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Tidbits for Steam Carpet Cleaning

Generally speaking, a vacuum cleaner does a fairly good job at removing the dirt and grime from a carpet, but to get it completely clean, many people opt to have their carpet steam cleaned.  Steam cleaning removes things like sticky substances and oil, that your standard vacuum cleaner just can’t get rid of.  Whatever specific steam cleaning method you decide to use, it will prolong the life of your carpet a great deal.

Research

Research from a wide variety of sources has consistently shown that the steam and extremely hot water temperatures in steam cleaning provides the most desirable carpet cleaning results.  At a temperature of above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, and a heat increase every 18 degrees, allows steam cleaning to change the chemical reactivity of the substance it’s cleaning by about 100%.  This is exactly why it’s so effective.

Your Health

If you or someone in your family has significant allergies or asthma, the power of steam carpet cleaning can help fight these unfortunate ailments.  The extremely hot temperatures involved in steam cleaning can get rid of…

The “Every Other Year” Rule

Your carpet should be steam cleaned at least once every two years, but this all depends on how many people live in your household, and how much traffic your carpet receives.

DIY Steam Cleaning

Many people invest in steam cleaning machines, so they can clean their carpet themselves.  This idea is recommended for people who like their carpet clean on a very regular basis.  If you steam clean your carpet incorrectly though, you can leave residue behind which can actually attract dirt and cause damage to your carpet.

Reasons For Hiring a Professional Steam Cleaner:

The Inspection

Once you’ve hired a cleaner for the job, it’s important to do a walk-through inspection of your carpet with them.  Show them the specific areas of concern, and they will discuss the exact procedure they will employ to get the job done.  A quality steam cleaner professional will not go directly inside your home, and get to work.  Rather, they will inspect the area first to make sure they are able to satisfy all your carpet cleaning needs.

If you want to learn more about steam carpet cleaning, or your thinking about having your carpet steam cleaned, don’t hesitate to contact Atlanta Carpet, Atlanta’s choice for steam carpet cleaning!  We are a trusted and reliable carpet cleaning service!

You’re probably aware of the concept of dry cleaning in general, but did you know there are several different methods for cleaning your carpet, without getting it soaking wet?  Every method is not without its downsides, but you should keep in mind the methods that are the quickest, most Eco-friendly, and most effective, of course.

Dry Foam

Dry foam requires that you do a lot of scrubbing and that you do so in a circular fashion - similar to shampooing methods, however, with dry foam you don’t have to wait for any to finish drying.  The bubbles will gradually disappear, so there is very little residue left over to actually deal with.  Many Dry foam carpet cleaning systems will have their own built in vacuum to handle the leftovers though.

Dry Powder

Dry powder, sometimes consisting of small powdered corn cobs, is mixed with a cleaning solution. The mixture is then dispersed evenly throughout the carpet surface.  After that, a round, brush device is used to scrub the powder into the carpet, and subsequently, the power is vacuumed away.  The best part is that there is virtually no drying time with this method.  Nevertheless, dry powder tends only to clean the top third of the carpet.

Bonnet

Although this is not considered “dry cleaning” in the strictest sense, it is a far cry from traditional “wet cleaning” methods.  Bonnet cleaning usually entails a mixture of carbonated water and a specific clean product.  The formula can then be misted onto the carpet, and a buffer can be used to scrub it in.

Generally, the bonnet method cleans only the top portion of the carpet, and really doesn’t lift the particles at the carpet’s base.  Additionally, the turnaround time for this method is rather long.  On the positive side though, despite the fact that bonnet uses water, it only uses a small amount.

Encapsulation

This relatively new technology consists of polymers that dissolve and absorb the dirt in the carpet, turning it into dry particles on contact.  A cleaning solution is applied by a machine-operated brush applicator, or compression sprayer.  The dry particles are then easily vacuumed out of the carpet with another machine.  Encapsulation improves carpet appearance, in comparison to other methods, and it avoids the drying time of shampooing.  Encapsulation tends to be a very effective dry cleaning method, overall.  One negative of encapsulation is that it does not handle heavy grease loads very well.

If you have questions about different dry carpet cleaning methods, or you want to schedule a cleaning for your carpet, don’t hesitate to contact Atlanta Carpet Cleaning,  Atlanta, Georgia’s choice in carpet cleaners!

Green carpet cleaning is friendly to the environment, and avoids the use of harmful chemicals that can be hazardous to humans and pets.

Carpet cleaning requires the following steps:

vacuuming - removes most soil

pretreatment and conditioning - loosens soil with a mild solvent cleaner

extraction - rinses away the cleaning solvent

nap setting and drying - allows the remaining solvent to vaporize and dry

If the above steps are not followed accurately, indoor air quality could pose a health concern for the cleaner, as well as those in the home or commercial space.

Traditional Carpet Cleaning Methods

Depending on the location of the carpet or the type of treatment required, two different carpet cleaning procedures may be used:

Dry cleaning - uses a minimal amount of liquid with a blend of compounds for restorative cleaning, regular scheduled maintenance, and emergency cleanup. This process uses a homogenized blend of solvents: a cleaning agent, rinsing agent, and neutralizing agent.  It is heated to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit and applied to the carpet.

Steam cleaning - or “steam extraction, uses antimicrobial, urine and odor treatment chemicals.  The extraction process uses the same chemicals used in “dry” cleaning, but the rinsing agent is blended in a truck-mount, and more water is used in rinsing.  This procedure is usually used for carpet restoration jobs.

The Harms of Traditional Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaning creates waste water that includes chemicals from the cleaning formula as well as waste products such as grease and organic material from the carpet itself.  Many of the chemicals currently used are highly alkaline and aggressive enzymes, which if used improperly, can cause harm to humans and the environment.

A traditional cleaning formula might contain:

All of these elements can be harmful to one’s health, on one level or another.

Green Alternatives

By using environmentally safe chemicals to clean carpets, it keeps everyone less exposed to hazardous toxins.  Non-toxic alternatives to traditional carpet cleaning products are labeled as “green” cleaning agents, and are relatively safe for the cleaner to handle.  The cleaner ought to follow the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification standards when using “green” products.

Green encapsulation - Encapsulation is the latest trend in dry cleaning technology, which creates crystalized residue from the soil in the carpet, making it easy to extract.  Green encapsulation are less harmful to humans and pets,  than its traditional counterpart - steering clear of the aquatic and oral toxins.

Home recipes - Although they might not come in a bottle with the word “green” on it, many house hold carpet cleaning solutions have shown to be potent, safe, and very cost-effective.  A common recipe is to mix a ¼ cup vegetable oil-based liquid soap with 3 tbsp. of water.  The foam is applied to the problem areas of the carpet, and after 15 minutes, is rinsed thoroughly with water.  While this recipe is usually only used for small areas of carpet, it is a great alternative to the harmful commercial spray can solutions on the market.