Professional Carpet Cleaning – 9 Methods Used for Cleaning

Carpet cleaning sounds effortless when you’re not working in the business, but professional carpet cleaners know the challenges related to it. Regardless of what you may think, professional cleaners turn to many methods for cleaning your carpet, not to mention skills and supplies. Every carpet is different, and professionals know how to adjust their procedures, supplies, and equipment for best cleaning results. It’s why you should hire them in the first place.

Learning a thing or two about the methods professional cleaners use will give you an idea why it’s them and not you obtaining pristinely clean carpets.

1. Hot water extraction (HWE) carpet cleaning

Commonly known as “steam cleaning,” HWE cleaning is a hot water extraction cleaning. It’s not steam cleaning per se because real steam would be too hot for carpet fibers, ruining the carpet. Artificial fibers melt, whereas wool or soft fibers get all fuzzy.

The machines professionals use spray heated water onto the carpet and suck it at the same time. Throughout the procedure, the dirt in the carpet is dislodged and sucked away. Some professionals also add cleaning chemicals with consideration to the carpet fiber when selecting the chemical cleaning solutions.

2. Preconditioning

Professional cleaners use preconditioning to loosen up stubborn dirt. The carpet’s fabric counts when choosing the preconditioning agent. Synthetic fiber carpets work better with alkaline solutions, whereas woolen rugs have better results with a mildly acidic solution. The technicians use a scrubbing machine to make the preconditioning agents work into the carpet. Afterward, they use a hot water extraction tool for rinsing out the preconditioner and the embedded dirt.

3. Extraction and drying

With HWE, the professionals use a lot of water, and the carpet becomes damp, even if they use equipment with high suction power. The drying process is essential because they have to avoid mold growth or brown water spots on the carpet. Proper air circulation, fans, and dehumidifiers can speed up the drying process.

Extraction and drying go together, and only experienced professionals who use the right equipment obtain the best results. A high flow rate for getting as much dirt as possible out of the carpet will balance with a low flow rate for the drying process, especially if the carpet is thick.

4. Vacuum wash

Vacuum wash systems are efficient for all surfaces, carpets included. The technicians spray water onto the carpet, which is right away sucked back. It’s a basic cleaning system that doesn’t work for the deeply soiled carpets. It’s a good alternative for light cleaning and doesn’t leave the carpet wet.

5. Dry foam cleaning

If your carpet is made with water-sensitive fibers, the dry foam cleaning will give results. Foam is never entirely dry, and it’s a reliable method when rugs don’t take hot water extraction. The proper machine is essential, and the technicians apply and vacuum the foam back immediately.

6. Very low moisture (VLM) systems

These are relatively recent systems that combine purpose-designed cleaning solutions and dry compounds. Professionals prefer these systems because they eliminate the drying process and provide results pretty fast. At the same time, the methods are less effective than hot water extraction, so technicians will still have to apply special spot treatments and clean the high traffic areas.

7. Dry compound cleaning

The method isn’t completely dry, but it does dissolve and attract grime. The technicians work the compound thoroughly into the carpet, leave it to dry, and later suck it away with an industrial vacuum cleaner. The procedure does sound effortless from a distance, but it does bring plenty of tricky problems to the table. The cleaners have to work the compound into the carpet, and they cannot work as fast or as efficiently as a machine. Also, it’s quite difficult to remove the dry mixture, and the compound may cause allergic reactions. On top of everything else, the risk for residues isn’t null and discoloration may occur.

8. Bonnet cleaning

Only highly skilled professionals master this technique. The cleaners apply a mist of detergent to the bonnet (a round buffer pad) for picking up the dirt. Experienced technicians must ensure that the bonnet is lubricated at all times so that it doesn’t damage the pile. If the bonnet is too wet, though, residues will develop, and the carpet will get dirty sooner than it should. The professionals also have to replace the bonnet once it’s saturated with grime; otherwise, it won’t attract dirt.

The method has limitations and works only with thin yet robust carpets. If used on the wrong type of carpet, it will ruin the rug. Also, technicians have to follow it up with an antimicrobial agent for proper sanitization of the rug.

9. Encapsulation

With encapsulation method, professional cleaners use detergent polymer chemistry to bind dirt to their molecules, forming tiny crystals. The method had to be perfected in time, and new formulas work better than in the past. Technicians apply the encapsulation products with compression sprayers or specialized applicators. After the detergent dries, the technicians vacuum the carpet, sucking up the polymer and dirt crystals.

One last thought

As you can see, professional carpet cleaners have a wide range of methods for carpet cleaning. They are skilled and ready to adjust their procedures for your particular type of carpet, using the most effective supplies and pieces of equipment. Still sitting on the fence about hiring them?