Carpets can be expensive, so it’s important to take good care of them. That means vacuuming on a regular basis, and using spot treatments or stain removers when accidents happen. But sometimes even the best carpet spray cleaners can’t do the trick – particularly when it comes to older, set-in stains. That’s when you need to enlist professional help. Luckily, carpet cleaning is easier and less costly than replacing your floor coverings. With the right technique and a bit of elbow grease, it’s possible to get your carpet looking as good as new again.

Professional carpet cleaning uses a high-powered extraction machine that vacuums up dirt and other debris from wall-to-wall carpeting as well as large area rugs. It’s especially important to vacuum regularly, as it helps keep your home healthy and prevents dust mites from making your family sick. The best carpet cleaners remove deep down dirt and grime that may otherwise go unnoticed, leaving your floors looking fresher, healthier, and more inviting.

When choosing a carpet cleaner, look for one with a built-in deodorizer. This will help eliminate odors from food, pet messes, and other sources of unpleasantness. You’ll also want to find a model with a brush that rotates at high speeds, which helps break up and loosen the dirt that’s stuck in the carpet fibers. And make sure the machine you choose is certified by thet Carpet cleaning London Ontario and Rug Institute  to remove allergens such as mold, mildew, and dust mites.

While shampooing was a popular method for cleaning carpets in the past, it is not effective in the long run. Because shampoos do not rinse completely, they leave behind a sticky residue that attracts more dirt to the carpet. Moreover, it can take up to 30 minutes for the carpet to dry after shampooing.

Steam cleaning, on the other hand, is a far more efficient way to clean your carpets. During the process, a pre-conditioning chemical is applied to the carpet before heated water is injected into it. Then, all of that dirty water and whatever else was trapped in the carpet is sucked up by the vacuum cleaner.

The carpets we have in our homes are a magnet for all kinds of things. From accidental spills and pet messes to the dirt and grime that gets pushed down on the carpets by everyday foot traffic. Keeping your carpets looking good requires a bit of effort, but with the right carpet cleaner you can keep your floors looking great for years to come.

Brigitt Earley is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience writing about home and cleaning products. She has worked extensively with carpet cleaning sprays and removers of all kinds, including the models reviewed in this article. Her writing has been featured on a variety of online and print publications, including The Daily Beast and Good Housekeeping Magazine. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two cats.