The carpets in your home receive a lot of foot traffic, and those feet may leave all kinds of dirt behind. When you factor in animals, kids, and the occasional house guest, your carpet may feel and look worn out. Vacuuming frequently is one of the most common ways to combat this mess, but it won’t keep them immaculate on their own.
When it comes to deep cleaning carpeting, there are a few different options that you may choose to ensure that your carpets look their best. Let’s look at some of those now, along with the pros and cons.
Shampooing Carpets
Deep cleaning your carpets is frequently accomplished by shampooing. This technique is usually done using a shampooing machine. While home and business owners can rent a machine, the machines used by carpet cleaning professionals are exponentially better at ensuring your carpets look their best. However, all types of machines essentially work in the same manner. They will apply clean water with a detergent solution of some type and then suck up the solution, dirt, and grim away from the fibers of the carpet into a separate tank.
Advantages of Shampooing
This is a very affordable method of cleaning your carpeting. Similar to washing your hair, it will work to get the dirt from deep down and wash it away. Because of its effectiveness, this is a very common method of cleaning your carpeting.
Drawbacks to Shampooing
When using a home machine, there is no actual rinse cycle, unlike when washing your hair. Consider how stepping out of the shower with shampoo still in your hair would feel. Your carpet may eventually appear dirty due to a buildup of shampoo molecules that weren’t thoroughly cleaned. You may avoid this by running the machine with nothing but clear water to rinse or, again, hire a professional with the proper equipment to help you with this.
Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning takes carpet shampooing to another level. It uses a high-pressure applicator to apply superheated water in steam cleaners. Together, the components help break down debris, bacteria, and dirt that has become lodged in the fibers of the carpet. The heated water helps the extraction process as it better penetrates the fibers.
Advantages of Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning can remove over 90% of all dirt and bacteria from your carpeting. It can also help neutralize irritants like dust and pollen for allergy sufferers.
Drawbacks of Steam Cleaning
It can be challenging to completely eliminate all moisture from your carpet after cleaning, much like with other water-based techniques. This is especially true for those who are using at-home machines. It is important that the carpets don’t stay damp or wet for a long period of time, as this will promote mildew and mold growth.
Encapsulation
Cleaning carpets using encapsulation involves employing a chemical solution containing acrylic polymers to remove pollutants from carpeting. These polymers adhere to the carpet’s soil particles. They bind to the soil and then dislodge it from the carpet strands. When the dirt and carpet fibers link is broken, the dirt is “released” from the strands and “imprisoned” in the solution while it dries. The carpet can be vacuumed to remove pollutants after it is completely dry.
Advantages of Encapsulation
This method of cleaning your carpeting is very affordable because it is less labor intensive. Furthermore, it uses less heat and water than other methods, making it more environmentally friendly as well. It quickly dries. In fact, your carpets will be dry in 15-30 minutes, making it a perfect choice for commercial carpeting because it doesn’t have much downtime.
Drawbacks of Encapsulation
Encapsulation is best for surface cleaning. This makes it not a good option for carpets needing a deep cleaning.
Call Citrus Bright for Your Carpet Cleaning Needs
While these are the most common types of carpet cleaning, bonnet cleaning is popular in commercial applications, and dry carpet cleaning is similar to dry cleaning your clothing. In another blog, we’ll even go over the five principles of carpet cleaning, helping our customers fully understand how important it is to have your carpeting cleaned by professionals.
When looking to improve the look and smell of your carpets, Citrus Bright is here to help you with all of our carpet cleaning needs. While there are various solutions with cheap carpet cleaners you can rent or purchase for your home, understand these machines are not at all the same as the industrial, commercial machines used by Citrus Bright. You certainly can use these machines between professional cleanings, but they are not meant to replace professional cleaning. If you are looking for the best carpet cleaning services, look no further than Citrus Bright. We offer carpet and upholstery cleaning solutions for everyone in both residential and commercial sectors.
