[Zeke]

Does anybody keep an industrial carpet steamer/extractor on their yacht? I maintain a 100ft vessel with mostly white interior carpets and fabric. We call in a service every couple weeks and are thinking of procuring our own cleaner. A rug doctor does not do the job a quarter as well as the professional equipment that the service brings on board. We are also worried about how big and bulky these units are. Any suggestions or anecdotes?

[PropBet]

I get the same results with a wet/dry vacuum and some basic cleaning agents when and if needed. This is obviously for spot cleaning of accidental spills and such, rather than the entire rug or carpet. When they're dirty, roll them up, take them Dockside and have them professionally cleaned with the big stuff. I can't see the justification for a full carpet cleaning machine considering the limited space a boat has.

If I had reason to keep one on the boat, I'd invest in lids for drinks, or get new drinkers that don't spill or puke.

[NYCAP123]

I use a Bissel ProHeat XLfor my home. It does a very good job and stows in the same amount of space as my Dyson. It's good for spot cleaning and furniture cleaning as well as large areas. Probably not as good as a professioal service, but I'm completely satisfied. I'd recommend it for the bi-weekly cleanings and go for the professional service quarterly or after times of heavy usage. Personally though I also wonder what people who put white carpets on boats are thinking.

[bernd1972]

Check the products by Vorwerk. They offer vaccum cleaners with brushes and an additional kit for a dry carpet cleaning function and a good number of other gadgets. I know their products quite well even sold them quite a number of years ago. Awful job, but excellent products.

[Capt J]

On another note, why not install carpet runners so that the carpeting doesn't get soiled?