The carpet in your home is a big investment. It is unlikely to get any home carpeted for less than several thousand dollars and this is a very large investment that you want to protect for as long as possible. The look of new fresh clean carpet is one to be treasured because if it was chosen properly it enhances the look of the room by complementing and accenting the colors. The problem is the home carpets will get dirty and, unless you do proper home carpet shampooing it will fade quickly and the more time passes without proper care the worse it will look.
The trick to home shampooing, other than finding the cheapest professional in the phone book or from a flyer stuck to your doorknob is to learn the best way to do home shampooing and this means understanding the different shampoos and what they do. There are essentially three types of areas that need to be cleaned on your carpet. The first is the lightly used areas, like under furniture and along walls. These areas only need light shampooing with light shampoo and water. The next area is the heavy traffic areas. These are in front of chairs and sofas, around the entertainment areas and the pathways the people generally use to move around the room. These areas will require a heavier cleaning with stronger shampoo. The final areas are the stains. Depending on the nature of the stain, and how long it has been there, you will need different cleaners. There are some stains that require special cleaners and this might require you to call a professional. These stain cleaners are generally applied directly to the stain, allowed to soak for a while and then shampooed.
One of the best ways to do general home carpet shampooing is to use a regular carpet shampoo with a high powered shampoo machine. This will get the best overall job for the least amount of money and you can rent the machine locally at most grocery stores.