There are a variety of different ways in which a carpet can be cleaned. The one that is used most frequently, which gets rid of all the surface dirt, is of course vacuuming. If you want your carpet to look its best though, you’ll also have to get rid of the dirt underneath the surface, and for that you need deep cleaning. There are many different companies in London which provide this, for example http://www.carpetcleaning.net, or you can attempt it yourself.
The available techniques are:
- Steam Cleaning
- Dry Cleaning
- Shampoo Technique
Hot Water Extraction
Probably the most popular form is hot water extraction, which is also called steam cleaning for ease of reference. This provides a very intensive clean, using very hot water and applying it at high pressures. In this way the clean is performed all the way down to the roots, and restores the colour of the carpet.
There are negatives to using this method however. It is not appropriate for all carpets and rugs. If they are sensitive or delicate, for example, then they might be damaged. If they have very long strands then getting the water out of them might be difficult, so the base of the carpet may rot.
Dry Carpet Cleaning
If you have sensitive carpets, or rugs, then a better option than steam cleaning, which could cause damage, is dry cleaning. There is no danger of this technique causing any damage, and of course you are not going to have to wait a long time for the carpet to dry using this method either.
It is not actually accurate to call this a single technique though, as it actually comes in three different forms. One option is to use foam, which can be hoovered up after it has been given time to work. The other two are very similar, you spray the carpet lightly with water and then use either powder or granules to clean the carpet. Again, after being given time to clean and to dry it can all be hoovered up.
Shampoo
The theory and practice of the shampooing technique is a lot closer to steam cleaning. It also uses a lot of water and a detergent. Instead of using high pressure to get the force needed for the clean though, a rotary brush is used instead. The problem with this one is that the water is not sucked up again so it takes longer to dry. Once it is dry though, you just have to vacuum up the dirt.
Cleaning Upholstery
It’s usually a good idea to think about cleaning upholstery at the same time as you are cleaning your carpets. They need the same sort of treatments. Upholstery should also be vacuumed regularly, and deep cleaned occasionally. Steam cleaning is also an option in this area, or the alternative is chemical cleaning.
The chemicals used are all completely safe, after all it wouldn’t be much good to put substances on upholstery that are harmful to the touch. They can be very powerful though, and could do some damage, so it’s necessary to test them first.
Do You Need Professional Carpet Cleaners?
All of the equipment that has been discussed in this article is available to the public, so there is no need to use professionals. Having said that though, some of it is expensive, particularly the steam cleaner. Also, it takes some skill to apply the techniques properly so using professionals does tend to be cheaper and provides a better quality clean.
Bryan Boyde boasts a thorough knowledge of expert carpet cleaning and frequently writes extensively about it at http://carpetcleaning.net.
Tags: Carpet Cleaning, carpet cleaning london, Cleaning, deep carpet cleaning, deep cleaning, dry carpet cleaning, Rug Cleaning, steam cleaning