How to Use a Hoover Carpet Cleaner

• Remove any furniture and vacuum the floor thoroughly before you clean your carpet.
• Pour hot water directly into the cleaner's water tank. Depending on the model, pour the cleaner into the water tank or solution compartment.
• Squeeze the trigger on your cleaner to release the cleaning solution. Move the machine forward and back to suck up the dirty water.
• Go over the entire area with a rinse cycle once you've cleaned the carpet.

Preparing Your Floors for Cleaning

Purchase a carpet cleaning solution that matches your needs. Hoover has different types of carpet cleaning solutions for different uses. Some are recommended for certain cleaner models. You can choose a solution that treats pet stains and odors, one that removes tough food stains, or one for general cleaning. You may use a different brand of carpet solution, but Hoover suggests using their brand for the most effective cleaning. Don't use homemade solutions, like vinegar and baking soda. You're better off using the recommended cleaner instead.

Move all of the furniture out of the area. Make sure you’re able to leave the room without walking on your freshly cleaned floor later. If you can’t move all of your furniture, clear half the room and clean it first. You’ll replace the furniture on that half when it’s dry, then clean the other half. If you can’t move a piece of furniture, wrap its legs in plastic wrap. This will keep it dry and prevent wood stain or finish from bleeding into your wet carpet. Tie up long drapes in a loose knot so the ends don’t drag on the wet carpet.

Vacuum the area thoroughly before you using your carpet cleaner. Use a regular vacuum, since a Hoover carpet cleaner can’t be used as a dry vacuum cleaner. A regular vacuum will lift hair, dirt, and small pieces of debris from your carpet before the carpet cleaner does its job. If you need to pretreat stains with a special solution, do this after vacuuming. Follow the stain treament’s instructions and leave enough time for it to work before you clean your carpets.

Filling the Machine

Set up your carpet cleaner on a tile floor in case of spills. While you fill and dispose of the water in the tank, liquid might spill. Keeping it on a tile or linoleum floor will make spills easier to clean up. Don’t set up your cleaner on hardwood floors, which could get damaged by water and detergent spills.

Fill the water tank with hot tap water. All Hoover carpet cleaners have a clean water tank and dirty water tank. Remove the clean water tank at the top by pressing on the lock on the handle. Unscrew the cap to the water compartment and fill the tank up to the fill line with water.

Add cleaning solution to the solution compartment or water tank. Depending on your Hoover brand model, you’ll measure cleaning solution into a cap placed into the water tank, or into a separate solution compartment. Follow your cleaning solution’s instructions for how much solution to use. The Hoover Power Scrub Elite, Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe and Hoover Max Extract have separate cleaning solution compartments. The Hoover SmartWash+, Hoover PowerDash, and Hoover SteamVac all use a measuring cap that pours solution directly into the water tank.

Replace the filled tank. Set the bottom edge of the full water tank onto the carpet cleaner first, then lean it back towards the handle. It should snap into place. Make sure the edge of the water tank is locked in and lined up properly with its base to avoid leaks.

Washing Your Carpet with Cleaning Solution

Step on the pedal to lower the handle. Set your carpet cleaner to the “Wash” setting if your cleaner has multiple settings for washing and rinsing. Make sure you’re in an area furthest away from your exit, so you can work towards it without stepping on clean carpet when you leave. Turn the cleaner on.

Squeeze the trigger as you push the cleaner forward slowly. This releases cleaning solution and is called a “wet stroke.” Move more slowly than you would while vacuuming, and cover a small 1 foot (0.30 m) area first. Don't overwet the area. This will leave the carpet and pad soaked, and take days to dry.

Pull the cleaner back over the same spot while squeezing the trigger. This is the second wet stroke, which allows the cleaner to lift dirt and debris stuck in your carpet. If you have a really stubborn stain, do one more wet stroke forward and one more backward.

Push it forward and back without pressing the trigger to finish this area. These “dry strokes” will extract the remaining dirt and dirty water from your carpet. Move the cleaner forward over the same area and back again, until you see very little water being sucked into the dirty water tank. Always end wet strokes with two dry strokes.

Begin a new row by overlapping your cleaner onto the previous row. Overlapping your cleaner by about 1 inch (2.5 cm) will prevent dirty streaks between clean rows of carpet. Repeat this process until the entire area is completed, using two wet strokes and two dry strokes to clean each section. Refill your clean water tank with water and cleaning solution as needed.

Empty the dirty water tank to keep your cleaner working. If you begin to lose suction, or the cleaner begins to make a different sound, the dirty water tank may be full. To detach the dirty water tank, press down on the handle or latch at the top. Empty it and rinse it out once in the sink before replacing it.

Rinsing and Drying Your Carpet

Switch your cleaner to the "Rinse" setting if your carpet cleaner has one. Some cleaner models have a “Rinse” setting separate from the “Wash.” If your model does, switch it to "Rinse." You don’t need to refill the clean water tank if your cleaner has this setting.

Refill your clean water tank with warm water if you don't have a "Rinse" setting. Instead of using the "Rinse" setting, you can also refill the tank with clean warm water for the rinsing step. Detach the tank and empty it in your sink. Rinse it out a few times before filling it with warm water. Replace the tank.

Rinse by repeating the wet and dry stroke method. Go over your carpet again using 2 wet and 2 dry strokes. This step removes the cleaning solution from your carpet since you’re only using water, or you’ve switched to the “Rinse” setting on your model.

Allow 2 to 3 hours for your carpet to dry completely. You can cut down on drying time by using a large fan pointed at the carpet. Make sure your carpet is totally dry before walking on it or replacing furniture. Walking on it or moving furniture around too early may dirty it again.