Whether you are planning to sell your home or if you just want to freshen up your living area, he appearance of the carpet in a home are one of the first things noticed. Having your carpets professionally cleaned is an easy, cost effective way to give your house a face lift before showing it to prospective buyers. Stains and worn traffic areas can cause potential buyers to rethink the home and the thought of having to replace the carpet can cause them to walk away. If it is not in your budget to replace your flooring, having your carpets cleaned by a professional can do wonders by removing stains as well as lifting the nap of the carpet to reduce the traffic wear and giving it a fresh look.
There are many different options you have when looking for a professional to clean your carpets, below are some of the methods available. Contact a professional in your area you are not certain which method is best for your style of carpet.
Hot Water Extraction or "Steam" Cleaning
This is the most common method where a cleaning solution is sprayed on the carpet and immediately extracted (along with the dissolved soil) by a wet vacuum. Extraction equipment can be portable or truck-mounted, the latter being more powerful in terms of spray pressure, heating capabilities and power of the vacuum pumps. Hot water extraction is often referred to as "steam" cleaning and is considered by many carpet manufacturers as the most thorough method. Drying time is generally between 4 to 6 hours.
Dry Cleaning
The dry cleaning method of cleaning carpets is when the cleaning agent, an absorbent dry compound (containing solvents and detergents) is sprinkled on the carpet and worked into the pile by a machine. It is vacuumed off after about half an hour, removing the soil suspended by the compound. Many companies offer organic, natural materials when cleaning. Drying time if any is usually less than 1 hour.
Foam Cleaning
This system uses detergent in the form of a foam. A machine generates a foam, which is agitated on the carpet by brushes. The foam is then removed, with trapped soil, by an extraction-vacuum pickup.
Bonnet Cleaning
With this method of cleaning, a bonnet is placed at the base of a buffer. It is dipped into a shampoo solution first and then it will go over the carpet, just as if buffing a floor. The bonnet starts to get soiled. This means it is actually removing dirt from the carpet. It is usually rinsed out and this is continued until the dirt is removed. The carpets are vacuumed once the carpets are dry. Drying time is usually 30 minutes.