How Does Steam-Cleaning a Carpet Work?
There are many ways to clean a carpet, and one way that’s been utilized for years is referred to as “steam-cleaning”. This method requires a machine known as a steam-cleaner (hence the name). This machine will shoot hot water into a carpet to dislodge harmful particles and organisms, and then it will suck this dirty water back up. Otherwise known as “hot water extraction”, this is an effective cleaning method that can not only eliminate stains but sanitize and deodorize a rug as well.
But what are the other benefits of steam-cleaning? And how does steam-cleaning compare to cleaning a rug with shampoo? What about the cost and the time it takes to steam-clean a carpet? For answers to these questions and other information you need to know before you have your carpets professionally steam-cleaned, read through this blog.
Call (917) 920-7271 if you’re in the market for carpet cleaning in Red Bank. Our carpet and rug cleaning experts know the ins and outs of all modern carpet cleaning methods, and they’ll make your carpets and area rugs spotless, sanitary, and odor-free.
Is Steam-Cleaning Good for Carpets?
Steam-cleaning, if executed correctly, can be beneficial in a variety of ways, and these ways are discussed below.
Note: This list is not exhaustive.
Removing Odors
Steam-cleaning is an effective way to get odors out of a carpet. Steam-cleaning removes the dirt, stains, and bacteria that can make a rug smell bad. Because soap is used in combination with hot water, the negative particles and organisms dislodge easier, and when the rug is thoroughly dried out, it won’t have a bad odor but a fresh one instead.
Removing Stains
Many fans of steam-cleaning like that it is quite effective at getting out stains. Again, soap and hot water act as a one-two punch, and when pressure is added, stains don’t stand a chance. You can even get tough coffee and wine stains out of a rug with steam-cleaning. That being said, steam-cleaning is not always 100% effective. If a stain has had a very long time to set, steam-cleaning is likely to significantly reduce its noticeability, but not completely.
Removing Bacteria
Since bacteria love to make rugs home, you’ll need professional rug cleaning routinely. This is where steam-cleaning comes in. Steam-cleaning gets deep down to the backing, past the fibers so bacteria have nowhere to hide.
Removing Mold & Mildew
Mold and mildew can grow on a rug, especially one that has sustained water damage. Steam-cleaning can be used to eliminate these organisms. Mold and mildew tend to grow under the rug’s backing, though they can grow and spread on the fibers as well. Steam-cleaning the backing of your rug may be harder if it’s made of a special material or complex in its design.
Removing Dust Mites & Other Insects
Steam-cleaning is great at removing dust mites and other insects that can live within the fibers. Rugs can be infested with moths, carpet beetles, fleas, and bed bugs. The soap and insect-killing chemicals eliminate the insects, while the hot water washes them away.
When Is It Best to Steam-Clean a Carpet?
It’s best to have your carpets and rugs steam-cleaned before they get too dirty. The longer dirt and other staining/damaging particles have to set, the more harmful they’ll be. Generally speaking, it’s harder to steam-clean stains that have been there for a long time. Most rug owners get their rugs cleaned in the spring, though professional rug cleaners can provide area rug cleaning services year round.
Also, don’t put off rug cleaning until your rug is making it hard to breathe or exacerbating your allergies. Waiting till then is foolish, as by that point the dirty rug has already been harming you for who knows how long!
Is Steam-Cleaning Better Than Using Shampoo?
Although steam-cleaning and using shampoo is essentially the same thing, it’s about the way the carpet is cleaned that’s different. With a steam-cleaner, you’re utilizing pressure, hot water, and shampoo. In the traditional way, hot water and shampoo are used with a variety tools. Some of these tools are listed below:
- Carpet rake
- Defoamer
- Stain-remover
- Air-Scrubber
- Industrial-Blower
- Vacuum
The traditional method that involves more tools should (in theory) get better results, as there are more tools being utilized to perform different tasks. But this isn’t always the case. A professional rug cleaner can be a whiz with their steam-cleaner and know how to get the absolute most out of it to achieve amazing results, whereas a lackluster follower of the traditional cleaning method could be unskilled, and therefore achieve only a fraction of what the steam-cleaner can do.
Is Steam-Cleaning a Carpet Expensive?
Professional carpet steam-cleaning can cost anywhere from $100 to $300. A lot of factors determine how much the price of steam-cleaning is. For example, if you have an old and exotic rug that requires a lot of attention to detail, then you’ll probably be paying on the higher end for steam-cleaning. A rug’s size will also determine the price. The larger the rug, the more labor and cleaning products are needed to make it spotless and sanitary. Steam-cleaning a rug is similarly priced to services that don’t utilize a steam-cleaner.
How Long Does It Take To Steam-Clean a Carpet?
A thorough, professional carpet steam cleaning can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The size of the rug and how dirty it is will largely determine how long it takes. Also the style and makeup of the rug will play a role in determining how long cleaning takes. For example, a hand-woven Persian wool rug will take longer to clean than a rug that’s made of polyester.
Do You Need a Professional to Steam-Clean a Carpet?
While it’s true a DIYer can purchase a steam-cleaner and clean their carpet with it, they won’t be able to utilize this machine as a professional would. Professionals possess the cleaning products, auxiliary tools, and know-how needed to thoroughly clean any kind of rug with a steam-cleaner.
Call us at (917) 920-7271 when you’re in the market for carpet cleaning in Red Bank. This is what our oriental carpet cleaning experts specialize in, and we’ll do whatever it takes to make your carpet look like it was just purchased the other day.