Professional carpet cleaning companies use many carpet cleaning techniques. Each has advantages and disadvantages. The different methods of carpet cleaning fall into the following categories. – dry cleaning, wet cleaning or encapsulation.
Dry carpet cleaning techniques
- Step 1 – is removing any dry soil from the carpet using a regular vacuum cleaner or industrial-strength equipment.
- Step 2 – is followed by pre-treating the fibres of the carpet using cleansing powders and compound cleaning agents. Most of the time, dry-cleaning solutions are applied in this step. The role of the solutions or cleaning compounds is to break down any oily residue on the carpet fibres. Breaking down the oil makes it easy to remove the dirt since oil makes the dirt stick to the fibres.
- Step 3 – is to use cotton pads (bonnets) immersed in hot water and a conditioning rinse under a rotary machine. The machine works by spinning the pads around. Doing this releases the dirt from the carpet. After a while, the pads may need to be changed during the process
Pro’s
- Carpet Dry Cleaning uses minimal moisture, so your floors will be ready to walk on straight away and totally dry in 1 to 2 hours.
- This carpet cleaning technique targets more stains than other processes. Therefore, it is ideal for residential purposes, especially if you are dealing with a carpet situated in a high traffic area. Another advantage is that it can restore the chemical balance of your carpet. This is because of the pre-treatment chemicals used in the process.
Con’s
- The main downside to this method is that the chemicals used can be harsh, causing damages to the carpet with time. The chemicals may also feature some scents that may affect anyone with allergies or sensitivities. Therefore, experts do not recommend this technique for families with allergies.
- Another significant downside is that this method only targets the surface of the carpet. Therefore, it does not remove dirt and germs from the depth of the carpet’s fabric.
Wet carpet cleaning techniques
- Step 1 – is removing any dry soil from the carpet using a regular vacuum cleaner or industrial-strength equipment
- Step 2 – is followed by pre-treating the fibres of the carpet using cleansing chemicals and compound cleaning agents. Most of the time, wet-cleaning solutions are applied in this step. The role of the solutions or cleaning compounds is to break down any oily residue on the carpet fibres. Breaking down the oil makes it easy to remove the dirt since oil makes the dirt stick to the fibres.
- Step 3 – set up the machine by adding hot water and the correct mix of chemical to the output tank (All professional technician will use a machine with a built in heater)
- Step 4 – From there, you can start applying the hot water / chemical mix to the carpet. This technique involves injecting hot water into the fibres of your carpet at high pressure, then extracting the water.
- Step 5 – MOST IMPORTANT – The carpet should be cleaned again with fresh water to rinse and remove any residual chemical. Compare it to your washing machine, most of the washing cycles are rinses to remove the actual washing powder
Pro’s
- The hot water extraction method is also beneficial because it does not inject substances into the carpet to form residues on the fibres.
- This method eliminates all dirt and bacteria from the carpet. It also lifts build-up like mould or pet scents and hairs from the fibres of the carpet. By doing this, it leaves your carpet perfectly clean.
- Experts highly recommend this method because it helps maintain your carpet. This happens because it does not use any harsh chemicals that can damage your carpet with time
Con’s
- Without proper pre-treatment, steam cleaning can be ineffective at removing oily stains (the dark spots on the carpet). Oily residue needs to be removed otherwise the stain may remain, or it will quickly re-appear as dirt sticks to the oily residue.
- The process can leave the carpet very wet and it can take up to 24 hours for the carpet to be completely dry. ( a professional technician will install air movers to speed the drying process up)
Encapsulation carpet cleaning method
The encapsulation carpet cleaning technique is very similar to the dry cleaning method.
In this process, the encapsulating chemical is sprayed onto and then brushed into the carpet using a cylindrical or rotary brush machine or bonnet. The encapsulation chemistry surrounds each soil particle and crystallizes it so it can’t attract other soils. The encapsulated soil particles release from the carpet fiber and are removed by normal vacuuming. Anyone remember ‘Shake n Vac’
Stain Protection to carpets
Stain protection is a chemical based product applied following the final clean.
It will prevent spills and dirt penetrating the fibres of the carpet, by basically blocking the microscopic holes in the fibres.
Conclusion
Hot water extraction is far superior at removing deep down dirt and with the correct pre-sprays used, all oily stains will be removed too. The carpet takes a lot longer to dry when no other machines are employed to speed the drying process up.
This is usually the preferred method for domestic carpets as they tend to have deeper piles than that of commercial properties
Dry cleaning only removes surface dirt, but leaves the carpet dry to the touch in a couple of hours. This is more of a regular maintenance program, therefore this system is utilised in the commercial sector
