Buying the wrong type of carpet shampoo, however, can actually damage your carpets by discolouring or staining them. This is because carpets are made of different materials and fabrics, such as nylon, wool or synthetic materials, and some respond better to certain treatments over others. Therefore, it is important that you spend some time finding the right type of carpet cleaner for your needs – check the label and make sure it matches your carpet material.
The type of carpet shampoo you require will also depend on how dirty the carpet is. Cleaners and shampoos come in varying strengths, and so if you have been cleaning your carpets on a regular basis, the chances are that you won’t need a particularly strong or harsh cleaner. If you have many stains or dirty patches on your carpet, however, and in high traffic areas of the house, you will want a shampoo which focuses particularly on stain removal. If you’re not sure just how dirty your carpets are, try moving a piece of furniture and comparing the carpet underneath with that next to it – if the carpet under the furniture is much lighter than there’s probably quite a bit of dirt on the rest!