How to Find a Good Carpet & Upholstery Steam Cleaner

Examine the carpet and upholstery steam cleaning machines. Look at the number of brushes on the bottom of the machine. The brushes are what scrub the carpet clean, so avoid machines with big gaps between the brushes.

Look for a heating feature. Your carpet and upholstery steam cleaner needs hot water in order to clean effectively. Cleaners with built in heaters are better than those without, as even hot water will cool down without an effective heat source.

Check out the attachments. Ask the sales staff to show you how to use the hose attachments. Look for attachments that snap into place securely and with little effort. Consider storing the attachments. Attachments need to be stored in a way that allows air to flow through them, so they do not develop mold, mildew or odors.

Push the machines, you're considering, along the carpet. If you have trouble maneuvering the machine in the store, you will have even more trouble moving it around once it's filled with water.

Talk to your friends to find out if they have machines you can test before you purchase one for yourself. Borrow them all on the same day and shampoo a strip of carpet with each machine. Take clear notes, so you know what machine was used on what part of the carpet. Wait several days to get an accurate representation of cleanliness, before you make final decision.

Check out on-line sites that review products, and see if these sites have similar recommendations for the same machine.