Living Smart: Carpet Cleaning

By Angie Hicks Print Article

(MCT)Do a quick online search for carpet cleaning and youll find a variety of different methods. The two most common are hot water extraction mostly known as steam cleaning and hot carbonation, often referred to as dry chemical techniques.

So how do you decide which method is best? To start, check the paperwork that came with your carpet, with the carpet manufacturer themselves or with a reputable carpet cleaning company. The most widely accepted cleaning method is hot water extraction.

The high temperature of the water kills bacteria and extracts the dirt out of the carpet, says Tony Solis of All Points Carpet Care in Mooresville, N.C. Its a very deep cleaning compared to dry cleaning.

Solis uses truck-mounted equipment that injects water heated between 180 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit into the carpet under pressure and then rinses out a pretreated solution he sprays onto the carpet. Steam cleaning removes bacteria, dust mites and odors. The most common drawback is a long dry time. Done well, carpet should dry in just a few hours.

Drying time on a carpet should be four hours, not 44 hours, Solis adds.

If inferior equipment is used for steam cleaning, dry times can take more than a day resulting in a mildewy smell and soap can be left behind, attracting more dirt.

The way soap works is, it attracts itself to dirt, says Gil Patterson of A-1 Chem Dry in metro Kansas City, Mo. If you dont rinse it, it will stay in the carpet and continue to attract soil.

Pattersons company uses a hot carbonation cleaning process that requires about one-fifth the amount of water as steam cleaning.

A big, big difference with our process is we dont have any soap or detergent in our solutions, Patterson says. Our general cleaning solution is a natural solution. Its pet and family friendly. And, theres no risk of leaving any type of soap residue in your carpet, which will attract dirt. If the technician leaves soap in the carpeting, you can tell when a customer has that happen to them. It seems like, within a week or two, the carpet seems dirtier than before they had it cleaned.

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Living Smart: Carpet Cleaning