hallway. Ideally, I think, the power point should be behind the user who moves away from it, not toward it.
The whole cleaning process was easy, not strenuous, and not very time consuming, however, I had a tendency to move too quickly: It needs time to clean and, especially, to suck up the used water. I’m sure I’ll get used to it because I got better as time went on—as long as I paid attention to what I was doing.
The carpet was reasonably dry—well, only moist—in around 45 minutes. To help that, I put a fan on the floor at the doorway to my bedroom, which is at one end of the hallway. The fan kept air moving along the floor, which helped the carpet try. In the early evening, I moved the far into the bathroom doorway because the little bit of hallway that connects the bathroom and toilet to the main hallway gets little air circulation. I turned the fan off before going to bed.
The next morning, the carpet seemed dry, though I admit I didn’t crawl around to feel it all—maybe I should’ve to know for sure? I noticed that the “rows” left by the leaning machine were obvious, in much the same way that deep-pile carpeting shows vacuum marks after its cleaned. The machine’s manual also suggested vacuuming the carpet once it was thoroughly dry to make the carpet pile normal again. I didn’t do that because I was lazy, but I know it would’ve taken care of that problem.
When I dumped out the used water, it was very dirty, which didn’t surprise me at all: I walk up and down that hallway many times every day, to get from the front of the house to the ensuite when nature calls, to carry washing to and from the garage, to get to my office—for lots of things. Leo often trots along, too. I have what I call my “house shoes”, basically lightweight shoes that I only ever wear in the house (wearing slippers all day is a little too casual for me).
I don’t know how many tradespeople were traipsing over the carpet before the house was finished and put on the market, but in New Zealand, prospective purchasers always remove their shoes before looking at a house that’s for sale (unless the house is a wreck being sold “as is” for renovation, which isn’t all that common). Since I bought the house, I’ve had tradespeople install one thing or another, but even most of them take off their shoes.
All of which means that I have no idea how much of the dirty water—which, of course, is stuff that my pretty strong vacuum cleaner didn’t remove—was from the 28 months I’ve lived in this house, so I don’t necessarily blame Leo and me. Besides, carpet cleaners typically remove far more dirt than vacuum cleaners can, and the used water is almost always filthy, no matter how “clean” a household is or how often the carpets are vacuumed. I know all that, but it’s also a little reassurance that I’m not as useless at keeping the house clean as that waste water could make me feel.
And that’s the big cleaning project I took on this weekend. It went well, and definitely do it again—but how often? I read that people usually rent machines from supermarkets once or twice a year, though I wondered how they know that. In any case, a house with small children or pets (especially if there are both!) would be at least that. Doing it every season seems a big extreme, but maybe three times a year? We’ll see. And the next time that Leo leaves me a little surprise spot on the carpet, I may try using the carpet cleaner rather than the get-down-on-the-floor-and-back-up-again machine. All of that’s for another day.
A footnote:
In case you're wondering, Leo gets to go outside pretty much as often and for as long as he wants. I say “pretty much” because if he’s stuck in barking mode, I have to bring him inside so he doesn’t piss-off the neighbours (especially if they’re the objects of his barking). Also, in the heat of summer and cold of winter, I can’t leave the doors open all day. If the doors are closed, he may “ask” me to let him outside, and I usually hear him—though he’s really quiet. Our set routine is that I always let him out first thing in the morning, around midday, and again after his dinner. I try to always be consistent with those so that he’s used to it (I read somewhere that dogs thrive on routine—most people do, too, actually…), but I also let him out other times during the day, including if he asks to be let outside. If it’s raining, though, he’s far more likely to use the hallway carpet than he is on a sunny day, even if the doors are open. So, all my best efforts can be undone by the weather. He’s just being a dog, after all—and the mostest bestest companion—so I can’t expect him to understand and act rationally. The best I can do is create an environment for him to do natural dog stuff outside, rather than on the carpet, and to have back-up plans for when that doesn’t happen. That’s just me being a dog’s dad.
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