Carpet Cleaner: Choosing The Right Cleaning Method
Carpets bring out the luxurious side of our homes. They are great additions to our interior decorations, especially when they complement well with the theme and design of our home. The problem is that cleaning carpets can be a burden because of how time-consuming and labor intensive it is. And doing it yourself poses a threat of doing some damage to your carpet. For this reason, asking the help of a professional carpet cleaner is highly recommended. With so much carpet cleaning equipment available in your neighborhood, it is good that you equip yourself with some basic knowledge on the carpet cleaning methods.
Carpet cleaning is commonly classified into five methods. They include shampooing, dry foam, bonnet, dry powder and hot water extraction. Shampooing involves scrubbing your carpet after applying a foaming solution which draws in dirt and soil. This solution will dry after a few hours, and only then can the foam residues containing the dirt can be vacuumed to make the carpet clean again.
Dry foam method is almost the same as shampooing, except the foam is dry, much like a whipping cream. It functions the same dirt collecting action, but dries much faster, and the foam residue can be vacuumed quicker too. Both the dry foam and shampoo methods are considered inferior cleaning methods as they do not deeply clean the carpet and attract more dirt because of the foam. They also risk damaging the carpet because of the hard brushing involved.
The bonnet method gives a better fight with carpet dirt and stains, although still not good to enough for deep cleaning. This type uses very little water, which translates to faster cleaning times. A cleaning solution is dispensed from a spray nozzle that transforms the liquid into mist. This is applied to an absorbent pad connected to a rotary brush and goes over the carpet, just like using a mop. These absorbent pads are changed immediately upon collecting enough dirt and the process is repeated until the carpet is fully clean.
With the dry powder method, it is literally using a dry powder containing cleaning chemicals and ingredients which is sprinkled generously all over the carpet. The process of brushing the carpet also applies to this method in order to make the powder attract all the dirt and soil accumulated in the surface. After drying at a very impressive rate, vacuuming will then take place to achieve the desired cleanliness of the carpet.
The problem with this method is that you need to carefully vacuum every trace of cleaning powder that is visible in the carpet. This is because these granules can easily damage and stain your carpet when left over time, not to mention the way it can affect your air quality at home.
A carpet cleaner that employs hot water extraction method is the most effective in restoring the beauty of your carpet. The reason is because it is able to penetrate deep beyond the carpet surface to remove more dirt, stains and soil that other cleaning methods cannot. Sometimes this is also called steam cleaning because of the steam-like streams of water that comes out from the carpet cleaning equipment.
The cleaning solution is mixed with hot water and sprayed directly onto the carpet which forms a steam-like texture. This is simultaneously vacuum-collected into the equipment’s tank which holds the dirty solution coming from the carpet. In this process, dirt and soil are completely rinsed off the carpet, both the surface and inner areas.
Knowing these carpet cleaning methods is just as important as choosing your carpet cleaning equipment. Having some knowledge on them also helps you judge which method will best fit your carpet. Depending on your budget, and how willing you are to spend some effort in cleaning, you may be able to choose from the above methods. Remember than if you’re having a hard time doing things yourself, just get a professional carpet cleaner and get the job done right.