When it comes to carpet cleaning you may want to try doing the job yourself. If you want to clean your condo or apartment this is possible. However, carpet cleaning for these locations is only recommended if you want to give the carpet a light cleaning. There are equipment limitations to consider as well.

For rental carpet cleaning equipment the main features to consider are pump pressure, vacuum component, rental costs and carpet cleaning solution costs. A rental machine costs around $40 to rent for a day. These carpet cleaning machines can only achieve water pressure up to 50 psi (pounds per square inch) and some have as low as 28 psi. These water pressures can only surface clean the carpet.

The water temperature for rental equipment is limited to the tap water temperature it is hooked up to. Even then the water pressure pump is made of plastic material and can’t stand high water temperatures. In addition, rental equipment may have one vacuum or no vacuums motors at all. Your carpet may not be able to dry adequately with this limitation.

In addition to rental costs you will need to buy carpet cleaning solution. These start range from $15- 40 but you may need several bottles depending on carpet size. Choosing the right cleaning solution can be a daunting process because there are many factors to consider. The cleaning solution has to be based on the carpet material. Carpet stain removal solutions aren’t tailored for all carpets can cause damages.

Overall, rental carpet cleaning machinery is only recommended for apartments and condo carpet. It makes sense for light carpet cleaning, if you aren’t cleaning stains, have no pets and your carpets are relatively new.