How to Shampoo a Carpet

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Last Updated: June 8, 2021 References Approved

Shampooing a carpet is a great way to get a much deeper clean than vacuuming, and it extends the life of your carpet. Remove furniture from the room, vacuum carefully, and spot treat stains before you shampoo. Fill the machine with the proper amounts of soap and water. Run the shampooer in a pattern across the room, making sure to go slowly. Pay attention to when the dirty water tank is full. After you shampoo, it is good to run the machine once again with cold water and no soap. Always let the carpet dry completely before putting furniture back and walking on it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Cleaning the Room

1
Move all of the furniture. Anytime you shampoo your carpets, move all of the furniture completely out of the room, if possible. If you can’t move it out of the room, move it all to one side of the room. At the very least, move any small pieces of furniture and remove any other clutter from the room.^{[1]
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- If you have large pieces of furniture that are difficult to move, it’s your decision to leave them in the room. If you leave furniture in the room, it will be harder to shampoo because you have to work around it.
- If you can’t or don’t want to move large furniture, you can place squares of aluminum foil, wood blocks, or plastic film under the legs or base to protect them from water during shampooing.
2
Vacuum the room thoroughly. Carpet shampooers have a vacuuming feature, but they are meant to suck up water and small dirt particles. Vacuuming the room will remove larger dirt, hair, and dust balls, leaving the carpet ready for shampoo. It will also fluff the carpet up, which makes shampooing more effective.^{[2]
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- Since you are going to the extra effort of shampooing, vacuum a little more than you usually would. Go in straight lines up and down the room and then do another set that crisscrosses the first set.
- As you vacuum, look for stains that need pre-treatment before shampooing. Set a sticky note or marker of some kind on the spot so you can easily find it.
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3
Treat specific stains that you find. With a basic carpet stain remover, spray any stains and let the cleaner work as directed. If it says to blot it up with a wet towel, do so. If it says to leave it and let the shampooer pick it up, do so. Some stains may require something besides stain remover.^{[3]
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- Some carpet shampoos are meant for tough stains, so you may not need to use a stain remover.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Filling the Shampooer

1
Make sure you know how the machine works. If the shampooer is new or you are renting it, read the instructions for use. If there are no instructions, at least examine the machine to see the various parts, buttons, and settings. There are many kinds of carpet cleaners and they work in various ways. It is important to know how yours works.
- Some shampooers work if you push them forward like a vacuum, but many others require that you walk backwards and pull the shampooer along with you. If you try to use the shampooer in a way besides how it was designed, your carpet won’t get clean.
- Look up tutorials online to learn the most effective way to use the specific shampooer you have.
- Before you rent or purchase a machine, do some research to find out if it's been verified by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), which ensures the machine works well and effectively cleans carpets. It's important to use a machine that works well since you likely won't clean your carpet often.
2
Fill the machine with the directed amount of water. Some shampooers have a removable clean water tank and others have a fixed water tank. Pay attention to the max fill line and do not add more water than it says. The line is there to make sure the machine runs properly.^{[4]
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- Follow any instructions regarding hot or cold water. Hot water activates soap better, so it is usually best.
3
Add the carpet soap. Choose a soap that is designed to work with the shampooer that you have because not every soap will work with every machine. Pour only the amount of soap that is directed, as using more can clog the machine or leave soap scum on your carpet. Pay attention to whether the soap is added to the clean water or into a separate compartment on the shampooer.
- Read reviews online of the best carpet shampoos and consult the instructions on the shampooer to determine if there is a specific soap that works best.
- Most shampooers will work without soap and will still clean the carpets to an extent, so it is better to put less than enough soap than too much.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Running the Shampooer

