It’s finally the time of the year that you get to give a professional cleaning to the carpets and rugs at your house, but you are hit with confusion by choosing between dry carpet cleaning and steam cleaning.
Your local residential carpet cleaning services are likely to provide both of the cleaning methods but it is up to you to choose the one that suits your needs best. To understand the differences between dry carpet cleaning and steam cleaning, you have first learned about the process of both.
Cleaning Process (Dry Carpet Cleaning VS Steam Carpet Cleaning)
There are four main cleaning methods of dry carpet cleaning are:
- Dry Foams
- Bonnet Pads
- Oscillating Pads
- Dry Compounds
Dry carpet cleaning requires the use of minimal water that provides moisture just enough to carry the dried chemicals out of the fibers of the carpet.
There are two main cleaning methods for steam cleaning of carpets that are:
- Truck Mount
- Portable Extraction
Steam cleaning involves the use of high pressure and high-temperature water that is passed through the fabrics of your carpets to provide a deep clean.
Features Of The Cleaning Methods
steam carpet cleaning
Here is a brief description of some merits and demerits of both the cleaning methods that shall help you choose the one that matches your needs.
Dry Carpet Cleaning
- It is a quick cleaning method that can have your carpet cleaned and ready to use within an hour. It is so because the water is not soaked into the carpet but provided just enough to support the dry chemicals to be vacuumed.
- It is the most affordable method of carpet cleaning. Most of the products used like shampoos are easily available in the market and can be kept for use for another time in the future.
- Because of the simple cleaning process and fewer complications involved, you can choose to do the cleaning by yourself. If your budget is too tight to hire a professional machine, you can put a vacuum cleaner to work and have it done by yourself with ease.
- It is very effective in removing stains and odors from the carpet, but the only drawback is that it has your carpet exposed to chemicals for a longer duration of time. You may even have the residue of shampoo or chemicals left in your carpet when not using professional grade machinery.
Steam Carpet Cleaning
- Steam cleaning of your carpets provides a much deeper cleaning for your carpets as compared to dry cleaning. As high pressured hot water is soaked into your carpets, it reaches the deepest parts of the fabrics loosening them up to release any trapped particles of dirt.
- Deep cleaning of your carpets gives you fewer choices and flexibility in carrying it out. It requires professional machinery and skill to do, which makes it impossible for you to carry it out on your own.
- It is a much lengthier process as compared to dry cleaning. It can take up an entire week to completely dry out because of the water that has been soaked into it.
- Despite the most compelling feature of a deeper cleaning process, this does not gain high popularity because of its expensive prices. Steam cleaning of your carpets can cost you several times the price of dry carpet cleaning.
- Steam cleaning of carpets also proves to be less effective against stains and odors in your carpets.
Conclusion
It all comes down to the personal preference of a homeowner to what type of cleaning method he finds most suitable. Some homeowners may want to have a deep cleaning for the expensive and exotic pieces, whereas most homeowners would be more interested in saving extra cash and opting for the affordable way.
Another factor that is also very important to consider before closing down your options on either dry cleaning or steam cleaning for your carpets is to check what has been recommended by the manufacturer. You can find a tag on the lower side of your carpets at either one of the sides that clearly states out the preferred means of cleaning.