Steam cleaners

Are they really as good as I have heard?

I'm thinking of getting one as the house I'm moving to is mostly carpeted....

I would never buy one, I rent an industrial one from time to time, they are excellent.

domestic ones are too flimsy, bits fall off and ir you live in a hard water area soon get clogged up unless you have a water softener.

We pay someone we know to use an industrial sized one once a year on our only carpeted area of the house -- the stairs and upstairs landing. The colour of the water afterwards is pretty ahem....disgusting.

If it is your house I would take up all the carpets. If you are renting then it might be a worthwhile investment as carpets can get pretty horrific with dogs quickly as I am sure you know!

It's renting, they offered to remove the carpets but I much prefer carpet than hard floor, obviously the downside is keeping it clean but shouldnt be too hard if i wash them off before they come in... But I'm paranoid about dog smell so thought regular steam cleaning would help to ensure there is no build up of dog smell!

I've used one before in a similar situation to yours I lived in a rented flat & cleaned the carpets with a steam cleaner just before I moved out. It really does work wonders & is great for getting rid of doggy smells, as well as everyday dirt. If they hadn't know I had a dog, my landlord wouldn't have even guessed that Molly had been living there. The water is pretty disgusting afterwards though

My mum owns one now but we rented one before and I think that was better. They are quite big and bulky so take up quite a lot of space if you have one of your own & as SB said, you have to deal with their upkeep. If you rent one it is a one off fee, you don't have to find anywhere to keep it & you don't have to worry about it breaking down.

The colour of the water once you have used one is highly disturbing!

The guy that lived here before us had too rotties and a cat.... colour and smell of the water after steaming cleaning made me want to

We always rent steam cleaners.

Haha, I will bear that in mind!

I think I would rather buy one than rent as then it makes cleaning hard surfaces etc easier ( need all the help I can get with another sprog on the way, 4 dogs and a cat!)

Have been looking at karcher ones and they seem to have good reviews.

as a carpet owner, i had chosen an steam cleaner with excellent final results.

I put old sheets on top of my carpets when the girls are in the house, then I just pop them in the washer.