The Different Carpet Cleaning Methods

Anyone with carpeting in their home knows that it needs regular maintenance to remove sand, mites, allergens and stains. Not only does it improve the appearance, it also makes your home free from bacteria that emanates from a dirty carpet. Using regular vacuum can only remove superficial dirt and stains, a powerful truck mounted steam cleaner can clean deeply into the carpet's fibers. There are also other cleaning methods, and they are generally classified into 2 categories: Wet and Dry.

With dry cleaning, a special type of machine that can dispense powders and cleaning compounds is used. If a building is open to traffic for 24 hours, then this is a good option. Dry cleaning is also referred to as VLM or very low moisture cleaning.

Dry compound is spread evenly on the carpet and is worked by a rotating brush attached to the machine. The compound will loosen any dirt that can make it easier to vacuum later on. The compound is left on the carpet for 15 minutes to ensure that the dirt and stain are relaxed.

Another type of dry cleaning is Bonnet cleaning. This type of cleaning uses a pad to attract and absorb dirt. The pad is usually partly soaked with cleaning solution which can be flipped or replaced when saturated. In terms of dryness, the bonnet type of cleaning has the longest drying time.

Encapsulation is one of the latest trends in carpet cleaning. It depends on the use of polymers which is sprayed on the carpet. After a few minutes, the polymers are vacuumed up along with the dirt that it 'encapsulated'.

The most common cleaning method before the steam cleaning era is the wet shampoo method. This method uses a fair amount of shampoo that is scrubbed with a machine. Rinsing is usually minimal which can leave a lot of residue which could have a 'sticky' or 'foamy' feeling after drying. The problem with this method (and the reason for it being outdated) is that the carpet will attract dirt once dried due to the stickiness that the residue leaves.

To handle the shortcoming of the wet shampoo method, hot water extraction is introduced which involves steam to rinse the excess solution away. The steam will break the ionization effect of cleaning compounds without the use of excessive water. Too much water can also damage the carpet since it can become a breeding ground for molds and mildews.

Soap Free Professional carpet cleaning Salt Lake City, Truck Mounted Steam Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, Tile and grout cleaning and sealing, Pet Stain removal, Odor treatment and removal, Color spot repairs.