Steam Extraction vs Dry Carpet Cleaning
by Rusty Simpson on 11/29/10
One of the first things to think about when hiring a carpet cleaner is whether to use a company with a steam extraction system or a dry carpet cleaner. A common carpet-cleaning misconception is that it could be "bad" to put moisture into your carpet during cleaning.
This idea that it is bad to use moisture when cleaning carpet comes from people who have experienced poorly trained carpet cleaners who leave the carpet too wet. This is why it is important to hire a company with IICRC certified technicians who will use a low-moisture, deep steam extraction system, which is the ONLY system recommended by Mohawk and Shaw Industries (the nation's leading carpet manufacturers). Look for a company that uses a truck-mount system, rather than a portable unit that they bring inside with them. The truck-mount systems usually use a HEPA filter and are healthier for your family as they extract and immediately remove the pollutants from your home.
Dry Carpet Cleaning usually uses a foam or cleaning granules. When using the foam, they must use rotating brushes to remove the foam which can be harmful to your carpet fibers, making them wear and ultimately look dirty faster. Also, many of the vaccums used to extract the foam are not strong enough which can lead to residue being left behind. The idea of using the cleaning granules is that the granules break down and aborb dirt and oils, then they are vaccumed away. Unfortunately, this does not kill harmful dustmites or bacteria that the deep steam extraction can kill.
Deep steam extraction is the only method that "deep cleans" your carpet, and the ONLY way to successfully remove harmful dustmites, toxins, dirt and other materials that sit in your carpet, without leaving residues behind. If you have already used dry cleaning methods in the past, don't worry. A legit IICRC certified company with a Deep Steam Extraction unit should be able to remove residues left behind by other cleanings, as well as the other pollutants. Remember, look for the truck-mounted system!
