May07 0
Posted by Amelia Cole in Carpet Cleaning
It’s often suggested that you should have your carpets professionally cleaned every 5-7 years. If you have pets indoors or small children, you may want to consider having the carpets cleaned as often as every three years. When this time comes so does the great debate of steam cleaning vs. dry carpet cleaning. While both methods are effective, the answer to this question greatly depends on your individual carpets cleaning needs.
How Does Steam Cleaning Work?
Somewhere along the way a myth was created that made people think it’s steam that cleans carpet during a steam clean. The steam itself isn’t cleaning your carpet. A detergent is poured into the machine that when activated by steam and hot water works to give your carpet a deep clean. The type of detergent is alkaline or acidic depending on the carpet materials. The solution is then dried using a wet vac. Following steam cleaning, you are not able to use your carpets (i.e. walk on them) for anywhere from 12-24 hours.
How Does Dry Cleaning Carpets Work?
Dry cleaning carpets offer instant use. However, the chemicals used for dry cleaning carpets are harsher than those used for steam cleaning. Dry cleaning carpet involves a mixture of dry chemical compounds and a bit of moisture to clean carpets and extract any soil or dirt found. The dry cleaning method for cleaning carpets is commonly found in commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants because it allows for immediate use.
Ultimately, steam cleaning vs. dry cleaning is a debate that’s best left to be decided by the homeowner. For families who need immediate use of their floors within a day, dry cleaning will be best but must be done by a professional carpet cleaning service. Steam cleaning can be conducted DIY-style and many times, people rent steam cleaning machines to do their own job at home.
A professional carpet cleaning service can also offer steam cleaning. There are many eco-friendly products conducive to steam cleaning methods for your carpet, which many parents view as safer for their children than the chemicals used for dry cleaning carpets.
The Most Effective Carpet Cleaning Method
In terms of which carpet cleaning method is the most effective, the title goes to dry cleaning. Dry cleaning removes nearly all stains and odors in one swoop. With steam cleaning, there may be multiple treatments needed if stains are not extracted on the first time around.
In conclusion, dry cleaning can be done quickly, with immediate results, however, the chemicals used in dry carpet cleaning are much harsher then the chemicals used in steam cleaning. These chemicals, if used incorrectly can cause harm to your carpet and in rare circumstances can even harm children or animals. Steam cleaning is not nearly as quick or effective as dry cleaning, but is much easier on your carpet because of its less harmful chemicals.
Tags: carpet cleaning, dry carpet cleaning, steam cleaning
