Difference Between Dry Cleaning and Steam Cleaning
For those who don’t know, professional carpet cleaners use two methods when cleaning carpets. The first one is dry cleaning. The second one is hot water extraction, commonly known as steam cleaning.
As a homeowner, you probably invested a lot of money in your carpets. Because of this, you want to ensure you retain its original look as long as possible. To do this, you need to maintain your carpet regularly.
Maintaining your carpet can also help improve the quality of air in your house.
Whenever you hire Raleigh carpet cleaners, you have two options to choose from. You can either choose steam cleaning or dry cleaning. So, what is the difference between the two methods?
Dry Carpet Cleaning
Even though it is called Dry Carpet Cleaning, this method still utilizes water. However, it uses less water compared to steam cleaning.
Just like steam cleaning, a professional carpet cleaner will:
- Vacuum your carpet to get rid of any surface dirt or dust.
- Apply a dry-cleaning solution of water and cleaning solvents. The solution is created to break down the fibers of your carpet. This helps get rid of any accumulation of residue that traps dirt in the fibers. This enables the dirt and grime to be extracted.
Dry carpet cleaning utilizes a machine with rotating pads attached. These pads spin at high speed on the carpet to absorb dirt.
Usually, manufacturers use absorbent cotton for the pads. They will soak them in a combination of conditioning solution and hot water. During the cleaning process, the cleaners will change the pads if they become dirty.
Steam Carpet Cleaning
Some professionals call it “Hot Water Extraction”. However, it’s commonly called steam carpet cleaning. It is a method that works by forcing hot water into the carpet with the help of a high-pressure jet spray. Then, the machine will vacuum out the water.
Usually, this is done using either a portable machine or a truck-mounted machine. A professional carpet cleaner will:
- Vacuum the carpet to get rid of surface dirt and dust.
- Spot-treat any marks and stains using a cleaning agent.
- Utilize a pre-spray to soften the carpet’s surface tension.
This enables the hot water to effectively penetrate the fibers of your carpet, allowing for a deeper clean.
The drying time after this cleaning method will differ. However, you should expect a drying time of 6 to 8 hours if you have proper ventilation.
Your professional carpet cleaner might not have extracted enough water during the process if your carpet takes longer than 1 day to dry.
Steam Cleaning vs Dry Cleaning
You can immediately use your carpet again if you use dry cleaning. Usually, it will be totally dry within several hours. If your carpet is located in a high-traffic area, this method is extremely useful.
However, a lot of professionals suggest steam cleaning as the best method for prolonging the lifespan of your carpet.
If you simply want general maintenance, dry cleaning is your best bet. However, if you want a thorough and deep carpet cleaning, you should use steam cleaning.
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