Carpet Cleaning: Which Type is Best?
There are several different approaches to carpet cleaning. Here are the main ones:- Hot Water Extraction aka Steam Cleaning - This approach uses hot water and a cleaning solution to loosen and remove dirt and stains from the carpet. The solution is injected into the carpet and then extracted along with the dirt and debris. It is also possible to just use the hot water without any cleaner if you're just doing some maintenance. Adding a cleaner would be recommended for a good deep clean though.
- Dry cleaning: This method involves using a dry compound or absorbent material to remove dirt and stains from the carpet. The compound is applied to the carpet and worked into the fibers using a machine, and then the dirt and debris are vacuumed up.
- Shampooing: This involves using a foaming cleaning solution to loosen and remove dirt and stains from the carpet. The solution is applied to the carpet and worked into the fibers with a machine, and then the dirt and debris are vacuumed up—usually by the same machine.
- Encapsulation: This method involves using a cleaning solution that crystallizes dirt and stains, making them easier to remove. The solution is applied to the carpet and then vacuumed up, along with the crystallized dirt and stains.
There are pros and cons to each method of carpet cleaning. Let's look at each one:
Steam Cleaning Carpet
Steam cleaning gives you a nice, deep clean. It uses hot water and detergent, allowing it to penetrate deep into the carpet fibers, lifting and removing dirt, grime, and stains that vacuuming alone wouldn't affect. The high heat is also great because it can help kill bacteria, viruses, and other germs that may be present in the carpet. Now it's not just clean looking, but it's also more sanitary.
One of the big challenges of carpet cleaning is the inconvenience of having wet carpets. Playing "the floor is lava" can get old really quickly when it's in your main room. Fortunately, steam evaporates more quickly. Instead of a day, you'd be looking at just a few hours.
Steam cleaning is also a more eco-friendly method, since it doesn't rely as heavily on chemicals. The temperature of the water is the main mechanism of action.
There are a couple drawbacks to steam cleaning. First, although it's nice to not use chemicals whenever you can avoid it, there are some stains that really need it. Steam alone won't be effective against the really deep stains. It's great for dirt, but serious stains are its nemesis. The chemicals can also speed up the process on even a standard clean, meaning it might take a little longer with steam alone.
The last thing to consider with steam cleaning is the temperature. Some carpets may not withstand that kind of pressure. You'll want to try a discreet test spot before going all in.
Dry Cleaning Carpet
This method uses very little water, or no water at all. Consequently, drying time is no big deal. That's the biggest perk.
Dry powder can be great for a spot treatment, like when a toddler spills or a dog...messes up the carpet. You can just drop some powder on the stain, as if you're pouring parmesan cheese from a canister. Rub it in with a cloth so it makes contact with all of the stained fibers, give it some time, and then vacuum it up. It's pretty convenient for small areas. Larger areas would require a machine though, because it works the powder in so you don't have to do it by hand.
The big drawback of dry carpet cleaning is the cost. What does it cost to put some distilled water in a steam cleaner? Next to nothing. What does it cost to buy a container of cleaning compound large enough to cover multiple rooms? Kind of lot—especially when compared to the soap and water used with other techniques.
Shampooing Carpet
Shampoo is excellent for removing deep-seated dirt and stains from the carpet fibers. It really gets in there and attaches to dirt. The dirty soap is then easily lifted from the carpet with a carpet cleaner. This brings restores its appearance and removes weird smells that may have been trapped in the carpet. Because it removes dirt very thoroughly, it can actually extend the life of the carpet. Walking on carpet with a lot of contaminants damages the fibers. Shampoo will remove those contaminants.
Shampoo can also remove allergens, such as dust and pet dander, from the carpet, improving the air quality in your home and helping to reduce allergy symptoms.
Most carpets respond very well to a good shampoo, so it's a pretty standard solution. However, a lot of water is required to lift the dirty water from the carpet. This means long drying times, which can be a bit of an inconvenience in most cases. This is the big downside, but most people consider the benefits to be greater than the down side.
Encapsulation on Carpet
Encapsulation is an interesting tool because it's low-moisture. That, of course, means faster drying. This can be great for any carpet, but some recommend it especially for older, more delicate carpets.
It's a pretty good option for removing regular carpet soil, but it's not necessarily the best choice for serious stains. However, a pre-treatment can be used in conjunction with encapsulation to get the whole array of carpet filth.
Bonus Tip
Have you ever cleaned your carpet, and just a few weeks later all the old dirty spots started to reappear? Two things could potentially be happening. First, if you're using a cleaning solution, it may not have had enough dwell time. Giving it time to soak a bit allows it to attach to more dirt. Second—and this is the big one—you probably didn't suck enough water out of the carpet.
Low suction is a common problem. Many of the machines we can afford for home use are lighter than the commercial-grade ones. These cheaper units are generally kind of light on suction power. It's how they keep the prices down. Unfortunately, that means the dirty water hasn't been fully removed from the carpet. It's just kind of been moved around. If you finish cleaning and find that the carpet is fairly wet, it's probably still dirty too. It should only be lightly moist if you've got a great cleaner. That will make the cleanliness last a lot longer between cleanings.