No matter how hard you try to keep your carpets stain-free, you are bound to fail. But that doesn’t mean you have to live with it forever. Regular carpet cleaning keeps your carpet in a better shape and serves you for a longer duration. There are various DIY methods and carpet cleaning tips that you can take help to clean your carpets. Although, there are certain cases when you should leave this job to specialists.
Here is a list of the best methods used by professional carpet cleaners to clean carpets so that you get the bigger picture of what is to be expected before getting your carpet cleaned.
Steam Cleaning
This method is also called as Hot Water Extraction cleaning. The method involves injecting hot boiling water at high temperature into the carpet under pressure. The hot water loosens the dirt embedded inside the carpet, and the extraction machine draws this dirt out leaving a carpet clean as new. A cleaning solution can also be used instead of just hot water in case of heavily soiled carpet.
Most manufacturers and carpet cleaners consider this method as the most efficient way to clean carpets when it comes to removing dirt. Another benefit of this method is that it is a great help when it comes to eliminating odors, bacteria and dust mites. On the downside, you will have to wait a little longer to dry your carpet as compared to other methods.
Encapsulation
Considered as a more modern method of Dry carpet cleaning techniques, encapsulation method doesn’t make use of water for cleaning purposes. The method makes use of cleaning agents that are chemical solutions with crystallization properties that act for a better cleaning. The cleaning agent suspends the dirt that is already agitated by the rotary cleaning machine. The crystallizing agent then encapsulates the loose soil and dries it into crystals which are then removed using a vacuum.
Some advantages of using Encapsulation method of carpet cleaning:
- Do not require to rinse the carpet
- A larger area of the carpet can be cleaned at one go
- No dirt attracting residues are left on to the carpet
- A long lasting cleaning effect that leaves a new-like look
This method is not so effective if your carpet is greasy. Commercially available encapsulation machine prices are much higher if you are thinking of buying one, and therefore hiring a professional carpet cleaner to do this type of cleaning seems more economical.
Carpet Shampooing
A lot of people will be able to vouch for this method of carpet cleaning, having tried this method on their own. In this method, a foamy chemical is applied onto the carpet and then scrubbed off the carpet using a motorized circular brushing machine. A very economical method for cleaning that works well for low pile carpets which are heavily soiled.
Dry foam shampooing method is another variation that is great for carpet cleaning. The difference is that the foam is first whipped by a foam generator before it is applied to the carpet. It utilizes a very low amount of liquid, about 10%, and the rest as air. This method is more advantageous as it takes less time to dry out. It can also clean relatively large area in a very short amount of time. The only disadvantage is that it is not very effective for heavily soiled carpets.
The above list tabulates the best methods to clean carpets. But, whichever method you choose it should be based on how dirty your carpet is and whether you are willing to wait long for it to dry. If you can not make up your mind, it is always advisable to hire a professional carpet cleaner near you to help you with the cleaning.
