I've used Chem-Dry and I've used Stanley Steamer. Overall I was more impressed the steam clean than the chem dry results. After Stanley Steamer the carpet just looked cleaner and smelled cleaner longer. I had expected the carpet to feel dry after Chem-Dry but it was almost as wet as when it's steam cleaned.

It's time to get it done again and now I'm going to look into the industrial cleaner you can rent from Lowes or Home Depot (hadn't heard about that until now) because I feel like I will do a better job since it's my house. I oversaw Stanley Steamer cleaning my Dad's carpet a while back and it seemed like he didn't pay as much attention to some areas as I had hoped, even though I pointed them out to him. I really wanted to just say "let me do it!".

I have a Hoover steam-vac but haven't used it on the newest carpet we had installed because it seems like it just leaves a residue that makes dirt stick worse.

If I had my choice I would have hard floor all over but hubby likes carpet in the bedrooms.