Carpet Cleaning Methods

COMPARATIVE CLEANING METHODS

What method should you choose? Is one method as good as another? No. Unfortunately our industry is unregulated so it can be very difficult to understand the different types of cleaning or the systems available. From truck mounted and portable hot water extraction to shampoo and dry foam. Choosing the right process for you can be overwhelming.

First I will touch on the dry foam or dry cleaning type of method. Many people believe dry cleaning your carpets is like dry cleaning your clothes. This is not the case. In fact, all cleaning methods require the aid of water in one form or another. As they say, water is the universal solvent. Without it the cleaning effectiveness is diminished. The dry cleaning method relies on detergent type products applied to your carpets, agitated, and then a dwell time is needed for it to dry and eventually the detergent is vacuumed up. This is similar to applying shampoo to your hair, letting it dry and then combing it out. This process may leave a sticky residue that could cause rapid re-soiling.

Another type of method is the steam cleaning method. In reality it is just hot water. This method uses 2 types of machines. One is a truck mount where the vacuum stays in the truck, the other is the portable. Most cleaners would like you to believe that the truck mount is the most powerful. Unfortunately, for every linear foot of vacuum pressure, the suction of this unit is decreased. So a truck mount with 300 or 500 feet of vacuum hose coiled in the truck will not be any more powerful than a high performance portable. Also, through testing by the EPA and other institutions it has been determined that the carpet’s environment is warm enough for bacteria and microbial growth to occur. The natural materials found in carpeting combined with excess moisture and extended drying times common to hot water extraction systems can contribute to bacteria growth and resoiling. Not to mention the inconvenience of not being able to walk on your carpets for several hours or even days.

Finally, my method of cleaning. This method employs the use of Ph neutral solutions to literally lifts the dirt, pollutants and mites to the surface for easier extraction. With other methods high pressure water or chemicals are pushed deep into the carpets backing and under pad. It takes a long time to dry and also leaves behind what cannot be sucked out.

With our method just the right mix of  solution and pressure are used in combination with vacuum and absorbent pads to remove as much of the contaminates from your carpets as possible. The best part is your carpets are dry within 1 to 2 hours with no sticky residue left behind. In fact, there is an ingredient in our cleaning solution to inhibit the growth of mould because your health is important to us.