Should you be using a professional carpet cleaning service or doing it yourself? I have been asked that a few times and I have done both as well.

As much as I like Bissell and other home steam and carpet cleaners in most cases you really can’t beat the results that a professional carpet cleaner can provide. Their machines are much more powerful and can really get even the toughest stains out of carpets and upholstery.

Professional Carpet Cleaning Results

Obviously results will vary from cleaner to cleaner depending on the type of chemicals they use and the amount of effort they put in. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with this and it all came down to the person doing the cleaning.

Big Cleaning Company or the Little Guy

I’ve tried both the big carpet cleaning companies and the smaller “Mom and pop” operations. I have to say that the little guy was a bit more expensive but did a fantastic job. One man one truck and he owned the business. He took his time and did a thorough job. I recommended him to some of my neighbors and they were really pleased as well.

The big cleaning company did a decent job as well, better than I would have done but it was very rushed, he had other appointments to make and not very friendly. Their prices were about 10% cheaper but the service that went along with it was not worth the discount.

Use a Professional Carpet Cleaner

I recommend that you use a professional carpet cleaning service once a year maybe twice if your carpets are really bad. The rest of the time, either on a monthly or bi-weekly basis use your Bissell carpet cleaner. It will keep your carpets fresh and looking good.

If at all possible use a smaller cleaning company; you’ll get better results because they try harder in my opinion anyway. Get recommendations from your friends, family and neighbors first though.