Carptet Extractor Suggestions?

Lazzman

Lazzman

New member
I would like to buy a carpet extractor to clean carpets and upholstery, but they cost way more than I want to spend, upwards of $800



Is there a cheaper solution? I heard that the Bissell little green machine filled with diluted Meg's APC works well.



Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :2thumbs:
 
The little green machine does not have enough power for my likeing. But if u r doing this for a hobby it might work but for a living no. If u cant get a big unit thin spring for a steamer they work good. U can get a steamer for a lot cheaper than a extractor.
 
I just picked up a Mytee Tempo S300 spotter... although it's not heated, it can be had for under $400 and it is quite powerful. I have tried both heated and cold water extractors... IMO, I cannot really tell much of a difference in performance. I do pre-treat all trouble spots on the carpet with the appropriate Pro-Chem product, I use an upholstery brush to agitate and I do NOT add anything to the solution tank but water. I have terrific results.



-josh
 
Although an extractor is great for certain jobs, a tornador does a better job for most jobs. I know the concept is not exactly the same, but it does an excellent job removing stains from carpets and seats.
 
JohnKleven said:
Although an extractor is great for certain jobs, a tornador does a better job for most jobs. I know the concept is not exactly the same, but it does an excellent job removing stains from carpets and seats.
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I will attest to this also. The few times I have used it on my EX's Honda CRV, it worked very well. Just adds another thing you have to buy (Air compressor that flows enough CFM to support it) if your mobile.
 
Looks like I got some thinking to do.



How does a Steamer differ in cleaning method from an Extractor?



What is the process for a steamer?



Thanks very much for the great suggestions.
 
lazzman said:
How does a Steamer differ in cleaning method from an Extractor?



What is the process for a steamer?
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A steamer shoots a stream of steam, which can heat/emulsify soiling as well as "blasting" things clean with the pressure of its output. VERY, very different from an extractor, which can spray solution (and some good extractors really do *spray* it with considerable force), but IME rely primarily upon suction to do their cleaning.



Sometimes the steamer works like a miracle, but other times I want to extract. But like 08xB, with my extractors, I often use the sprayer feature primarily as a means of rinsing, to get out all the cleaner. And yeah, Pro-Chem stuff is great and very economical.



Note that with a steamer you have to be a little careful as its output is high-temperature. I've melted synthetic carpet nap with a steamer even though I wasn't being mindless about it. I've melted plastic too, but that time I *was* being kinda careless :o And of course everybody will scald himself once or twice if doing enough steaming :D



Noting that I have a pair of steamers (the Daimer is pretty good by any measure) and five or six extractors (ranging from little Hoover/Bissell portables to a commercial-level Century/Ninja), IMO both machines have their places and one isn't really a substitute for the other. I myself find the extractors to be *overall* more useful. But hey, that's just *me* and the stuff *I* am cleaning up.



Oh, and extractors are *SO* handy around the house! I honestly can't imagine not having one just for the "uh-oh, gotta clean that carpet!" situations that come up now and then. Got kids or pets? If so, I'd sure want an extractor. If not, you'll probably still find a use for one- the guy who cuts my hair had a protein drink spill in the trunk of his Audi...think "death car stench"....so he bought a Bissell, used some of my "protein stain remover" stuff and DIYed the problem in no time. Since then he's found all sorts of uses for it and doesn't know how he got by without it.



But then again, when I need the steamer, I need a steamer. It's not like I extract stuff in my engine compartment any more than I'd steam my oriental rugs.



EDIT: It occurs to me that this time of year, I use both an extractor and a steamer every time I clean up my wife's A8; I steam the pedals clean (quick and easy) and extract the (factory carpeted) floor mats to get the salt/etc. out of them. And that extracting *works* for that; after eleven winters and >100K miles, her original floormats are still OK.
 
If you have the budget for it, there are extractors that use steam. Since I don't have the budget, I'm sticking with steam. I also have a Tornador, but haven't used it enough to say if its worth it or not. The Durmaid extractor I had didn't do a very good for me.
 
AeroCleanse said:
If you have the budget for it, there are extractors that use steam...
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Yeah, now and then I wish I'd sprung for one of those. Wouldn't have cost any more than the Daimer steamer + the Century extractor. But then again, I'd be leery of repairs (I've sent my Daimer back twice that I can think of).



I do think about that Tornador, might pick one up next time I'm feeling self-indulgent.
 
Great detailed updates, I do like both but think an extractor would probably be a better choice for me. Don't do a lot of auto carpet cleaning and have a budget of around $200, I know it is a lame budget that's why I am looking for suggestions and machines in that price range.



Just looking for a personal machine for my floor mats, auto upholstery etc. Still prefer to do my details the old fashioned way with a scrub brush and Carpet/Upholstery cleaner like Eimann Fabrik.
 
lazzman said:
...I.. have a budget of around $200...Just looking for a personal machine for my floor mats, auto upholstery etc. Still prefer to do my details the old fashioned way with a scrub brush and Carpet/Upholstery cleaner like Eimann Fabrik.
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Given your budget and what you're planning to do, a small extractor like one of the Bissell units oughta fit the bill quite nicely (well, at least IMO). If you can, get a heated one, it really does make a difference even if you just use the sprayer to rinse.
 
Prestige Detail said:
I will attest to this also. The few times I have used it on my EX's Honda CRV, it worked very well. Just adds another thing you have to buy (Air compressor that flows enough CFM to support it) if your mobile.
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Whew.....I was always embarassed to admit that I use my Tornador on carpet stains and seat stains; thinking people would look at me like I have 3 eyes, but I am glad that I am not the only one who uses this for carpets/ seats on top of air vents and hard to reach areas...so, I will come clean and be another attestor to the tornador working well for spots/ stains.
 
Bissel does have one specifically desinged for cars, it is heated and has a 9amp motor which sounds pretty decent.



Maybe I will spring for that...
 
AeroCleanse said:
This is the one I have: Vapor Clean Unilux 3000 Commercial Steam Cleaner 1500W, 5Bar 72+PSI, Pressure Gauge, 9' Hose, 315°F, 1-3Hr, 17-23Lb, Lifetime Boiler & Element - ITALY at AllBrands.com that and Floex works great.
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WOW! What a coincident. I did the same exact thing. I had the Mytee II and was not impressed. Shortly after getting my steamer (VX 5000) I experimented and eventually found that having another piece of equipment such as the Mytee II was only taking up space.



The vapor steamer works a couple of different ways. For carpets, you can pre-heat the area with some steam without actually coming into contact with the carpet. Take some Folex (from Home Depot), spray it onto the carpet area and let it dwell for about 15 minutes. Take your steamer & larger brush and lightly scrubs the carpet. You don't have to put any elbow grease into the brush pressure at all... let the steam do the work. Vacuum with a shop vac and that's it. Works much better than the Mytee II hands down.



For upholstery lightly spray the seats with some fabric cleaner and wrap a towel around the brush and you'll get the same results. Works great on leather as well and apply leather conditioner immediately afterwards. The results are great. In most cases, I have found that with using the steamer, it's not always necessary to use chemicals which greatly cuts down on your supply costs.
 
I haven't needed to pre-heat before using Folex. I also skip the post steam vacuum. I vac first, spray Folex on the stained areas, then steam the whole area.
 
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