Steam Clean Vs. Rug Shampoo

Carpeting needs periodic cleaning for a healthy environment

Carpeting gives a home a feeling of warmth, comfort and luxury, but if you have children and pets, keeping your carpet clean and germ-free can be an ongoing challenge. Dirt tracked in from outdoors can get trapped in carpet fibers, and allergens can remain deep within the pile. There are a number of methods used for cleaning carpets, including rug shampoos, dry cleaners and steam cleaning.

Carpet Problems

Carpeting needs regular cleaning to keep the fibers strong and resilient. Normal dirt tracked in every day causes carpet fibers to deteriorate. Pet hair, food debris and allergens carried in from outside can make carpeting unsanitary and can even allow carpet beetles, fleas and other pests to flourish. Regular vacuuming is the first step in keeping your carpeting clean and hygienic. Over time, however, dirt and stains build up and more intensive cleaning is necessary.

Rug Shampoo Advantages

Homeowners can find a number of aerosol rug shampoos on the market. These can be effective for spot treatment of simple stains and cleaning high traffic areas that see continual build-up of dirt from outdoors. These cleaners are easy to use, dry quickly and can be used whenever spots and need fast treatment. Cleaning machines that scrub the shampoo into the carpeting are also available. This type of cleaning can do a good job on large areas that need more than just surface cleaning. Dry chemicals are also used to clean some carpets that cannot tolerate wet shampooing.

Rug Shampoo Disadvantages

Rug shampoos can leave residues on carpeting that will attract even more dirt. Water-based shampooing of large areas requires considerable drying time that can be difficult in some weather conditions, and can lead to mildew and odors. Rug shampooing may also not clean thoroughly enough to remove deep-down stains that will continue to show through soon after the cleaning process. The brushes used on some rug-shampooing equipment can damage the fibers of your carpeting.

Steam Cleaning Advantages

Steam cleaning offers several advantages to rug shampoos. Most steam cleaners extract the dirty water from the carpeting, removing all dirt, allergens and odors. Steam cleaning generally dries faster than water-based rug shampoos, so the dampness that creates mold and mildew is not a problem. Steam cleaners can be rented from home improvement or hardware stores, or you can purchase your own cleaning machine.

Steam Cleaning Disadvantages

Steam cleaning requires heavy equipment that may be difficult for some people to use. It also leaves a certain amount of dampness in the carpet that may stay wet for some time in humid weather conditions, leading to mildew. Setting out fans to help dry the carpeting can help alleviate this problem.

Carpet Cleaning Tips

Whatever method you choose, it is important to remove stains as much as possible before the cleaning process. The rug shampoo or steam will not remove many stains like blood, ink, paint, wine or food dyes. Some of these stains may require solvents, vinegar, acetone or other compounds before cleaning. When most of the stains are removed, the final step of cleaning will give an acceptable result. If you are not satisfied, you should a carpet-cleaning company for professional advice, according to the Carpet and Rug Institute.

References

• CarpetCleaningTips: Carpet Cleaning
• AceHardware: Floor and Rug Cleaners
• Carpet&RugInstitute: Cleaning & Maintenance