Cleaning your own home carpeting became popular some years back when stores began renting portable steam cleaners and selling shampoos to use with them. While this may make the job quick and somewhat affordable, it's also not always the best thing for your home's carpeting. Note a few reasons why you should always leave this job in the hands of professionals rather than trying to tackle it on your own.

1. Residue

A common mistake made by homeowners is to avoid doing a thorough job of rinsing out the shampoo after cleaning, which actually makes the carpets attract more dirt after the job is done. You need to use a very strong extractor and lots of water or steam to remove most shampoos used with lightweight cleaners; if you don't, that sticky shampoo will simply attract more dirt. Professional carpet cleaners will have stronger machines that pull up any cleansers so there is no residue left behind.

2. Type of cleanser and cleaning methods used

If you buy a carpet shampoo from the store, you may have limited options and may also not know the best type to use for your carpeting. Some shampoos are very light and won't penetrate deep carpet fibres, and some may be too harsh for carpet made with a delicate silk blend. A professional will know to check the material, nap, and other aspects of any carpeting before cleaning, and may offer different types of shampoos and cleansers only available to commercial contractors.

Professionals may also have different forms of cleaning other than just shampoos and harsh cleansers, which can mean a more thorough clean or a more gentle clean. This might include carbonation without cleansers, which bubbles up dirt to the surface so it can be easily extracted, or just a steam clean for light cleaning and restoring the nap of carpeting without damaging it.

3. Stains

If your carpet has stains, you may need to address these separately, as standard shampooing may not remove them. However, as with general cleaning, you need to know the type of cleanser needed for various types of stains, including food, red wine, standard mud and dirt, or pet waste, as well as for the type of material of the carpeting. Using the wrong shampoo may be ineffective, or using a harsh stain remover on a delicate carpet can cause damage. To avoid this, it's best to have a professional evaluate the stain and the carpet so they can address it properly.