Office, Shop and Restaurant Cleaning Services

Pros and Cons of Various Carpet Cleaning Methods

23 April 2018

Enrique Howell

If your home's carpets need a professional cleaning, you might be asked if you want them shampooed, or if you prefer a different cleaning method. To help you make the right choice for your home's flooring, note a few pros and cons of various carpet cleaning methods, other than standard shampooing, that you might consider.

Bonnet cleaning

Bonnet cleaning involves a chemical being sprayed on the carpeting, and then a piece of cloth that looks like a towel is rotated over the carpet's surface. This towel, or bonnet, allows that chemical to be absorbed by the carpet's fibres, and it then removes the chemical and dirt that clings to it.

Bonnet cleaning is good for very light cleaning, as it typically doesn't saturate the full length of carpet fibres, only picking up surface dirt. It's also typically much cheaper than other cleaning methods, so you might consider having this done a few times every year, to prevent dirt from getting ground into the carpet fibres over time.

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning a carpet involves a detergent in powder form that is pushed into the carpet's fibres with a special type of rotating brush. Once this detergent is pressed into the carpet, it attaches to dirt and debris, and is then vacuumed up.

Dry cleaning may not remove mould and mildew that is forming on the carpet's underside or its padding, but it also doesn't require more than a few minutes of drying time after the work is over. Dry cleaning is also typically much less expensive than shampooing, and may be considered more eco-friendly, since it doesn't use water for steaming or extraction.

Steam without shampooing

Steam cleaning without shampooing involves heating and pressurizing water before it is applied to the carpets, and then extracted or vacuumed. This steam will loosen dirt so that it can then removed during the extraction process. This type of cleaning may extract more dirt than a dry cleaning method, and the steam will also help to "fluff up" carpets fibres that are worn down and matted. This carpet cleaning method can also be recommended for those who have sensitivities to chemicals, since there are no shampoos involved.

One drawback to steam cleaning, however, is that someone not experienced or well-qualified in this work may not extract enough of the water used, so that carpets remain wet for some time after the work is over. Ensure you hire a qualified professional who will extract as much water from the carpets as possible, to avoid a long drying time.

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