Carpet Cleaning and Treatment Methods

No matter how clean you keep your home, your carpets should be professionally cleaned at least once per year. Carpets can be a breeding ground for all sorts of mold, fungus, bacteria, dust mites, etc. Routine carpet cleanings will prevent these problems from becoming harmful to your health, and will help keep your home cleaner in general. Having your carpets cleaned routinely also helps improve the air quality inside your home.

There are many types of carpets found inside homes and businesses, and almost just as many methods. Different types of carpets require various cleaning processes. If an inappropriate method is used to clean your carpet, it may diminish its quality, or even completely ruin the carpet. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you hire a professional company to care for your flooring. Qualified carpet care specialists possess the necessary knowledge and tools to ensure quality service.

Carpet Shampooing
This is a relatively common approach to routine carpet cleaning, but is not very effective. First, the carpet is vacuumed, and then a detergent is applied directly to the carpet. The detergent is then agitated by a machine, and extracted by a vacuum. Deodorizers and brighteners are commonly used with the detergent, or even found in the detergent itself.

Hot Water Extraction (HWE)
This is method is also extremely popular, and much more effective. Hot water extraction is sometimes called “steam cleaning”, however, steam is not used in the actual cleaning process, but only exists as a byproduct of the process. Hot water is mixed with a detergent solution and is applied to the carpet. The solution is typically well over 140° F when it comes into contact with the carpet, thereby producing steam.

Normally, the carpet is preconditioned with an alkaline agent, and then the detergent solution is applied. The detergent is then agitated with a brush head/s and given time to react with the dirt and other shmutz. The detergent is then extracted, along with the dirt, and the carpet is thoroughly rinsed with a cleaning tool and allowed to dry. Most professional cleaning crews will use industrial fans or other specialized equipment to ensure the carpet will dry properly. The hot water extraction process is very efficient and can improve the look of your carpet, and improve the cleanliness of your home by removing allergens, microbes, etc.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent for Absolute Carpet Care. The experts provide extensive services in the Northern Virginia area. For more information on their carpet cleaning in Fairfax Virginia please visit their website.