There Are Plenty Of Carpet Cleaning Methods Out There - Which Suits You?

Carpets are great for providing comfort and warmth in rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms, but when they are in need of a little care and attention it can be hard to know how to restore them to their former glory. Carpets in busy areas of the house take a lot of abuse with the constant flow of traffic. It’s important that you give them a little TLC every now and again in order to get the best lifespan out of them – as we all know they can be very expensive to replace! Here are some of the more common carpet cleaning methods:

Hot Water Extraction Techniques

The hot water extraction method is also known as ‘steam cleaning’ and it is a process whereby hot water is used to produce steam which dissolves dirt deep within the fibres of the carpet. It usually starts with a cleaning agent being applied to the surface of the carpet. It is then brushed and rinsed off with the steam, before being left to air and dry out in situ. Because there is not a lot of water used, the carpet never gets too wet, so the drying process is usually quite speedy – around four to five hours. If you are using a professional carpet cleaner, they will normally recommend that the clean is conducted in the later part of the day so that it has the night time to dry out in before it gets walked on. The entire process doesn’t take long – no more than around two hours for an average-sized carpet and it’s a very popular technique.

Shampooing

Before the advent and rise in popularity of steam cleaning, carpets were usually shampooed. This gave great results, however the carpets were left very wet and took a very long time to dry out completely. The residue of wet foam was also a problem – it tended to make the carpets sticky which then served to attract more dirt. This technique is being phased out altogether these days in favour of more modern techniques.

Encapsulation

This process involves sprinkling the carpet with a detergent that crystallises into a powder as it dries, which absorbs the dirt particles. It is left on for a while, and then vacuumed with a heavy duty machine which sucks up all the powder, along with all the dirt it has trapped. This is a very effective method and has the added bonus of no water being involved, so there is no need to factor in drying time. However, if your carpet is really dirty it may not be totally effective.

Bonnet Cleaning

This is a great surface cleaning method that gives great results. A specially-designed machine with a pad that spins is used to apply detergent to the carpet, absorbing dirt, dust and debris as it goes. It is used frequently in places with lots of carpet, for example hotels and offices.

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There are plenty of options when it comes to carpet cleaning, so if yours need some care then speak to an expert to ascertain the right method for you.