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Carpet
Cleaning DIY.com
Your Carpet
Cleaning Guide
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5 Top Carpet Cleaning Methods
– Which Is the Best?
Whether you decide to go with a professional carpet cleaning company or
you choose to apply a do it yourself carpet cleaning project, there are
a variety of cleaners and cleaning methods that you can use.
We’ll discuss the top five carpet cleaners which are dry
powder, bonnet (a dry cleaner), dry foam, shampoo, and hot water
extraction (a steam cleaner).
Dry Carpet Cleaning Methods #1
– Dry Shampoo Carpet Cleaner
The shampoo dry cleaning method uses a brush that is circular and has a
motor attached. A foam carpet cleaner is applied and the circular brush
is applied to scrub in the foam. The motor brush agitates the foam and
is a great method for a commercial carpet that is considered low pile.
A low cut carpet pile that is especially filthy is also a good
candidate for the dry shampoo carpet cleaner.
If you do not use this type of dry carpet cleaner with another carpet
cleaner method, you will not have to worry about extracting left over
messes later on. After applying and scrubbing in the shampoo dry
cleaner, you will only need to do a little vacuuming once you leave the
shampoo to dry. Unfortunately, this is not the best carpet cleaning
method as it can leave behind a lot of residue. You can also spend a
lot of time waiting for the shampoo to dry on your carpet.
Best Carpet Cleaning Methods #2
– Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning
The dry foam carpet cleaning method is very close to shampooing your
rugs and carpets but it relies heavily on the use of the motor,
circular brush. The cleaner before it is applied, will be turned into
foam that you will spread over the soiled carpet. Unlike the shampoo,
you will not need to add a wet cleaner to get the job done. Without
liquid applied, the foam cleaner will allow for a dryer carpet in a
short amount of time.
Many foam dry cleaning systems come with its own vacuum but you need
the foam product to leave a flaky, dry residue so that it can be pulled
into the vacuum cleaner. The fry foam method has some of the same flaws
as the shampoo cleaner and it does not provide a way to deep clean your
carpets.
Carpet Cleaning Methods #3
– Bonnet Dry Cleaning
The bonnet dry cleaning method is usually referred to as a
“dry cleaning” because it is often added to water
that is carbonated such as seltzer water and it is then sprayed onto a
carpet in a fine mist. A circular buffer is then used with a pad that
can absorb extra moisture. As the buffer moves over the carpet, soil
and dirt will transfer to the pad and you will simply need to remove
the dirty pad and replace it with one that is clean.
The bonnet cleaning dries quickly and it cleans the three top layers of
your carpets that you can visually see. Since you do not extract
anything from the carpets, the bonnet prevents any deep cleaning action
and this method should be used as a way to keep the carpet looking good
between real deep carpet cleaning methods.
Dry Carpet Cleaning Method #4
– Dry Power Carpet Cleaning
To use the dry powder, sprinkle the product over the soiled carpet and
use a circular or cylinder shaped brush to scrub the dry powder deep
into the carpet. The carpet will dry very quickly and you will need to
get a vacuum so that it can take away left over powder and dirt that
was knocked loose during scrubbing. Because the powder cleaning dries
very quickly, you will be able to use your carpet in a very short time
after you have cleaned it.
Like the bonnet cleaner, the power will only clean one third of that
you can visually see and it will not provide a deep carpet cleaning
that may be needed. Another flaw in the dry powder method is that it
will need a very strong vacuum that is not available to most
homeowners. You will have to rent one that is usually used commercially
for businesses. If a low powered vacuum fails to remove all of the
excess powder and dirt, you can find yourself with a bigger problem
when it is time to get your carpet clean again.
Best Carpet Cleaning Method #5
– Hot Water Extraction
Often called steam cleaning, the hot water extraction is a carpet
cleaning method that applies a cleaning agent that is hot. The solution
is pressurized and it will be extracted almost immediately by a vacuum.
The now soiled cleaning agent will sit in a tank until it is later
removed in a system for sanitized waste.
The hot water extractor is one of the best carpet cleaning methods
because it can give your carpets a really great deep cleaning and large
carpet companies like Dupont, Mohawk and Queen actually prefers the hot
water extractor.
The only downside to the hot water method is that it will take a longer
time to dry than the previous carpet cleaning methods. For more
expensive carpets that are higher in quality, the warranty labels will
sometime require that you have them cleaned with a hot water extractor
every eighteen months so you do not void the warranty.
There are different kinds of hot water extractors and they are not all
the same. There are 3 specific kinds of equipment used for hot water
extraction and they include:
Homeowner/Rental – This equipment is ok for a
smaller cleaning job that is usually found in a home such a carpet
spills. However, these machines do not have the amount of power needed
for a really good deep cleaning.
Portable
Professional Equipment – Much more powerful,
these machines may have two outlet cords that need to be plugged in. If
you know how to use these portables, they can be a great tool to
getting a really clean carpet and they can fit in hard to reach places
that other cleaners cannot.
Carpet Cleaning Equipment Mounted On a Truck
- A regular carpet can be cleaned with just five hundred pounds of
pressure but these heavy machinery cleaning equipment can go up to one
thousands pounds. They heat water up to 180 degrees or higher and their
vacuums are intensely powerful. This equipment can cost a lot but they
provide some of the best results for carpet cleaning.
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