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Carpet Cleaning is not as simple as you might think. With so many carpet cleaners in your local area to choose from and many carpet cleaning techniques that can be applied, it can be very hard to determine who to call. Don't worry. Here is some compiled information to help you find the right carpet cleaner for your particular job. To meet your needs, most carpet cleaning contractors will generally offer one of these four techniques.
Steam Carpet Cleaning a.k.a Hot Water Extraction
The most effective carpet cleaning method on the market. Also, it's the type of cleaning most often recommended by carpet manufacturers. The cleaners inject a mixture of hot water and detergent deep into the carpet pile and then use a powerful vacuum to extract it along all dirt and dust. When speaking with your carpet cleaners, be sure to ask them if a truck-mounted unit is going to be used, as they have more powerful vacuums and do a better job of removing dirt and moisture from your carpet than the mobile ones. Of course, the downside of this process is the drying time. It can take up to 8 hours for your carpet to completely dry and if the carpet cleaning contractor doesn't know what he's doing, the textile can be over-soaked, leading to mold, mildew and bad odors.
Dry Powder Carpet Cleaning
The cleaners apply a dry powder and work it into the carpet pile with a rotary unit. After the powder adheres to soil, dirt and other contaminants, it's removed with a thorough vacuuming. As long as all of the dry powder is removed, the cleaning can be very effective. And since it's a dry process, it's best for heavy traffic areas and maintenance cleaning sessions.
Bonnet Cleaning
It's also called dry or carbonated carpet cleaning. The cleaners apply a detergent and work it into the carpet with a machine similar to a floor buffer. All dirt is removed in the process. To retain effectiveness, the bonnet should be periodically replaced. This method does a decent job, although it's more of a surface clean (and not as deep as the above techniques). As it dries quickly, it is a good option for maintenance cleaning sessions.
Carpet Shampooing
The oldest and least effective method. The cleaners apply a shampoo and work it into the carpet textile with a rotary machine. After the shampoo dries, it is vacuumed along the soiling agents. The downside is that not all dirt is removed and in most cases a residue is left behind, attracting more dirt over time. Foam carpet cleaning is a little more effective, but basically uses the same principles and shares the same issues.
Carpet Cleaning Costs
Besides wondering which methods and company to choose, most residents are curious how much they can expect a professional carpet cleaning to cost. After all, once you add in stain removal and protection, extra rooms and square footage, your cleaning can end up being more expensive than you initially haggled for. It turns out that on average it isn't really all that expensive. The statistics that I have for large metro areas are a reasonable $100 - $200 for a carpet cleaning session. Of course, it depends mostly on the type of staining, square footage of the area to be cleaned and the most appropriate cleaning method for your particular carpet.
That should be a good news to all residents, especially since most major carpet manufacturers recommend to have your carpets efficiently cleaned at least once every 6 to 12 months to retain the good look, smell and feel. If you're like most residents, chances are you're past due based on those recommendations, making it a smart idea to schedule your carpet cleaning as soon as possible.
