I also hate carpet everywhere. For me it only makes sense in the bedrooms, though I prefer area rugs. I don't know about self propelled cleaners but a friend used to spray her carpets with a mix of fabric softener and water in a spray bottle she got from the $1 store. I think she used 1 part softener and 3 parts water. She would get shocked in the winter because of the dry air. Her house also smelled great right after. We had carpet in the frontroom when we bought the house and lucked out with original wood floors in excellent condition underneath.
Oops, it is a cap of fabric softener to about 20 ounces of water. Spray about once a week.