Professional carpet cleaning does cost more than shampooing your own carpet. If you're on a really tight budget, then DIY shampooing is certainly better than doing nothing for your carpet. However, professional shampooing is worth the higher price if you can afford it. Here's why.

Professional carpet shampooing uses hotter water.

Home carpet shampooers are designed to be filled with hot water. Some models heat the water more before injecting it into the carpet, and others do not. However, home carpet shampooers, in general, don't get the water anywhere close to a boiling temperature. On the other hand, professional carpet cleaning equipment makes the water very hot. It gets so hot that some people refer to this procedure as "steam cleaning." This super hot water is more effective at extracting staining and contaminating substances from the carpet.

Professional cleaning results in the carpet drying faster.

Drying the carpet out after cleaning is always a concern. You need the carpet to dry as quickly as possible to ensure that it does not start molding and taking on musty odors. With home carpet shampooers, this can be difficult. The machines are not typically powerful enough to suck up the water they have deposited on your carpet. So, you will need to leave windows open and turn fans on to better ventilate the room. With a professional carpet shampooing job, the carpet will dry out faster. The equipment has better suction and extracts more of the water, so there is little left to evaporate. This reduces your risk of having mold problems post-cleaning. It also saves you from having to be so intense about fans and open windows.

Professional cleaning is better at removing stains.

Professional carpet cleaners identify stains and take extra steps to get rid of them. They may spend more time in those areas, use different detergents, or turn the water temperature up. They tend to be very capable of removing stubborn stains from carpets. Home carpet shampooers, by comparison, don't always fully remove stains. You may find yourself having to hand-scrub the stains from the carpet, and even this isn't as effective as professional cleaning.

Hiring a professional carpet cleaner often does cost more than home carpet shampooing. However, it is generally worth the cost. Get an estimate or two from local carpet companies, and go from there. Sometimes they offer discounts for new customers, which can be good for your wallet.