There is a wide variety of carpet cleaning machines to choose from. The most commonly used is a vacuum cleaner. Most people prefer an 'upright' vacuum cleaner over a 'canister' for convenience. Some people also like to use a 'hand-held' for stairs and other carpeted areas that don't offer maneuverability.

An 'upright' vacuum cleaner can be used with one or two motors, depending on the type of dirt that accumulates and the type and frequency of cleaning required. Some people also like to use 'spotters' for spot cleaning. These usually have rotating brushes to scrub the stain off the carpet. In order to select the right carpet cleaning machine, we also need to be sensitive to the fabric that the carpet is made up of.

Another type of carpet cleaning machine is called the 'carpet cleaning extractor'. The extractor is ideal for deep cleaning. Use a regular 'carpet cleaning extractor' or a 'self-contained' one. A 'carpet cleaning extractor' is suitable for deep cleaning as it literally extracts dirt from an entire carpet, not just from its surface. If we use a 'self-contained carpet cleaning extractor', it injects a cleaning solution in the carpet and extracts it and it can also be used to vacuum the carpet after the process of extraction has been completed.

Many people also use 'carpet steam cleaners' for deep cleaning. The 'carpet steam cleaner' uses steam to draw dirt out of carpet surfaces, bases and fibers. It is considered extremely effective and several users of these machines say that it helps them get rid of all the dirt in their carpets, even if the dirt has seeped into the fibers and the base of the carpet. The steam injected by the 'carpet steam cleaner' loosens dirt and brings it closer to the surface. Then the dirt is vacuumed, leaving the carpet dirt free.

Some other factors that to consider before purchasing a carpet cleaning machine are size, attachments and accessories. The size of the machine should be in accordance with the preferences of the person who is going to use it the most. The choice of attachments, particularly cord length, should be determined based on the dimensions of the carpeted area. Accessories, such as different kinds of brushes, can be added for specific problems such as frequent food stains or dirt related to pets.