and cart them over to the laundromat. The Axminster gets a professional cleaning once every 10 years because it's wool. It will skip the next 10 years because with a geriatric cat, I have not been able to use it. The supermarkets around here rent cleaners for wall to wall and maybe they do in your area, too, check it out.

However, for my kitchen and bathroom, I finally caved and got a Hoover floor scrubber that spits hot, soapy water, scrubs the floor and then vacuums the mess into another container for dumping. I can't praise that highly enough, it's a wonderful gadget and worth every cent I paid for it. It's one cave to my overall gimpiness that I don't regret.

We use it at the apartments, and one machine lasted 8 years - nice trick. The second one is just a year old and going great. Much better than mopping, which always feels like rearranging dirt to me - this actually takes it away.

was my comment when I used it the first time.

I've had good luck with this:
Shark Navigator Professional Lift-Away Vacuum Cleaner

Bought it on Amazon based on recs, and it really sucks (in a good way). It isn't self propelled (at least not directly, when cleaning on carpet it does pull itself along pretty well) and is mostly plastic, but it is easy to clean, not too heavy and does a great job. Haven't used the attachments, just on floors.

In my house I have an assortment of small rugs that I bought before 9/11 happened.

They are all from Persia and the cost was almost nothing as there was no demand for such an item at the time I bought these small rugs (which are beautiful btw ...).

The salesman saw these rugs and wondered where I had gotten them from and I told him they were from Iran and that were not so easy nor cheap to get these days. He wanted one of them badly and was persistent; offered me $$$ for it and still wanted to sell me that damned vacuum/rug shampooer thing for $1,000.00 on top of it. I was getting ready to totally lose it ... not good at all.

I told him NO and he got angry with me. His cell phone was dead and he tried to use my phone but I have it blocked so no call he was attempting to place was going through.

So, he left alright and was pissed as hell at me and frankly, I was ready to tell him where to go if you know what I mean.

I check into what you suggest -- $1,000.00 for a perhaps huge piece o'shyte ain't worth my time nor my energy and add pain factor to it, I'm DONE really.

*sigh* & pissed too ...

Shame on me for being such a damned fool. He almost got me but I shredded up the papers he had me fill out in front of him before he left ...

Their carpet washer/extractor vacuums are much more reasonably priced and they will do the job.

Just don't use them on Persian rugs, please. Often their dyes are not stable and you can easily ruin them.

What I'd like is one that vacuums and also will clean the carpets.

My main concern was indeed the living room, a bit of a mess because of the loss of my two very sick cats at the end of 2011/early 2012.

All of the machines I've looked at (online that is) seem to weigh abt. 25 lbs. or more which is a hell of a load for me to handle (not at all practical). I have Pergo floors in the kitchen and you do not wash these floors as water is their enemy (pain in the butt IMO but, I was not the one that "wanted" them).

After that "event" yesterday, I can barely move today as the pain is out the window but, yeah my living room run is clean. *sigh*

I have a Hoover vacuum cleaner now, very heavy and obtuse IMO. I had a rug cleaner made by Hoover too for a long time but no one could figure out how to use it (belonged to my late mother). Hoover vacuums are sure not like they used to be, that much I know.

You don't use anything on them but one things, a wet sponge with NO soap.

They are a b*tch to clean, difficult as all hell to vacuum but, I love them anyway!

They'll last the rest of my life and the rest of someone else's life as well.

Picked the lot of them up for abt. $300.00 before 9/11 occurred.

Why? To cover my "new" carpeting so it would not get worn out fast and need to be replaced.

Works well to a point, but only to a point. Must be cautious not to place some of the lighter weight ones anywhere that a person can possibly get their foot caught and hence fall, my biggest fear around the house these days.

I can't do "falls" anymore. Nope.

Maybe I should just hire someone to come and to the job -- cost will be about $150.00 I bet for a small 700 ft. house. I hate doing it, believe me, lots of $$$ for a 3 room house!

Thanks for your help as always Warpy!!

during the hostage crisis in 1980. Nobody wanted them then, it was seen as unpatriotic or something.

When I was stuck with wall to wall, I used rugs to obscure it so I didn't have to look at it. It was just never my color.

I don't much care for wall-to-wall carpeting either. I love hardwood floors!

The house I live in is on a slab foundation so no choice but the wall-to-wall.

I had "high-low" installed (it was at the seller's cost and they were cheap lying SOBs, believe me on that one (nothing like screwing over a poor person is there?)) and went for a maple brown/light brown combo. You can drop something on it and never find it again.

I don't much care for them as I mentioned and that is why I picked up all of these smaller Persian rugs.

I had to have many of them put away after my surgical experiences of 2009/2010 as I was told "no "throw" rugs" by the doctor.

I've never put them back down in the places which I had tripped on in the past because of them.

I wish the sellers of this house had put down a decent carpeting. This is about 12 years old now and frankly, it is likely shot to hell after the various cats that have come and gone, and a dying puppy mill dog that never seemed to know what it meant to "go outside", etc. etc.

