There are numerous approaches you can take when cleaning carpets and upholstery. The purpose of the cleaning (is it a general clean or are there specific stains which you want to remove) as well as the type of material you are working with will dictate the best cleaning method to use. If you are the housekeeping type you might be considering doing it yourself but people such as me (I’m lazy) prefer to use a professional service. Here are some basic tips to follow when cleaning carpets, rugs and upholstery.
Types of Carpet Cleaning.
Basically there are five basic methods of cleaning carpets namely, steaming, shampooing, dry foam,quick dry, and dry absorbent compound cleaning.
Steam is the most well known of all the common methods but this is not always ideal because of the long drying time (sometimes over 12 hours depending on the material). By lightly wetting the carpet with a cleaning detergent, the steam cleaner then sucks out the debris with a high powered vacuum.
You can get various different types of shampoo cleaning machines. Many look like an upright vacuum cleaner except that they have two nylon bristle brushes as attachments underneath and a tank which contains the cleaning fluid. The process is similar to that of somebody sitting on their knees with a brush as the carpet is scrubbed with the nylon brushes which loosens the dirt which is then vacuumed when the carpet is dry which, the same as the hot water extraction or steam method, is about 12 hours.
Cleaning using the quick dry method may actually seem to be the same as carpet shampooing but the machine is slightly different in that, instead of brushes, it uses a couple of absorbent pads. A quick dry cleaning detergent is first spread over the carpet and then the machine buffs the carpet clean by absorbing the detergent as well as the dirt. The process is similar to buffing your tiled floors. It takes about an hour to dry so this method is ideal for high traffic areas.
If you are looking for a method that is between steam cleaning and shampooing then dry foam cleaning is the answer. Foam is distributed over the carpet using a machine which has rolling brushes after which the carpet is sucked clean using the standard carpet vacuum cleaner. It only takes an hour or two to dry.
A dry, absorbent compound which contains various solvents and detergents are spread lightly over the carpet. Either you, or the professional carpet cleaner you hire, will use a machine which works the powder into the carpet fibers after which you need to let some time go by while the powder absorbs the dirt and smells. After a short while (depending on the brand of powder you use), vacuum the carpet so that it removes the remainder of the powder. Since no water is ever used on the carpet there is no need for any drying time.
How to clean upholstery
The determining factor when choosing the best method to clean upholstery is the type of material to be cleaned. Some, for example, can only be dry cleaned (velvets and silks) and the cleaning is best left to a professional while other stronger materials can be wet cleaned. The steam method or hot extraction method is the same as what you would use on your carpets. The only difference is that the nozzle is a smaller, hand held version. You can also hand shampoo most fabrics but it is advisable to shake the cleaning solution and only apply the foam using a damp sponge.
Identifying Upholstery
When it comes to cleaning fabric furniture, most people don’t know what the best method to use should be. Search for the manufacturer’s instructions label. You should find it lurking at the bottom of one or all of the cushions and this should contain the manufactures suggestions, warnings and instructions. Apart from all the other images and text, look out for one of three codes: ‘S’, ‘W’ or ‘SW’. ‘W’ indicates that wet cleaning is permissible while the ‘S’ states that the material should only be dry cleaned. ‘SW’ indicates that the material is suitable for both wet and dry cleaning methods.
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