Carpet Cleaner answers:

I would only use something with a real cloth back. The synthetic pads (foam, et.) can cause the floor to sweat and can actually leave an imprint of the pad. I would ask the rug dealer what he would guarantee not to harm the wood floor if your rug does not have a cloth back.

Carpet Cleaner answers:

Hi, To determine your rug padding size that you will need, measure your rug length also width and be sure not to include fringes if it has any. Deduct 2 inches from the length and the width and that is the size of pad you require. Your rug will be two inches longer than the pad allowing the edge to fold-over naturally so the pad is not visible. I don't think you have to have a custom one as I've seen then in size 9'x12' which would be a better fit for your rug. Hope this helps.
http://www.arearugscarpet.com/oriental-rug-padding.html

Carpet Cleaner answers:

It is always better to use non chemical products to clean your carpets, as this can lower the risk of damaging the colors. Always remove stains on a carpet, as soon as they come up. Blot up the stain to the best of your ability, but don't scrub. Scrubbing can harden the stain and rip apart the fibers and alter the look of the nap. Simply press a clean terry cloth against the stain to let the stain stand up from the carpet. Next, keep on blotting the stain with another clean cloth, dipped in a mild detergent like a hand dishwashing detergent, toned down with water. If the stain does not fade away, use a chemical carpet cleaner, but before that, use it on a hidden part of the carpet to prevent it from bleaching the carpet or altering the colors in any way. But if this method fails, call a professional carpet cleaner, who will use stronger chemicals to erase the stain. http://www.freewebs.com/getanswer/howtocleancarpets.html

Carpet Cleaner answers:

You shouldn t use a pad in the padding you use for carpet. But you should use a special matt thats very thin. These mats are made to use over hardwood. They allow the wood to breathe and not let the jute scratch the wood. They also help keep a rug in place and not "walk" all over when stepped on.. They come 3 ways, for hard wood , for over carpet and over hard surfaces. If you get the wrong type they can very well discolor hard wood.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar. GL

Carpet Cleaner answers:

Yes, there is a material that looks like a thick sticky net in one case that is designed to hold rugs in place. You simply cut it to size, lay it down, lay the rug on top, walk on it a bit and it is stuck. That which I have seen comes off the floor with a sound a bit like Saran Wrap being peeled apart. No mess. Be sure to clean the floor while exposed as dust will reduce stickiness, but grandmother probably knows that part.
Technically, it is not called padding, which is thicker and serves other purposes.

Carpet Cleaner answers:

When it comes to the best carpet cleaner at an affordable budget and for your home, start your selection with McCulloch MC-1275.

Priced at a little over than a hundred dollars, this is a very powerful carpet cleaning equipment.

As a matter of fact, it has garnered too many positive reviews from home owners, who have seen for themselves how dedicated the machine is in making sure that your carpet is free of not only dirt and dust but also odor and even bacteria.

First of all, McCulloch MC-1275 is lightweight and compact, which makes it truly handy to be carried around everywhere. Its 50-ounce tank can produce steam for at least an hour.

It also works best for grout that could be found in the walls of your bathroom or in shower doors. Moreover, McCulloch is environment and health friendly.

Keep in mind that the best carpet cleaners, such as McCulloch, shouldn't use any type of chemical that can leave toxic residues in your carpet. This kind of carpet cleaning machine just depends on water, which you can just get even from your own faucet.

Another pride of McCulloch is the accessories that go along with it. For example, you can select among the different kinds of nylon, funnel, and even terry cover, which is needed for your floor brush.

You can steam the water up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, permitting McCulloch MC-1275 kill off growing bacteria sand viruses in your carpet.

There are, however, a number of downsides. First of all, McCulloch MC-1275 cannot remove mildew. The attachments are also not as durable as you expect them to be.

Hope this helps.

Carpet Cleaner answers:

I used to do this about 10 years ago. I started out with a Spirit 1 which is a fairly small but powerful (and noisy) machine. Back then it cost me £600 and came with some basic attachments. If you needed an attachment for doing staris and so on these were readily available (about £50 per attachment).
I got most of my work from leaflet drops (about 2% hit ratio) and ads in shop windows and a big sticker on the car. I did get a lot of recommendations which was nice.
It IS hard work - on your hands and knees scrubbing away (the machine only does so much). The money can be good though if you have enough work.

Carpet Cleaner answers:

Kirby's are great but can be expensive. You can however browse your local pawn shop or newspaper for one at a reasonable price. I would not recommend a Rainbow even though they clean well, the water container fills up with dirty water and makes it heavier and awkward to manuever. (Reference on Rainbow-My Aunt)

Carpet Cleaner answers:

Steam methods (which are misnamed because they don't use steam) are for surface cleaning. The hot water detergent solution forces dirt down leaving only the surface clean with soil removal about 16% dry time about 2 days. Dry foam (shampoo, rotary brush) up to 46% removal and dry time about 2 days. Both leave high residue and resoil in about 3 months. Circular Dry Foam and finish vac 92% soil removal 3 hours dry time no resoil for 12 months. (Kirby uses circular dry-foam method).

Carpet Cleaner answers:

any carpet machine that you can buy at walmart or target is going to leave a lot of residual soap in your carpet. soap in the carpet makes dirt stick more and the carpet looks way dirty. a rug doctor sucks, too, for the same reason. the only thing that these machines are good for is to clean up small messes in between professional carpet cleanings. i would recommend having your carpet cleaned at least twice a year, more if your dogs are really messy (like mine!).