It is important to clean your carpet using the right carpet cleaning techniques. Carpet cleaning improves the appearance of your home or place of business. It likewise helps optimize the health of the people who stay in it.
Grimy and stained carpet can ruin the overall aesthetic of a room and make the place seem unhygienic. Worst, accumulated dust and dirt can cause allergies and other respiratory problems.
Isn’t Vacuuming Enough?
Vacuuming the carpet on a regular basis is a must. However, even the best vacuum cleaners can remove only part of the debris. Your carpet may look clean after cleaning it with vacuum. But bacteria, dust mites, and other deep-seated dirt will remain in the deeper layers of the carpet. These accumulate overtime. Vacuuming the carpet, even if done twice a day, is simply not enough to ensure its cleanliness.
Common Carpet Cleaning Techniques
There are many different ways to clean your carpet. Below, we listed down the most common methods to help you determine which carpet cleaning techniques are most suitable for you.
· Host Carpet Cleaning
Also known as: Absorbent Compound Cleaning, Dry Powder Cleaning
How it works: This technique makes use of a powdered cleaning product mixed with water, cleaning detergent, and non-toxic solvent. The mixture acts as a magnet. It attracts soil and small debris from the carpet surface.
The technique uses a machine with rotating brushes that clumps the compound. The expert cleaner applies the mixture into the carpet fibers. After allowing it to set for couple of minutes, they will vacuum out these clumps. This leaves you with a cleaner carpet. It is mostly used as maintenance-cleaning for commercial grade carpets.
Advantages: This cleaning method is relatively cheaper. It also dries faster than other methods. After 10 to 20 minutes, you would be able to use the carpet again.
Disadvantages: Host cleaning only works on the dirt and soil on the surface of the carpet. This method does not remove debris and fluid deposits lodged in the deeper layers of the carpet. In addition to that, the clumps of powder could accumulate over time if the carpet is not vacuumed properly after cleaning.
· Encapsulation Carpet Cleaning
Also known as: Rotary Shampoo, Dry Foam Method
How it works: After the carpet is vacuumed, the cleaner will use an encapsulating chemical or shampoo. The technique uses a special machine with rotating brushes to agitate the compound into the fibers of the carpet.
After the solution dries, it forms crystals or foam that traps the dirt and other soil deposits. This makes them easy to be vacuumed away. This is the best among the carpet cleaning techniques.
Advantages: The encapsulating solution that may remain on the carpet will continue to trap dirt. As such, it is effective even after the first cleaning. It also dries up fast and will have your carpet back in service in no time. Ideal for places of business, it is also less expensive and easy to apply.
Disadvantages: This method cannot extract soil thoroughly from the subsurface of the carpet. It is not recommended for places with heavy soil conditions or for carpets at home.
· Dry Carpet Cleaning
Also known as: Absorbent Pad Cleaning, Bonnet Cleaning
How it works: Contrary to the name “dry cleaning”, this technique uses a liquid cleaning chemical. The chemical is then sprayed or pumped onto the carpet. The solution stays on the carpet. It breaks down dirt and soil deposits.
A special rotary machine has a towel-like bonnet or absorbent pad instead of brushes. It is used to infuse the cleaning chemical into the carpet fibers and to absorb the soil deposits. This method can be used as a routine maintenance cleaning for commercial carpets.
Advantages: It is inexpensive and also has a fast drying time. It is effective for mildly soiled carpets.
Disadvantages: This dry-cleaning method does not use vacuum to remove the solution. Some dirt and chemical could accumulate at the bottom of the fibers. It is unable to clean deep-seated soil or urine deposits. Using the absorbent pad could also slightly damage delicate carpet fibers.
· Steam Cleaning
Also known as: Hot Water Extraction (HWE), Wet Cleaning
How it works: From the name itself, this method makes use of extremely hot water.
First, the cleaner pre-conditions the carpet with a liquid cleaning agent. This agent breaks down unwanted debris and deposits. Pressurized water heated to 100-150 degrees Celsius is used to rinse the chemical solution. The techniques utilizes a strong wet vacuum to remove steam, soil and other oil-based deposits from the carpet fibers.
Advantages: The high pressure rinsing effectively removes deeply-embedded soil and fluid deposits.The high-temperature also helps kill bacteria and dust mites. It also sanitizes the fibers of the carpet from root to tip.
It is one of the most recommended carpet cleaning techniques by most carpet manufacturers and cleaning professionals. The method is ideal for your residential carpet, especially if you have kids in the house.
Disadvantages: Compared to the other methods, drying could take a bit longer. Because of the expensive machines used, steam cleaning is also more expensive than the first three.
Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner Who Knows the Different Carpet Cleaning Techniques
Have your carpet cleaned by professionals regularly. It will not only maintain its beauty and cleanliness, but also prolong its lifespan.
With effective carpet cleaning techniques and equipment, sufficient knowledge and appropriate skills, our cleaning experts at Prestige Property Services will make your carpet as good as new!