Dry Vs. Steam Carpet Cleaning

Buying carpet can be a significant investment for home and business owners alike. Over time, dirt and grime become attached to carpet fibers, making carpets look dirty. The only way to reverse this process is to clean your carpet with either dry or steam carpet cleaning.

Dry cleaning

Dry carpet cleaning uses various chemical compounds to lift dirt out of carpet fibers. While many of the methods used for dry carpet cleaning actually use some moisture, one of the major benefits of dry carpet cleaning is significantly reduced drying times due to the smaller amounts of water used, compared to steam carpet cleaning methods. There are several types of dry carpet cleaning, all using various amounts of moisture and different chemical compounds.

Steam Cleaning

Until fairly recently, steam carpet cleaning was the only method available for deep cleaning of carpets. This method saturates carpets in a mixture of hot water and various cleaning solutions to break down dirt particles and lift them out of the carpet fibers. Once the mixture has been allowed to do its job, most of it is sucked up by a wet vacuum cleaner, hopefully taking all the dirt and grime from your carpet with it. The carpet then has to dry before regular use is resumed.

Types

For the most part, steam carpet cleaning follows roughly the same process of water and cleaning solution distribution, removal and drying, but there are various methods employed by dry carpet cleaners. Some dry carpet cleaners will scrub a dry compound throughout the area of the carpet. Dirt is drawn to this compound and then vacuumed up. Encapsulation is a relatively new dry carpet cleaning method in which a special compound is spread over carpet, and the compound then crystallizes, encapsulating dirt. There are other methods that combine minimal amounts of moisture with similar compounds to remove dirt.

Drying times

If you choose to use traditional steam carpet cleaning to attempt to restore your carpet to its original condition, you can expect to wait days for your carpet to dry completely before resuming regular use. This is generally considered the main drawback of using steam carpet cleaning, as it can be inconvenient and the long drying time can create other problems. With dry carpet cleaning, drying times can range from a few hours with very low-moisture methods to no time at all with completely dry methods.

Effectiveness

The long drying time involved with steam carpet cleaning can create some problems relating to its effectiveness. When carpet is allowed to remain wet for an extended time, it can become sticky, and mildew or mold is given a chance to grow, sometimes causing the carpet to look dirty and grimy again. Also, because the carpet becomes sticky, it is much easier for dirt to get trapped among the carpet fibers in a shorter period of time. The drying times involved in dry carpet cleaning prevent this from happening for the most part, ensuring that your carpets stay cleaner for longer.

References

• Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification