Frugal Carpet Cleaning Solution For Steam Cleaners?

 

I am planning on renting one of those RugDoctor carpet cleaners from
Wal-Mart but would like to avoid purchasing their cleaning solution too...

This site:
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/householdsavings/qt/Carpet_Cleaner.htm
recommends using equal parts of white vinegar and warm water in order to
make some cheap carpet cleaning solution.  Any comments on that?  Other
alternatives to white vinegar?  (I am a little bit worried that white
vinegar will stink up the whole carpet and place...)

Thanks.
--
tb

 

Tiziano wrote:


alternatives to white vinegar?  (I am a

Yeah, me too. Sounds mad to me.

 



I wouldn't use vinegar for fear of the smell lingering for days, weeks,
months...

If you're going to rent (or for that matter, buy) a carpet cleaning machine,
it seems to me only common sense to use whatever cleaning solution is made
to go with the machine.  Machine plus solution has to be cheaper than buying
and installing new carpet.

You don't say if the carpet you want to clean is wall-to-wall, the kind
that's tacked down.  If it's not, take the carpet outside, hand it up, and
beat the dirt out of it.

 



The professionals use one part plain cheapo household ammonia to three parts
water in all their commercial carpet cleaning.  I've tried it and it works
pretty good.  I prefer to do it in the summer time and leave all the windows
open (it dries faster then too) and don't drench the carpet--to much water
isn't good for the carpet or the pad.  Ammonia stinks worse than vinegar but
the smell quickly dissipates.

 



I use 1 Tbsp. of Tide to a gallon of boiling water in the tank.  Works
well and doesn't suds up.

Dee