When you need your carpet cleaned, you have many different choices as far as methods go. The most popular method is steam cleaning also known as hot water extraction. This is also the method recommended by most carpet mills and is the method that we recommend.
Why Steam Cleaning?
Steam cleaning is the preferred choice for carpet cleaning for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is that it is the most thorough method on the market. No other method can flush as much soil out of the carpet as steam cleaning, period. The proprietors of dry carpet cleaning businesses like to say that their method is safer on the carpet but this is not the truth. Most dry-cleaning methods rely more on agitation to make up for a lack of high temperature. Heat is necessary to activate chemicals and get the carpet as clean as possible. T A C T, is the theory behind carpet cleaning that is taught to all certified carpet cleaners. It stands for Temperature, Agitation, Chemical and Time. Whenever you reduce one parts of T A C T, you must increase another. Steam cleaning is a balanced system that relies equally on all parts, but dry-cleaning lacks temperature and often time because it does not allow for a pre-spray in many cases. This means it must increase both agitation and chemical which can be potentially damaging to a carpet.
What To Look For?
When looking for a steam carpet cleaner, there are several characteristics that you should look for. First and foremost, you should hire a company that uses a truck mounted steam cleaning system. These systems are much more powerful than portable carpet cleaning it seems that use your home’s electricity for power. Truckmounted machines use either the vans engine or a two, three or four cylinder separate engine. They have much higher heat, often in excess of 200°, and much higher levels of active. Ideally, the carpet cleaner that you choose should also be an owner operated company. There are many great owner operators in this industry that will provide you with a higher level of service. If you cannot find a good owner operated company, look for a company that at least has employees. Avoid companies that use subcontractors. Lastly, higher service that states that everything is included in their price. If the company charges extra for heavily soiled floors or for preconditioning, rest assured that they will try to charge you for the service. A reputable company includes everything needed in a basic cleaning in their price.