Deciding Between Dry and Wet Carpet Cleaning?

Answer 1

There are multiple methods professional carpet cleaners use to maintain residential carpet. These methods are broken down into two categories: dry cleaning and wet cleaning. It is important for the consumer to understand the difference between both categories in order to make the right choice for their particular carpet. Even though the carpet professional will make their personal recommendation, the final choice is made by the consumer.

The Dry Cleaning Method

Dry cleaning is used to simply "surface clean" a carpet, meaning it will not give carpets a deep scrub. Although this method is not best suited for heavily soiled areas, it is a faster way to clean carpets. When carpet professionals dry clean a rug or carpet, they cover the area with a moist powder that is designed to be a cleaning agent and use a special machine to make sure the powder is absorbed deep into the carpet's fibers. After the powder is allowed to settle, the professional will vacuum.

The Wet Cleaning Method

Wet cleaning is the most commonly used method for cleaning carpets. As suggested by the name, water is involved in the cleaning process. With this type of carpet cleaning, there are two variations, which are steam cleaning and shampooing. When a carpet is steam cleaned, the professional will spray a solution of detergent and hot water onto the carpet to loosen the dirt particles. Afterward, a specially designed vacuum is used to draw up the water.

The shampoo carpet cleaning variation is fairly self-explanatory. The carpet cleaning machine will cover the carpet fibers with shampoo foam to stir up stains and dirt. Once this is done, the particles will become trapped within the foam. After the carpet has been given ample time to dry, it will be vacuumed clean. The dried shampoo, stains and dirt will be taken away from the carpet fibers and sucked into the vacuum. The biggest benefit of shampooing a carpet is that this method is more thorough at removing dirt and grime. However, shampooing does have one big downside in terms of its completion time. Generally, wet cleanings require 12-24 hours for the shampoo or solution to dry, making it an all day task.