When you talk about cleaning carpets, the first thing that anyone will tell you is that you will need to have a good vacuum. Every carpet accumulates a lot of dry dirt and dust particles, and vacuums can pick this dirt and dust up before it settles further down into the carpet, which could cause problems.

Vacuums vary depending on the size of your house, and you should choose the one that will work for you. If you have pets, and a large sized house, perhaps a central vacuum system is the right choice for your house. These systems allow you to plug in your vacuum head in any room and use the system.

Most houses, however, will do just fine with a canister vacuum. If you do have pets, or if you have allergies of any kind, try to get a vacuum with a HEPA filter. These vacuums are great for not stirring up allergens like pet dander, hair and pollen, so they will be much kinder to people with allergies.

After you've vacuumed, there are other things that need to be done to make sure that your carpet is clean. You'll need to clean up any sort of liquid messes you have had on your carpet - such as mud tracked into the house, or spills onto the carpet made by kids, or even by yourself.

A home carpet cleaning system can often clean up these small messes, especially if you have a small home. You can clean your carpet by yourself, without having to hire additional help. Or, if you have a lot of dirt to be cleaned, you can hire someone to steam clean your carpets for you.

Home carpet cleaners are great if you have a small area to clean, or if you want the convenience of being able to clean up small spills and messes as they occur. If you have pets that might use the floor as their bathroom for instance, this can work. But they don't clean as thoroughly as a cleaning service.

Cleaning companies, specifically carpet steam cleaning companies, can clean your carpet quickly - even if you have a larger sized house. They can get rid of deeper set dirt and spills, and they will get your carpet it's cleanest. They can be expensive, and aren't always there at your beck and call.

Cleaning your carpets is one way to make sure that your carpets will last you a long time - so it's important to keep up with these tasks. Choose the way that suits your budget and household best, and remember to keep your carpets clean for their lifetime, so that they stay in their best shape.