What's the best way to clean carpeting? It's that cheap carpeting that's put down in new homes. I'd like to get two more years out of it.

Should I hire a company to do it (and how do I pick the best one)? Do it myself (buy a steam cleaner), or what? Any recommendations? I was going to check to see if Consumer Reports has done a recent rating on steam cleaners.

My carpet isn't really dirty, just needs a cleaning in high traffic areas. We don't wear shoes in the house, which does help, and no pets.

Thanks bunches!

The most important question is whether you have kids or not. If you do, then you have to keep the kids out of the house for as long as it takes a steam cleaned carpet to dry. Otherwise you risk them developing a terrible disease called Kawasaki's syndrome which has been traced directly to steam cleaning carpets.

If you do have kids, the best way to go is a pro who does chemical cleaning. The kids still need to be out of the house the whole time they're cleaning, but they can come back in afterwards.

If you don't have kids then the very easiest way is to rent the Rug Doctor at your grocery or hardware store and do the carpet yourself. They sell all the cleaners and you can knock out a whole house in a few hours if you have help moving the furniture.

The one thing to know is that however you clean your carpet, you need to put white paper under the legs of your furniture so that the legs don't rust or discolor your carpeting.

Yikes! Yes, I have kids. What's Kawasaki's syndrome? I've never heard of it.

I have never heard of it! I had my kids all over the rug doctor, the cleaning man and the Hoover! They are 32 and 29, both with college degrees. Don't think it hurt them very much, what ever it is!!!! It sounds like a motor cycle disease???????????

Don't dismiss the disease just because of the name. It's an extremely serious condition and the leading cause of heart disease in kids. They haven't figured out exactly what's causing it, but it's believed that when the carpets are cleaned, the mites and other things buried deep inside are brought to the surface and the moisture from the carpet cleaning makes them cling to the feet as you walk across it. I know of 2 different people whose kids got it and one is on the list for a new heart.

Just because one person didn't have a problem doesn't mean somebody else should risk it. If you think I'm kidding about the disease, do a Google search or check out the major medical society websites...or call your local carpet cleaner and ask him about it.

Kawasaki Disease affects children under 5 years old. Different recommendations are that they stay off the carpet from 72 hours to 4 days.

John Travolta's son, Jett, almost died from it when he was two. Kelly Preston (JT's wife) believes that the process of cleaning the carpet directly contributed to his illness.

Probaby the first step is to go and buy a good vacuum. A good vacuum will extend the life of your carpet well beyond what you're used to. Cheap vacuums are just that, cheap. Effectively all they do is push the dirt further down into the carpet. The high traffic marks are a result of not getting the dirt out of your floor. If you don't get the dirt out of your floor then come along and make it wet, what do you get? Mud. Ever notice if you pull carpet out there is an unusually high amount of dust involved?

Ok, the things to look for are high suction(measured in cubic feet per minute CFM), sealed hepa filter system, preferably bagless. Bags allow for suction loss and don't retain dust very well. Automatic height adjustment is a plus. Most of the "adjustments" on lesser vacuums don't actually adjust much at all. Some manufacturers use a foot controlled height adjustment and they quite often work well. One big thing is to get a vacuum with a sealed motor system with preferably two motors(one for suction, one for cooling the motor). Many cheap ones use only one motor and quite often throw all that dust and whatever else you may pick up right into the motor. Ever notice how your vacuum starts to stink after awhile? It's from all the **** gumming up your motor. Expect to pay in the $500 range for a good vacuum. Orecks, Dyson, Miele, and Kirby(a bit expensive, but it is more than just a vacuum cleaner<saw a demo>, if you pay more than $800 you got ripped. They'll hit you with a $2000 price tag(usually done by home demo, but I think they have stores now). It's impressive, but even after my good vacuum cleaner rant, that's a lot of dough for a vacuum, lol. Dyson seems to be the new "hot" vacuum maker. The technology seems sound enough. In wrapping up, don't use consumer grade carpet cleaners. Most have rotating brushes and will tear your carpet apart everytime you use them by pulling out or twisting the pile on your carpet. Oh, don't get snowed over by your salesperson talking up how many amps the vacuum is rated at. All that measures is how much eletricity it uses while in operation, has nothing to do with motor suction strength. Probably more than you ever wanted to know about vacuums, but hopefully you'll find this info helpful and not have to learn the hard way like I did.

at www.kdfoundation.org and didn't find anything about carpet cleaning. I could have overlooked it though. This is what I did find...

Welcome to the web site of the Kawasaki Disease Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to Kawasaki Disease issues. We continuously make improvements and welcome your comments.

Kawasaki Disease is a childhood disease that primarily affects children under five years old. It is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. If not detected and treated immediately, it can result in heart damage and death. The cause of Kawasaki Disease is not known, it is not contagious, and a test does not exist. Physicians must diagnose Kawasaki Disease using diagnostic criteria which include fever, red eyes and lips, strawberry tongue, a rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The usual treatment, intravenous gamma globulin, is highly effective if administered immediately.

The Kawasaki Disease Foundation is partnership of parents, patients, and professionals dedicated to advancing Kawasaki Disease issues. The Foundation focuses on awareness, support, and research.

Google "kawasaki disease carpet cleaning" for more information.

On the subject of Kirbys ..... and believe me I don't work for the company !

My Ma bought a Kirby when I was 12 years old ... I'm 44 years old now and the thing is still going strong! ....

Two years ago she picked it up after having loaned it to my brother and then was in a very bad car wreck (she broke 14 bones!) ... the Kirby was in the car and the handle broke ... after she was fully recovered she took it to get the handle replaced and that's the only service work she's had to do on it in all these years. So they may cost bunches but they are well worth the money.

