Carpet Cleaning 101: How Does Carpet Cleaning Work?

Your carpets may look fine on the surface but underneath that is a trail of bacteria and pet fur the likes nobody has ever seen. You can get some of the dirt and debris up with a vacuum but not all of it is going to get sucked in. You need something that’s a little more thorough.

How does carpet cleaning work? The process is a lot simpler than you think and while it’s easy enough to do yourself, you might want to consider hiring a professional.

Check out this guide to learn everything you need to know to get your carpets looking brand-new again.

---

Why Do Carpets Need to be Cleaned?

The upside of having a carpet is that it looks nice. The downside is that it gets dirty pretty fast depending on the material that it's made out of. We'll give you a few examples. 

Twisted carpet fibers can catch a ton of pet hair and dirt. The regular old vacuum that you have laying around in the corner isn't going to be powerful enough to get everything out.

Nylon carpets are nifty because water and dirt bounce off of them. The same can't be said about carpets that are made out of cotton. They absorb spills and stain easily.

---

Basics of Carpet Cleaning

Now that you know how your carpets trap in so much dirt, hair, and liquid, it's time to learn more about the process. Here's what happens when you run a carpet cleaner over your floors.

Spray
The first thing the carpet cleaner does is distribute your cleaner deep within the carpet's fibers. This will get the floor wet enough to loosen up any dirt particles and stains. 

As far as what kind of cleaner it's injecting into your carpet, that's all up to your personal preference and needs. There are a lot of different solutions out there. For example, if you have pets, you might want to pick up one that's specially made to tackle pet odors. 

Scrub
Next, the carpet cleaner will scrub the cleaner into the carpet and lift out the stain. Some cleaners have rotating brushes that massage the fibers and bring the dirt to the surface. 

Spot cleaners aren't quite as fancy. They don't use rotating brushes but they do have a tool that will allow the user to do the scrubbing manually. As the name suggests, these cleaners are fine for treating a small section of your carpet but trying to use it for the entire floor is exhausting. 

Suction
The last step of the process is suction. This is the part where the cleaner lifts all the water out of your carpet and takes the dirt with it. 

When you start to see foggy, muddy water appear in the tank, you know that the carpet cleaner is doing its job. It won't be long until your carpets look brand-new again.

---

Steam Cleaning

Often times the terms carpet cleaner and steam cleaner are used interchangeably but they can't be more different. Steam cleaners use hot water vapor to clean floors. There are some pros and cons to using one. 

We will say that the hot steam does a great job of destroying the bonds that hold dirt together. It goes down a lot deeper into the carpet fibers as well. 

The heat can also kill any bacteria, dust mites, and mold that you might have resting in the fibers and it doesn't use the same harsh chemicals that carpet cleaners use. 

Here's the problem. Steam cleaners work best on hard floors. You can use it on your carpet but the hot steam can do some serious damage to carpet fibers if you're not careful. 

If you want to have the benefits of heat without hurting your carpet, fill up your carpet cleaner's tank with warm water. It will suit your needs just as well.

---

How Often Should You Have Your Carpets Cleaned?

You don't have to get your carpets cleaned too often unless a serious accident happens. Providing you don't need an emergency clean up, you only need to do a thorough clean every 12 months or so. You can push it back as far as 18 if you need to. 

This will be enough to keep your carpets ready to impress your guests and push back the amount of time you have before you have to replace your floors.

---

Is DIY Carpet Cleaning Worth it? 

So, now that you know more about how to clean your carpets, can't you do it yourself? The answer is yes. You can rent a professional-grade carpet cleaner and do the job on your own. 

There is a catch. As you know, not all carpets are built the same. Floors that are made with silky materials are delicate and easily damaged. 

If you don't know the proper technique for handling them, you'll ruin them. Carpet cleaning professionals have the experience necessary to get them sparkling without hurting them.

If you do it and leave your carpets even the slightest bit damp, mold will form. If your carpets already have mold, a professional will know how to deal with it. 

Some of the harsh cleaners in the store can ruin a carpet depending on what it's made out of. A professional can look at a carpet and know exactly what kind of solutions will or will not work on it.

How Does Carpet Cleaning Work? Your Complete Guide 

Even if your carpets look clean, they're most likely not. Deep within the fibers hides pet hair and other allergens that your household vacuum can't get rid of. The only thing that can help is a carpet cleaner. 

How does carpet cleaning work? It distributes cleaner into the fibers of your carpet, loosens up dirt and debris, and sucks it up into the tank. 

It sounds simple enough but if you don't do it right, you may damage your carpet. If you're scared about that happening to you, we can take care of it. Contact us to get a free quote on our services.