Yes, there is a world of difference between professional carpet cleaning machines and the do it your self "carpet cleaners". A truck mounted machine is able to flush large amounts of super heated cleaning solution through the carpet fibers and thoroughly extract both the soil and the water, leaving very little moisture behind. Most portable machines will only spray down a tap water hot cleaning solution with minimal force and have very weak suction or extraction ability which will often result in long dry times.
The fatigue factor should be considered before renting or buying one of these "consumer" carpet cleaners: portable carpet cleaners tend to be heavy and require frequent emptying of the dirty water and refilling of detergent solution. It can also take more than a day to clean a larger home.
There are other cleaning methods employed by professionals, such as the dry chemical method; sometimes referred to as bonnet cleaning. However most carpet manufacturers recommend the steam cleaning method as the most effective way to clean residential carpets and some even require it in order for a carpet's warranty to remain valid.
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