The products I discuss in this article are ones that are available at many different home improvement centers and supermarkets and the brands are recognized in many different regions and countries.

Nature’s Miracle Carpet Shampoo

If you can find the product called Nature’s Miracle carpet shampoo, this would be a good choice because it penetrates carpet and upholstery fibers to clean and to remove bad odors as well as dirt and grime. It is good also because it does not foam up very easily and so requires less rinsing. This product is especially designed for water based home carpet shampoo machines and for rental steam cleaning machines.

Bissell Pet Odor and Stain Removal Formula

If you have pets there is a product called the Bissell Pet Odor and Stain Removal Formula that will work really well with a Bissell Little Green machine or even a Bissell Spot Lifter that you may own. It can also be used in other carpet shampooers that require a water based carpet shampoo product.

Encapsulating Carpet Cleaning Detergent

There are some good low moisture encapsulation carpet shampoos that are rather innovative when it comes to carpet cleaning products because the cleaner actually encapsulates the dirt and lifts it out of the carpet fibers more easily than just regular shampoo and water. Most of these Encapsulating Carpet Cleaning Detergent will have a hydrogen peroxide and an anti-resoiling crystallizing polymer as a base so that your carpets will stay fresh and soft longer and will not get dirty so quickly as with other types of carpet shampoo.

Parish Carpet Extractor Detergent

For hot water and steam carpet cleaning machines there is another product that might work well, called the Parish Carpet Extractor Detergent, which is a liquid emulsifier that is said to produce very little foam and leave behind a minimum of residue that can build up in the fibers.

Fiber All Carpet Liquid Cleaner

If you need a general all purpose upholstery and carpet shampoo you may want to give Fiber All carpet liquid cleaner a try. It is highly concentrated and can be diluted to use for sofa covers and cushions and even overall carpet cleaning carpet cleaning. It is also an emulsifier specially designed for delicate fabrics and carpets that may not take well to harsher chemicals.

Biodegradable Carpet Shampoo

There is also a green biodegradable product that is called Second Nature and may be available in your area. It is one of the few natural products that is a tough enough carpet shampoo to handle ingrained pet odors and eliminate the unwanted smells that sometimes persist even after a steam cleaning by professionals. Don’t try to cover up pet odors with deodorizers and air fresheners. Get the carpet fresh by using the right carpet shampoo that will eliminate the germs that cause the odor.

Making your own Carpet Shampoo

If you live in an area where it is difficult to purchase specific carpet shampoo or carpet cleaning products, then you may choose to make your own from things you have in your home. You can use laundry detergent and bleach, very little bleach, just a teaspoon or so per gallon to disinfect. Vinegar is a great carpet shampoo replacement because it helps to eliminate odors as does baking soda, just make sure it’s very well diluted. The other thing to remember is that you may not need carpet shampoo at all. If they have been previously cleaned with shampoo there is probably enough shampoo residue in the fibers that the carpet will even foam while it’s being shampooed just from the residual product at the base of the fibers. It’s a good idea to clean your carpets every other time with only water and no shampoo just to lift out the residue. So don’t worry too much if you can’t find specific carpet cleaning products, use what you have on hand or just warm water.

• Nature’s Miracle carpet shampoo penetrates carpet and upholstery fibers and removes odors and allergens. It is a low foaming formula designed for water based rug cleaning machines.
• Bissell Pet Odor and Stain Removal Formula for deep carpet cleaning that works with the Bissell Little Green, Bissell Spot Lifter, or other area carpet shampooers.
• Encapsulating Carpet Cleaning Detergent offers low moisture encapsulation even for commercial carpet care. It uses the Hydroxi Pro Carpet Cleaning formula to clean and deodorize with hydrogen peroxide and an anti-resoiling crystallizing polymer.
• Parish Carpet Extractor Detergent is a liquid cleaner and emulsifier for use with hot water steam cleaning machines. This product produces little foam and eliminates sticky residue build-up.
• Fiber All carpet liquid cleaner is a highly concentrated emulsifier recommended for use on all types of carpeting and upholstery.
• Second Nature is an eco friendly carpet detergent that is bio-degradable and made to clean tough pet stains. It is concentrated and designed for deep cleaning carpet shampoo machines.

Specialized carpet cleaning products are often unavailable or not practical due to price. Here are some suggestions for the best carpet shampoo cleaners for your carpet shampoo machines.

Use about a quarter of a teaspoon of laundry detergent with bleach for each gallon of warm water.

Just remember that you don’t want a mountain of foam so use only a teeny bit of detergent and not as much as you might think necessary to clean carpet. To rinse the detergent out of the carpet so there is no residue; use a fresh tank of warm water with a cup of white vinegar for each gallon of water. Rinse the carpet with this solution several times. Make sure that your shampoo your carpets on a warm or dry day, and open the windows to help the carpet to dry faster.

Do not walk on damp carpets. Wait for them to be completely dry or they will just be dirtier than when you began.

You can also use a little dish detergent, about a teaspoon per gallon and to rinse use a few drops of ammonia. Again the key to carpet cleaning and using alternatives to dry foam carpet shampoo is to not let the carpet get too sopping wet so it can dry quickly.

There are also products that can help maintain the carpets between carpet shampooing treatments, like a carpet cleaning product called Spot Shot. It is applied by spraying on the stained area and then blotting out the stain or patting until there is no mark left. Some people use a little of this product as a carpet shampoo in their carpet shampoo machines, instead of detergent or other products. Just use a teaspoon or two per gallon of hot water. But don’t forget to pre-treat the stains before shampooing.