As a carpet cleaning professional, half the battle is knowing what product to use to remove the dirt and stains in the carpet in front of you.

Choosing the wrong cleaner can actually make the situation worse. Too often people take the “more is better” approach and flood the carpet with shampoo or cleaner. More on this later.

This month we are highlighting two of our carpet cleaners: Rug Buster and Extraction Power.

The question we get asked over and over is 

“What do you recommend I use, Rug Buster or Extraction Power?”

To answer that you need to know what kind of stains you are looking at.

If there are kids and pets in the house you can pretty much guarantee that besides dirt and grime you are going to have biological oils – oils from human skin and hair, animal fur, plant oils (if there are plants in the house). If there are smokers in the house – also plant residue.

These oils will stick to the carpet fibers and attract dust and dirt like a magnet. Over time this will cause the carpet to flatten, darken and look dingy.

Extraction Power Carpet Cleaner 

is formulated for dirt first, biological oils second. It also has the added benefit of dissolving old shampoo or soap left behind from previous cleanings – which can also attract dirt.

Rug Buster Specialty Carpet Cleaner 

is formulated only for biological oils – pet hair oils, human skin and hair oils, plant oils. As its name says, it is a specialty carpet cleaner.

If in your cleaning you find that the bio-oils are not lifting with Extraction Power, you can add Rug Buster to the party.

Your Refuse Water Will Tell You What You Need to Know

If your refuse water is brown with a little green tint, then you want Extraction Power. The more green the refuse water looks, the more you need Rug Buster.

Another test is to scrub a line in the carpeting with the formulas and see what works best. Extraction Power has an added bonus of removing the leftover soap from the last guy’s “more is better” approach. Using too much cleaner actually makes the carpet attract more dirt and leaves the fibers flattened.

As with any carpet cleaning product, it is best to try cleaning an inconspicuous area first.