As for replacing them -- how would I do this exactly? I have furniture on these rugs and I certainly cannot move any of it, esp. that 2,000 lb. desk I had shipped up here from SF some 20+ years ago that needs to be moved with piano belts! YIKES. It seemed like such a great deal when I bought it for $125.00 in SF at the time; never imagined it would be such a huge gigantic problem to deal with years later.

I guess that carpet installers don't come to your house and move furniture do they? Please let me know. We have no "Home Depot" here, only private businesses that sell carpeting and no, I haven't dared to go "look".

*sigh*

Thanks again Warpy.

Any other ideas for me are greatly appreciated because, this cheap damn carpeting sucks. It is coming apart where it hits the Pergo floor in the kitchen being salvaged by yes, a long Persian runner rug luckily. Otherwise, I'm thinking I'd be quite screwed.

Replacing carpets is a lot of $$$, I know this already. Would like to try to salvage what I have if at all possible but, they came with a 10 year warranty and yep, that 10 year warranty is dead and gone.

I love mine and it "never loses suction" just like the MUCH more expensive Dysons claim to.

For shampooing, I have Hoover Steam Vac Dual V. It works miracles, I tell you. Best tip I got and follow: vacuum with a regular vaccum first, clean it thoroughly after each use and don't leave any water or detergent in it b/w uses.

ETA: And we have THE most crappy carpet imaginable in our current rental and the Hoover gets them a zillion times cleaner than the commercial ones I rented before I wised up. SO worth the money.

I believe they sell them at K-MART (the one remaining store where I live).

I just want to be sure it is something I can handle as it is very difficult for me as I am a disabled person with lots of physical problems (to say the least).

As far as the Kirby vacuum cleaner goes, that is OUT. Even if I had the money for one, I wouldn't buy one after that "episode" over the weekend!

Will also take a look at the new Hoovers. The one that I had from my late mother has hopefully changed a lot. That thing was a monstrosity and I couldn't even give it away to anyone.

Will also check the local Goodwill and see what they might have too.

Thanks again for your ideas on this! I really appreciate it, believe me.

I got mine at Lowe's, so you might check there if you have one in your area (I bought it online and picked it up free at the store.)

The Hoover is heavier b/c of the (I'm assuming) massive suction machinery in it and then, of course, you have to add water. I have a dog and a cat that both shed like mad, so even w/regular vacuuming the Hoover sucks up a lot of ground-in hair, so getting the Hoover clean after using it involves getting down on the floor w/Q-Tips to get the area around the brushes free of all fur.

I didn't buy mine from Amazon, but the reviews there were helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Hoover-MaxExtract-Carpet-Cleaner-F7412900/dp/B0013YPWE6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369917726&sr=8-1&keywords=hoover+dual+v+steamvac (This is a newer version of what I have with some nice updates like automatic rinsing)

One final tip: Once the carpets are clean, run the Hoover over them "dry" (i.e. just the suction on, not adding any water) This gets the carpet almost 100% dry and they fully dry w/in an hour, not the many hours it takes with those rent-from-the-store machines.

If aren't dealing with pets (and I also live on a dirt road for extra filth!) and you have health concerns, hiring professional steam cleaners to get the carpets back to decent shape and then maintaining w/the Shark might be the way to go.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

Last edited Thu May 30, 2013, 10:01 PM - Edit history (1)

I went to KMART and had a look. It was light enough (in the box) for me to pick it up.

However, I've looked on line for a better deal (and found some!) but there are several models to chose from:

1. NV352
2. NV356
3. NV22
4. MV3010 Steam Vacuum
5. NV100 Vacuum, Navigator Light
6. NV501 Vacuum, Rotator Professional Lift-Away

also, almost forgot, there is also one that vacuums and shampoos as well, not sure about this one --- ?????

So, needless to say I am confused.

They also make one that vacuums and shampoos too.

Some have 3-year warranties, others have 5-year warranties.

Cost varies to just a little over $100.00 to the average of about $180.00; higher end ones maybe $250.00 (?).

Not sure which one would be best.

At present I have one solitary cat that does not shed (great breed, the good old American Short hair she is ... ), but I live near the ocean and whether people around these parts like to admit it or not, there is sand in the air so it inevitably ends up IN YOUR HOME even though you cannot see it, so I suspect that sand is a problem.

sorry! But glad you worked it out and found one you like.

It seems nice but it is a bit heavy for me but I'm sure it can be used (and HAS been used already -- the long long crevice tool that comes with it got some ugly black lint out next to the washing machine).

I haven't had much of a chance to use it as the house is small.

I think I got a good deal on it; bought at COSTCO for $149.00 + tax.

That was cheaper than buying it online or ebay and I could have taken it back if I did not like it.

I've decided I like it, a vast improvement over that old Hoover that barely worked!

Thanks for the help w/this everyone as I had not a clue!

For what it is worth, In 1999 I bought a Kirby Vacuum with a rug shampooer attachment, it also came with the assorted vacuum attachments and converted to a somewhat portable model to do your car. I financed it for around 2500. That vacuum has performed flawlessly and is still in use to this day. I had to replace a plastic impeller part damaged by sucking up pennies. Part cost $25 in n2001 and the instructions to install it were very simple. If you add up all the vacuums and rug shampooers you'd buy in 14 years, IMO I got a bargain.