Thanks Stella and brandyqueen.
I guess it may be worth contacting our local carpet cleaning business again. May be they have a specal offer this time of year I will check them out again.
While chatting to the lady next door on Friday this week she offered to lend me her old carpet cleaner but I think it may be far to heavy and I don't want to risk breaking it.

I can not use a fine powder like you Stella as it affects my asthma. Instead I use shake and vac once or twice a year. It makes the carpets smell nice but I find it doesn't remove the years of ground in dirt.
We have two cats and two kids so the dirt has built up. Not helped by the odd spill and a cake throwing occassion. The cake throwing was done by me I may add

But it was fun if a bit messy and I got most of it in the persons face

-----------------
dbverycherry