I am ashamed [blush]

I shampoo (smaller areas only, have to get someone in for a big clean) and use only hot water - no detergent. Water is still pretty mucky. The brown colour is normally from OH's latest coffee spill! I have to pounce and water-shampoo it fast, before the colour sets

No shame in that - they're all the same!

Why are so many of us surprised to see the colour of the water. You only have to look at the water after mopping the floor to see how mucky it was, why are the carpets any different?

I hoover every year whether it needs it or not!

Kim

Vowed never to have kitchen carpet again after moving house .....thought my carpet was clean until I moved units etc and saw the colour it originally WAS !!!! .......

Have to hoover daily as have a hairy dog. Had the carpets cleaned professionally last week for the first time. The man insisted I look in the bucket before he threw it away and I was horrified! But as others have said on the other thread I really don't want to start asking guests to walk around in their socks.

I don't bother to look at the water colour when I shampoo, I know how dirty water is when I do Wet Room floor (not helped by cat feeding in there as it's only place with no carpet)

Me gardening (no matter how much I used doormat still get bits on carpet, Diabetic so can't go round barefoot & can't be bothered to have indoor shoes at both front & back door) & a cat - can't train him to wipe his feet !!!!! no wonder my carpet has lots of marks on it -no I didn't choose light fawn, plain carpet, it was only just over a year old when I moved in

To illustrate how dirty cat's paws are, I have fleece on settee & my bed - I'm always washing them so heaven help my carpets

I agree with Wobblybits

I totally agree with starlily.
Cleaning a carpet would not be anywhere near as satisfying if there was a minimal amount of dirt, and the result would not be so startling.
I also add a few drops( no more as it is very concentrated )of floral Zoflora disinfectant in the water as it leaves a gorgeous fresh smell too.

We had the hall and dining room carpets cleaned this year, they had been down about 16 years. Apart from specific marks they didn't look dirty overall. We know the carpet cleaner, he uses only water, no chemicals. I was horrified when I saw the colour of the water when he'd finished. Because DH is diabetic with high risk feet he has to wear shoes with tailor-made insoles all the time and as he traipses in and out a lot (he smokes his pipe outside in the car port) and can't take off his shoes my carpets are a losing battle.

Me too Kim! My friend put me off shampooing the carpet because she said that once you've done it once, it gets dirtier again quicker so you have to keep on doing it! Mah!

Wooden or laminate floors are the way to go...!!

I think it's quite normal for the water to be filthy after cleaning the carpet. (I don't use carpet shampoo because I think it attracts dirt)

I keep my carpets clean with my doggie by putting her boots on to go and do her doggie business in the garden. It works a treat. Then she comes back in and puts her doggie slippers on!