We Mean Clean

Wow, dear blog readers! Only now did I realize that it's been several days since I last blogged. Chalk it up to rotating back to day shift this week--I think there was only one night when I was awake beyone 9:00 in the evening! I've been napping and sleeping a lot.

So, dear blog readers, last night I just couldn't stand my carpet anymore. As renters, we don't have much of a choice as to what flooring we have, and what we DO have is a light-weight, light cream-tan-colored carpet that holds dirt better than any other carpet I've ever seen. There are several dark spots between the back patio and the kitchen, presumably from carrying grilled food in/out. Also, the dish washer and counters butt right up against the carpet, so there have been a few spills there.

Well, after needing to use my Bissell steam cleaner every month or two, I decided to give the Resolve moist carpet powder a whirl. While it got out most of the dark spots, it didn't remove them entirely. Also, I didn't empty my vacuum canister before vacuuming out the spots, so there are white streaks here and there from the powder. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll get around to emptying the vacuum canister and cleaning the filter, and the I shouldn't have much of a problem.

So here's a breakdown of the pro's and con's.
Resolve: Great if you have a few spots you want to lighten up! Not so great if you have a whole floor to do, as it requires vigorous scrubbing with a soft-bristle brush. (Additional perk: you get a work-out!) Easier to clean up, since you don't have to actually take the vacuum apart to clean when you're done. Downside: it does not completely remove dark spots.

Bissell: also does not permanently remove stains. It also doesn't completely remove dark spots. The upside: I think it gets things a little cleaner than the removable powder. The downsides: your carpet is wet for about 24 hours, and you have to disassemble the cleaner when you're done in order to remove the dirty water and bits of carpet, lint, etc. that collect in the bottom. (Personally, I HATE this chore!)

All of this being said, I think the winner in the short run is the Resolve powder, if for no other reason than that the vacuum canister is a lot easier to empty out than the Bissell wet cleaner.

If anyone out there has great tips on carpet stains (particularly if the carpet isn't a high quality), please feel free to share!