1
Start in a corner and make strips. Choose a corner of the room to start in, getting the shampooer as close to the walls as possible. Walk from that corner to the wall on the other side of the room. Then turn around, move the shampooer to a new line that slightly overlaps the first, and walk back towards the wall you started at. Repeat this process across the entire room.
- Shampooers are not meant to be pulled back and forth in a random pattern like vacuums are. Making straight lines across the room is the most effective cleaning method.
2
Pull the machine slowly. Shampooers take more time to work than vacuums. They have to shoot soapy water down into the carpet and immediately suck it back up. If you pull the shampooer too fast, it will not suck all of the dirty water up, leaving your carpets wet and still dirty. Be patient and pull the shampooer at a rate of one step per second, give or take.^{[5]
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- It may feel like you are going too slow and that it is taking too long, but the slower you go, the deeper the machine can clean your carpet.
3
Pay attention to the motor sound. Most shampooers have a float valve in the dirty water tank to warn you once the tank is full. The motor will distinctly change sounds when the float valve engages. Stop immediately when the tank is full or you could damage the machine. The machine might have a visible light or gauge that shows you that the dirty water tank is full.^{[6]
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- You can also watch the machine and notice the water level of the clean and dirty tanks. If you notice you are almost out of clean water, go ahead and stop.
- You may need to empty the dirty water and refill the clean water multiple times before you are finished shampooing the room. It depends on the room size, the tank sizes, and exactly how slowly you are moving. If your carpet is very dirty or worn, you might run the shampooer over the carpet more than once, which will require that you empty and refill the water tank multiple times.
4
Empty dirty water into the toilet or outside. Shampooers pull up dirt and debris that can clog sink and shower drains. The toilet has a larger pipe and can handle this material, but dumping the water outside is usually the best option when available.^{[7]
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- If you have to dump dirty water down the sink or shower drain, dump it slowly with hot water running the entire time. This will help keep the drain from clogging.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Finishing the Job

1
Run the shampooer a second time with cold water and no soap. While the shampooer is designed to suck up all of the soap and dirty water, it will sometimes leave more behind than you want it to. A second pass over the entire room will get any soap residue and remaining dirt. You can go a little quicker on the second pass than you did while you were shampooing.
- The emphasis is on cold water because hot water will activate the soap that remains which could cause it to suds up again.
- On this time around, take off your shoes and socks so that you don’t leave any dirt on the freshly cleaned carpet.
2
Allow the carpet to dry completely before putting furniture back in the room. It can take six or more hours for the carpet to fully dry, depending on the carpet thickness and room size. Your shampooer may have instructions about drying time. Turn on an overhead fan or place fans and blowers at intervals around the room to decrease drying time.^{[8]
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- If you put furniture back on wet carpet, it can cause bad indentations and mildew can build up because the wet carpet has no airflow on it.
- You may want to hang a sign saying that you have just shampooed the carpet so that people will not walk around on the wet carpet.
3
Rinse and empty both tanks of the machine after each use. After your final pass, dump any remaining water out of both water tanks. Rinse the dirty water tank out thoroughly so that no grime remains in it. Emptying the tanks all the way keeps mildew from growing and keeps the machine in top working order.
- If the tank has a cap of any kind, leave it off for a day or two to allow the excess water to completely evaporate.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you deep clean carpets?

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids
Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Carpet shampooing provides a deep clean on your carpets due to its scrubbing action. It is always recommended to vacuum your carpets prior to shampooing them.
Question

What is the best way to clean a carpet?

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids
Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Regular vacuuming and spot cleaning are great techniques for maintaining clean carpet. However, it is also recommended to shampoo and steam clean your carpets a couple of times a year to provide optimal cleanliness to preserve your carpets. Shampooing is perfect for heavily stained carpets due to its scrubbing properties and steam cleaners use a vacuum and pump system to quickly remove soil and stains.
Question

How do I shampoo my own carpet?

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids
Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

You need to use a carpet shampoo machine. If you don't have one, you can rent or buy one. If you are not familiar with the shampoo machine, be sure to read the instruction manual fully. Typically, you will start by filling the water tank area with water to the directed water line then add in the carpet soap. Shampooers are not meant to be pulled back and forward, so you will need to walk the machine from wall to wall. Move the machine to a new line and walk it back to the initial wall until the entire room has been cleaned. Be sure to run the machine across the room a second time; however, this time do not add any soap to the reservoir.

Warnings

Some carpet types are not meant to be cleaned with a shampooer. If you have carpet made of natural fibers, such as wool, the hot water can shrink the fibers.

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