# washing carpets



## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

I am home today washing my carpets, and I wonder how many times you guys wash your carpets? my neighbors told me they never wash theirs, they just replace them every 5 years!!!! I don't have that kind of money... Please answer my poll'


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## mommathea (May 27, 2009)

We try to shampoo our carpets 2x a year, but sometimes it's more like 3x in 2yrs. Though now only 2 of the kids bedrooms are carpeted so we may streach it alittle to 1x a year
We don't wear shoes in the house so that helps keep the carpets cleaner.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

It is constant for us, we have usually 3 dogs runnng aaround, a 4 yo, and us. Hard to say who is more destructive. The only place fully carpeted is the basement, and no matter what we do, smells of mildew and dampness, sometimes dog pee. This latest bit with Duke...let's just say I will be washing them again tomorrow.


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## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

What carpets? I don't have any so I had to answer never. But if we're talking bath mat; that goes in the washer once a week.


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## wildhorse (Oct 22, 2006)

I put never because we dont have any carpets.Can you ever truly get them clean?


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I only have carpet on the lower level. i shampoo at least every 2 weeks but that's because the carpet is white and i'm messy.i dont know anyone who replaces their carpets every 5 years even if they can afford to do so. this was new 2 years ago when i moved in and i am replacing it shortly but only because it's a losing battle for me trying to keep it clean.~Georgia.


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## pinemead (Jan 18, 2003)

I'd do it monthly if I could. I have dogs, cat, and lots of sandy soil, not to mention barn dirt.


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

We never have a true clean carpet, I washed three times the one in the living room and two times the one in the dinning room, first time I got black petroleum black water and the last time I got light gray water, and I think that's the best I never got clean transparent water so that tells me the Carpet is not really 100% clean, but close enough. I hate carpets, but tiling the house is not cheap her in the north, you have to tile with a heating element under it, if you don't do it, you may get cracked tiles very soon when the good old winter is back.


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## nodak3 (Feb 5, 2003)

I clicked never, but we do shampoo once every five years. No pets, and no small children now. We usually remove shoes at the door.


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## Emmy D (Sep 7, 2009)

What are you talking about, cracked tile and winter, is your house sitting directly on a slab!? I lived in N. Minn for two winters, had tile in three rooms on the first floor, along with wood, never had a problem!!

Jeez, I have a friend in N. Minn who has a log house that he built on a slab, the slab is his first floor FLOOR with tile over the concrete, not a crack in the grout or chip or anything and he has been living in this house for 10 years.

Emmy


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

I shampoo about once a year when the weather is hot so the carpet drys quicker. I spot clean constantly.

I can't wait until I can have real wood floors......

I had lots of tile in one house in Phoenix and found my sissy dogs were all over the furniture in the winter. Cold feet - in Phoenix!


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## crescha (Sep 24, 2009)

I am amazed at what ends up in the canister everytime I vaccum. I spent all day Wednesday shampooing the small area rugs, and the two oriental rugs in the dining and living room area, it's hard to believe what comes out even after all the vaccuming. One thing I have found though is not to use soap everytime you scrub them, if you do not get all of the soap out, then dirt will stick to it, and that is what causes the litlle black spots. Another thing I found out by accident, the colgate all purpose soap bars most of us use to make laundry detergent are also good for pre-treating those stubborn stains.


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

I do believe you are absolutely right, they are never clean, this time the living room I washed 3 times and I got a very clear water out of that,but was no completely clean the water was no clear. You are right.



wildhorse said:


> I put never because we dont have any carpets.Can you ever truly get them clean?


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## MSMH (Sep 8, 2009)

wildhorse said:


> I put never because we dont have any carpets.Can you ever truly get them clean?


Carpets are good for "cleaning" shoes.  No carpets in my home for this reason. I wash the scatter/throw rugs when they look soiled, but shake them outside weekly. I have two rug sets so that while one set is drying on the line, the other set is helping to keep dirt from entering the house. We also have "indoor" shoes and leave our "outdoor" shoes in the garage. (We don't require guests to remove their shoes.)


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

We tend to go barefoot at my house and of course one of the _worse_ things you can put on your carpet is the oils from your skin... 
Consequently, between us and the dogs, we shampoo generally once a year, and more often in high traffic areas. 
(Just my Bissel steamer though. I might Rug Doctor every three-five if I'm lucky!)


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

I've been tearing out the carpet all over this house and exposing the wood floors underneath since we moved in here three years ago. I only have carpet in one room now because there isn't hardwood underneath. As soon as I can afford to lay wood, the carpet is outta here.

Oh, and I clean the one room once a month with my Hoover steamer. Highly recommend the Hoover brand


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

My parents have a rug doctor, so I borrow that once a year and can clean for the price of solution. My house is on a slab so I can't tear out until I can afford to put in hard floors. I really wish I could pull out the carpet now...it's in every room, even the bathroom and kitchen!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I got rid of the carpets and put down laminate throughout the house (except bathrooms and kitchen which is lino tile) soon after I bought this place. Those carpets were truly nasty when you looked at the back.  I have never regretted getting rid of the carpet, although I do wish I'd paid the extra and put down real hardwood.

Just the daily or every couple days sweeping yields enough dirt and cat fur to let me know that a carpet may "look" clean, but there is no way it really is.

When I did have carpets, I used my Hoover Spinbrush about every 3-6 months, and should have used it at least monthly.


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## MSMH (Sep 8, 2009)

vigilant20 said:


> My parents have a rug doctor, so I borrow that once a year and can clean for the price of solution. My house is on a slab so I can't tear out until I can afford to put in hard floors. I really wish I could pull out the carpet now...it's in every room, even the bathroom and kitchen!


You can paint or stain the concrete if you desire until you can afford hardwood, etc. There is preparation work to do and it is dusty work since you would need to sand the concrete's rough spots (or allover) before applying the sealant/stain. You can find info online if you are interested in learning more. 

I have seen some very high-end homes with fancy concrete floors.

http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Floors/concrete-floor-finishes


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## Mr.Hogwallop (Oct 2, 2009)

I ripped all the carpeting out of my house and burned em.

I hate carpets.


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