Dry cleaning and steam cleaning your carpets are both popular options; the only distinction is how much water is used during the carpet cleaning process.
Your carpet experiences a lot of activity, from birthday celebrations and yoga sessions to toilet training for your new puppy. To remove pet stains, pet dander, and soiling from your carpet, you can use either hot water extraction or dry cleaning. Which, however, is ideal for your home?
Using Steam
Hot water extraction is used in steam cleaning to remove stains, urine and dirt from carpets and upholstery while extending the lifespan of the fabric and flooring.
Carpet varieties, especially wool carpets, respond well to steam cleaning. A specialised commercial machine injects High-pressure and hot water into the carpet. Dirt and grime are removed, and the water goes into a waste tank. Before cleaning, the carpet may be pretreated, depending on the age of the carpet and how soiled and stained it is.
A professional steam cleaning company will:
- Pre-vac (if needed) to remove debris
- Spot clean troublesome areas
- Inject the carpet with high-pressure water
- To completely dispose of the wastewater, use a unique rinse cycle.
According to Pat Hamilton, operations manager of Carpet Cleaning Mornington Peninsula in Mornington, Melbourne, “many companies will offer various options of cleaning chemicals: environmentally safe, non-abrasive, and aggressive.” The decision will depend on how frequently the carpet gets cleaned, where it is located (such as in highly walked-on areas or near wet areas), and whether it is prone to staining and discolouration.
The advantages of steam cleaning
- Dissolves stains, dirt, and grime from thoroughly
- removes mould, pet odours, dust mites, allergies, and more
- It kills microorganisms and leaves no traces.
- often more effective than other techniques
- uses gentle chemicals and high heat
Problems with Steam Cleaning
- Compared to other approaches, this leaves the carpet much more damp.
- Drying may take up to 24 hours.
Furniture should be kept off the carpet until it dries, which can inconvenience specific customers.
Carpet cleaning professionally is more expensive than having it done by dry cleaning companies.
Some consumers have concerns about how dry cleaning chemicals could negatively impact their health and the environment; thus, they choose steam carpet cleaning. For those who have allergies, numerous non-toxic or hypoallergenic cleaning products are also free of colours and fragrances.
Dry Cleaning
This method involves using powdered chemicals. While all dry cleaning techniques require a modest amount of water, steam cleaning uses substantially more. The dry cleaning process involves an absorbent substance being manually applied or dusted over the carpet. To eliminate stains, the mixture includes a porous carrier, detergent, solvent, and a small amount of water. In some circumstances, you could use a stain protector to lessen the likelihood of stains appearing in the future.
You or a pro undertaking dry cleaning will:
- Pre-vac the carpet.
- Occasionally, treat stains.
- Use a dry chemical powder, detergent, and solvent.
- Clean the carpet with a wet vacuum to get rid of all the chemicals and water.
Advantages of Dry Cleaning
- Quick drying
- best for sanitising busy areas
- It can be utilised to spot-treat challenging stains.
Disadvantages of Dry Cleaning
- The use of chemicals and fragrances
- It may build up impurities that weaken the carpet fibres.
- It might not provide a complete wash.
- People with allergies or chemical sensitivity may worry about potential responses to the solvents and fragrances because dry cleaning utilises chemicals.
Frequently asked questions
What’s better, hiring a machine and doing it yourself or hiring a professional?
Without question, you could purchase or rent a steam cleaner. Most retail stores and online retailers charge $90 for a robust rug doctor or Bunning’s steam cleaner. These types of units will use steam to clean your carpets, but will take twice as long as a professional commercial machine.
Most larger machines you may hire from a hardware store or supermarket have a small water reserve and a heating element. Both use non-marking wheels and move carefully and wilfully across the carpet. You should avoid your carpet for no less than 12 to 24 hours while it dries, regardless of whether you rent or own the home.
Can you dry clean the carpet on your own?
You can dry clean your carpets using cleaning agents or dry powder compounds. You should vacuum your carpets first. The dry powder is then applied to the carpet using a sifter to remove grit, dirt, and stains.
After working the powder into the carpet with a bonnet machine or brush, vacuum it up after about 30 minutes. The application solvents used in dry cleaning require a small amount of water to complement the dry chemicals.
Depending on the size of the container, dry cleaning powder costs anywhere from $25 to $50. You can make it yourself, purchase it online or google dry cleaning recipes for more info. The most significant benefit of dry cleaning is that your carpet can be used immediately after cleaning, which is great for busy homes and commercial offices.
Should You Hire a Professional to Clean Your Carpets?
You have the option to employ a professional to clean your carpets if you don’t have the time or if it hasn’t been cleaned in a while and you need a deep clean. To avoid a mess, they will use equipment that is considerably more powerful than what you might rent or buy.
Prices for carpet cleaning vary. A professional carpet cleaner typically charges a set amount based on the number of rooms needed rather than the size of those spaces. You should anticipate paying between $55 and $95 for each room.
Leave a Reply