Pediatrics. 1991 May;87(5):663-9.
Related Articles, Links


Outbreak of Kawasaki syndrome in Denver, Colorado: association with rug and carpet cleaning.

Rauch AM, Glode MP, Wiggins JW Jr, Rodriguez JG, Hopkins RS, Hurwitz ES, Schonberger LB.

Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.

Between October 1984 and January 1985, the largest outbreak of Kawasaki syndrome reported to date in the continental United States (62 cases) occurred in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, extending from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Fifty-two (84%) of these Kawasaki syndrome patients lived in the Denver metropolitan area. A case-control study revealed that 16 (62%) of 26 Kawasaki syndrome patients compared with 10 (20%) of 49 matched control subjects had a history of exposure to shampooed (19%) or spot-cleaned (81%) rugs or carpets within 30 days of the Kawasaki syndrome onset date (odds ratio = 5, P less than .01). The time of exposure to shampooed or spot-cleaned rugs or carpets for 9 of 10 Kawasaki syndrome patients who had a single exposure and for all 6 Kawasaki syndrome patients who had multiple exposures were clustered within an interval 13 to 30 days before the onset of illness. Although the reason for this unusually large outbreak remains obscure, it is the third in which a statistically significant association between Kawasaki syndrome and rug or carpet cleaning has been found.

From carpetbuyershandbook.com

KAWASAKI SYNDROME FACTS


 


     Kawasaki Syndrome (KS) was identified in 1961 by Japanese pediatrician, Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki. Since 1967 Kawasaki Syndrome has claimed more than 120,000 children in Japan and has spread to more than 40 countries.  The Japanese use very little carpet in homes, schools, and businesses.   Japan has experienced nationwide epidemics in 1979, 1982, 1985, and 1986.  Cases have also been reported in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America.



  Outbreaks in the United States include Colorado- April-May 1982- 23 cases and Colorado late 1984-Early 1985- 62 cases.  



     Kawasaki Syndrome symptoms include fever, skin rash, inflammation.  Most KS cases are not fatal.  KS primarily affects children under five years of age  


     No evidence exists that KS can be transmitted.  It rarely occurs in two children of the same family, or in classmates, playmates, or day care center contacts.  There is no explanation at this time for regional outbreaks.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 5 in 100,000 children contact Kawasaki Syndrome.  Fewer than 1 in 200 cases are fatal.  


     During the Denver outbreak of 1982 (23 cases), surveys of the affected children indicated 11 of 23 children had been exposed to carpet cleaning within 30 days of the outbreak.  12 of 23 children had no contact with carpet cleaning whatsoever. No causal link to carpet cleaning could be established.   The media accentuated the carpet cleaning relationship, creating panic among parents.  A series of news accounts were released nationwide for maximum shock value.  These articles continue to be reprinted today with no valid scientific evidence to prove this theory.  


     A later outbreak in Colorado revealed a correlation between KS and living near small bodies of water (Service Business, Summer 1985, Mark Brown- Associate Editor).    


     Four subsequent surveys performed by CDC of other outbreaks, one detailed investigation by Maryland state health officials, and other studies by investigators in eastern Ontario and western Quebec  revealed no relationship to carpet cleaning.  Since most cases of KS have no relationship to carpet cleaning, carpet cleaning is not necessarily a factor for Kawasaki Syndrome.  


     There appears to be a higher percentage of occurrence among children of Oriental ancestry.  


     There are a number of other unscientific hypothesis that do not have the appeal or profile for the media as carpet cleaning.   These include genetic causes, lack of specific anti-bodies in a small number of children, living near small bodies of water, failure to regularly clean bed linens, floor coverings, and upholstered furniture.  


   While some early studies indicated an association between KS and carpet cleaning, more recent studies do not indicate a correlation.  The earlier associations may be a statistical aberration.  KS is relatively rare while carpet cleaning is quite common.  



Recent evidence as reported in "The Lancet" (12/4/93) suggests Kawasaki Syndrome may be a type of toxic shock syndrome, primarily affecting children.  Researchers believe KS to be caused by the body's hyper-sensitivity to toxins from newly discovered strains of "staph" or "strep". These bacterial strains stimulate production of super antigens that generate increased activity by the child's immune system.  The result is a toxic shock syndrome that weakens a child's immune system affecting the mucous membranes and often causing permanent heart damage.  A child's lack of sufficient anti-body levels to bacterial toxins increases susceptibility to KS.  At this point no known source has been identified for these new strains of bacteria.

Until the jury's in, I'm still keeping my kids out. It's seriously not worth the risk.

Thanks for all the interesting information. Hubby and I are now seriously considering hardwood flooring in the whole downstairs.

Again, thanks!

Modgirl :-)

Kawasaki syndrome vs. concussion. I'll take the odds on that one.

Not to mention how are you going to clean the area rugs?



Just the rantings of a man with nothing left to do before the Christmas crowds come over but clean the bathroom. I'll do anything to keep from cleaning the bathroom till I need to.

Dave

"Cleaning anything involves making something else dirty, but anything can get dirty without something else getting clean."
Laurence J. Peter

My son personally had Kawasaki SYndrome, he was on the carpet right after it was cleaned and two weeks before the symptoms appeared. Just like the other cases of children who had carpet cleaned and Kawasaki syndrome. The deal is that there are many factors. In some instances steam cleaning has got to be a factor. My child's cardiologist says that half of his patients had been on steam cleaned carpets that were wet, although he did mention that for some reason scientists are moving away from this thoery. I personally feel that 100% it had to do with my son getting Kawasaki syndrome. To much ironey for it to be an abberation.