Residential Carpet-Cleaning Machines

• No longer do you have to call in a professional carpet cleaning service or rent a bulky carpet cleaner to keep your carpets looking their best. Hoover and Bissell, which Consumer Reports advises are the two primary carpet cleaning machine manufacturers, provide several residential carpet cleaning machines from which to choose. For best results, both manufacturers recommend using their cleaning solutions in their respective machines.

Bissell Quick Steamer

• The Bissell QuickSteamer PowerBrush 2080 deep cleaner, priced at $99 as of November 2010, provides 3.3 amps of power behind its 9-inch cleaning path. The 19-lb. machine features a 20-foot cord and comes with a one-year warranty. It may be used on both carpet and bare floors. Consumer Search recommends this as a quality budget-conscious residential carpet cleaner.

Hoover SteamVac

• The Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge F5914-900 draws acclaim from both Galt Home Buying Guides and Consumer Search as a top-quality residential carpet cleaning machine. The machine, priced at $169, comes with a one-year warranty. Its 12-amp motor powers multi-directional brushes that operate at three speeds with heated drying capabilities. The machine features a comfort grip handle, 20-foot cord and 8-foot hose. At 20 lbs., it is a relatively lightweight unit.

Bissell ProHeat

• The Bissell 9400 ProHeat 2X Select Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner, which retails at $249, garners top reviews from Galt Home Buying Guides. The machine boasts a 12-row power brush, powered by 12 amps and covering a 12-inch cleaning path. The machine weighs 26 lbs. and features a 30-foot cord as well as a built-in heating mechanism. It comes with a one-year warranty.

Hoover Dual V

• The Hoover Dual V SteamVac, available for $279, comes highly recommended by Consumer Reports. The machine's 12-amp motor powers spin scrub rotating brushes, an automatic detergent mixing system and a heating mechanism. It features a 30-inch cord with quick release, 8-foot hose, 11 1/4-inch nozzle width and a comfortable D-shape handle. It comes with a one-year warranty.