Enlisting the services of a professional carpet cleaning company will extend the life of your carpets resulting in significant savings over time. Carpets are one of the main features in our homes and over time collect all kinds of dirt and grime. You could replace them, but at what cost? Or, you can hire professional carpet cleaning services. There are three main types of carpet cleaning methods on offer, each with their own advantages and disadvantages so I'm going to tell you what these are so you can make an informed choice.
I'm the father of two young children and I will never understand how they manage to attract so much muck and dirt. And, of course, this inevitably finds its way into our carpets. Regular vacuum cleansing only does so much to keep them clean and does absolutely nothing for those stains. Every now and then it's nice to bring them back to nearly new looking condition. Not only will this improve the aesthetics of your home but the knock-on effects are longer carpet life which is quite a huge saving!
Having run a very successful carpet cleaning business for the last 10 years, I've seen (and cleaned) a lot of carpets! Some of which probably should have been thrown away. I've seen advances in the technology, the machines, and the chemical products used in the carpet cleaning industry. They have made the whole process of refurbishing carpets a lot quicker, cheaper, and with better results. The satisfaction I get from a job well done makes my job worth-while. There are quite a few different carpet cleaning services and solutions on the market but here is an overview of the three main types, and their advantages or disadvantages, this should give you a good idea as to which one is best for you and your own personal situation.
Dry Cleaning Methods – there are a couple of variations but they all effectively do the same thing, only in different ways. The advantage is that your carpets will dry quicker so you can get back to using the space much more quickly. The problem is that the chemicals used are generally, not very eco-friendly. This is changing but we are not quite there yet. The main disadvantage is that this method does not get deep into the carpet and is more suitable for short-pile carpets rather that deep-pile. This would be a good option for commercial type carpets but for domestic carpets you might want to look at alternatives.
Bonnet Cleaning – this method uses a machine similar to a floor polisher where the carpet is lightly misted with cleaning solution and then the dirt is lifted using a rubbing action. Again, this does not get deep into carpets so is generally only effective on short pile carpets.
Hot Water Extraction – also known as steam cleaning (This is my favorite method and my personal choice), it gets deep down into your carpet giving better and longerer results. The machines used today are much gentler on your carpets than any other method and there are outstanding eco-friendly solutions available for use. The one drawback of this method is that it takes longer to dry out after the process is complete so you will not be able to walk on your carpets for at least 24 hours.
To be honest, all of these methods produce outstanding results when transported out correctly but my personal recommendation is the Hot Water Extraction method. The reason being that it gets such a deep clean that dirt and grime, unreached by the other methods, remains and ever surfaces again, tarnishing the look of your carpets. Steam cleaning may take longer to dry but the results last longer, meaning you do not have to go through the process as repeatedly.
So, if you're looking for a quick result I would recommend the dry cleaning methods but if you are looking for a thorough clean, that lasts, it's well worth the extra to go for the hot water extraction. For homes, it's almost always steam cleaning but if you're looking to clean the carpets in your office it would be a good idea to go for the dry cleaning methods as it's rare to be able to close an office for 24 hours while the carpets dry.