When your carpets start to look dirty even after vacuuming, it's time to do a deeper cleaning. The difference this makes can be amazing. But if you're going to spend the money to buy one, you want to make sure you get a good steam cleaner vacuum to do the job right.
So what makes one better than another. Are there any features that are especially important to look out for?
My favorite feature to look out for is a lot of good reviews from customers. You want to read the negative reviews too, to be aware of the problems, but you need to see that most people buying that steam cleaner vacuum are happy with their purchase. The more often people are happy with what they've bought, the more likely you'll be happy with your purchase too.
A good review will have people happy with most of the features offered. They should be getting a really good clean on their carpets, which is what you're after when you're shopping.
Some features will depend on personal preference. You may prefer to deal with one single tank divided into two spaces for clean and dirty water, or you may prefer two completely separate tanks. Either style works, but you may feel that one style is more convenient to deal with than the other.
Other features may have minimal benefits. Some models say they direct heated air toward the carpet as you work, to speed drying time. Check reviews carefully for thoughts on these features, as they don't necessarily work the way you'd like them to. There's no point to paying extra for a feature that works poorly or not at all.
Some steam cleaner vacuums are harder to assemble than others, including attaching the water tanks before each round of cleaning. This can cause issues such as leaking that may be resolved by more careful assembly. If you choose one that tends to have this problem, you will have to keep in in mind every time you use it. Having water leak all over your carpet as you clean it, especially if it's the dirty side doing the leaking, really increases how long the chore will take and is very frustrating. You may prefer to avoid models that tend to have this kind of a problem. At the same time, knowing that it can happen is a help so you know what to check if you do develop a leaking problem.
Most steam vacuums for carpets don't heat the water up all that hot. This is in part because steam can damage some types of carpet. You should always check instructions before cleaning a new carpet, to be sure you aren't going to damage it when you're just trying to clean it. Wool carpets in particular may be sensitive.
Your price range will probably be a major factor in determining which features and which steam cleaner vacuums you can consider. You can get a pretty good one in the 0-300 price range, but you can go cheaper or more expensive if that's what you need or prefer. Just be sure that you're buying a good enough machine that you can expect it to last for a while.
