Although a clean and fresh smelling carpet is adorable, but it is not always possible to bear cost associated with professional carpet cleaning.  But you can still professionally clean your carpet at home. Just follow the guidelines to keep your carpet fresh & clean at home.
Use Heat
Hot water works wonders in the cleaning process of carpets. Heat is a factor which is highly considered by professional carpet cleaning companies. Extraction method of hot water cleaning is a highly popular and effective method of cleaning. 
Hot water with temperature between 200 and 150°F is used in steam cleaning method. Water, dwell timing and agitation are three factors which play an important role and assure that carpets are cleaned successfully. If it is not possible to maximize any of these factors, it is recommended to try compensating it with any other substitute.
Use Detergent
If you are employing steam cleaning method, detergent plays an important role in the solution. Detergent acts effectively in the attraction of dust and dirt particles. To assure the effectiveness of cleaning solution, it is very important to rinse it off with clean water. This will ensure that your detergent has the ability to clean carpet without transfer of dirty water from one section to other.
Use Rugs
To avoid occurrence of stains, rugs have been recommended by many cleaning professionals. These rugs when placed right outside your house trap the dust and dirt particles walking into your house with those muddy shoes. It not only reduces the need for vacuuming but also protects your carpet. Accumulated dirt and dust particles cut through the fibers of your carpet and damage their roots. If the carpet gets damaged, then stains tend to fix in more easily into the carpet and stain removal becomes more difficult. You can also ask your family members and guests to remove shoes off before entering the house; this will prevent dirt and dust up to great extent.

Once you are ready with the equipments and information required for carpet cleaning, begin with vacuuming. Then employ a steam cleaning machine and remember to employ hot water with required temperature. Fans can also provide great help in the drying part of carpet cleaning. Employment of these techniques assist in maintenance of clean carpet and help you keep your carpet fresh for years to come. Now you can clean your carpet at home and in a professional way!