Work around furniture you can’t move. Move the carpet cleaner around carefully to avoid leaving marks or scratches on the furniture.

Use a traditional vacuum with a beater bar on it to remove any dry soil from the carpet, along with any other debris. You can also use a carpet rake to remove additional pet hair, if needed. [3] X Expert Source Andrew RohrCarpet Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.

Using only a carpet cleaner sometimes isn’t enough to clean these areas, so a carpet shampoo can help lead to a spotless carpet. Read the instructions on the back of the bottle to find out how to use the shampoo.

For help locating and removing the cleaner’s tanks, consult your owner’s manual. Usually, all you have to do is lift up some plastic clips to free the tank.

Some cleaners have separate hot water and formula tanks. For these, fill the hot water tank full with water, then fill the formula tank to the fill lines with hot water and formula. Don’t overuse the detergent with your carpet cleaner. Instead, always use the recommended amount of cleaner. [7] X Expert Source Andrew RohrCarpet Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.

Try not to oversaturate the carpet with detergent as you go. [11] X Expert Source Andrew RohrCarpet Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.

The dirty water tank is attached to the clean water tank as 1 unit. Undo the plastic clips like you did earlier to detach the unit.

The tools are useful for hard to reach areas such as corners and stairs. You don’t have to do this part last, but it’s usually easier to target the larger areas first and come back for the difficult spots.