Wall to wall carpeting and area carpets add warmth and style to any home decor. It's important to choose the right type of carpet cleaning in order to preserve the new appearance as well as increase the lifespan of any home carpeting. Through daily wear, carpet fibers can become stained and dulled from contact with pet dander, smoke, dirt, dust mites and other pollutants. It's highly recommended to use a carpet cleaning service at least once, if not twice a year, to keep carpets looking and smelling fresh.
Shampooing involves the machine application of wet detergent to carpeting, which must then be vacuumed once the carpet is dry. If not done properly, shampoo cleaning can simply spread the dirt around the carpet fibers or only clean the surface rather than deep clean the carpet. Foam cleaning involves the machine application of a detergent foam solution, which then dries and must be vacuumed. Much like shampooing, foam cleaning is not the most efficient cleaning method unless it is done on a regular basis.
The main benefit to the dry solvent method of cleaning is that the carpet can be walked on as soon as the cleaning process is finished, unlike wet cleaning methods that require the carpeting to dry first. Dry cleaning involves sprinkling a dry powder onto the carpet and buffing it into the fibers, then vacuuming to remove all traces of the solvent. One of the drawbacks of dry cleaning is that the powder can begin to accumulate over time and attract more dirt into the carpeting. It's good to use on high-traffic areas where the carpeting cannot be out of commission for too long after cleaning.
Hot water extraction, commonly known as steam cleaning, is much more effective at removing deeply ingrained dirt and odors from carpeting. The carpeting fibers are machine injected with a hot water and detergent solution that is then extracted back into a container, taking dirt and dust mites with it and leaving your carpet looking and smelling like new. Steam cleaning is among the most popular and most effective carpet cleaning methods.