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Most carpet manufacturers recommend professional cleaning versus "Do-It-Yourself" for a variety of reasons. Which system you chose depends on factors such as the carpet material, type of pile, wear, tear and the amount of soiling. Some systems leave residues which promote re-soiling and defeat the whole purpose of cleaning. Some methods can actually damage the carpet fibers and shorten the life of the carpet. Check with the carpet manufacturer for recommendations. For a typical household most manufacturers recommend that carpet be professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months depending upon the number in the household, amount and type of activity, and whether the carpet is light or dark. You should try to clean the carpets before they become too heavily soiled. In spite of beliefs to the contrary, frequent cleaning will not cause the carpets to re-soil faster unless you use a method which leaves a dirt-attracting residue. The consensus of manufacturers and professional cleaners is that do-it-yourself methods work best as temporary treatments for high traffic or spill areas between professional cleanings. In general, there are four basic methods for cleaning carpet: * Carpet Shampooing * Dry Chemical or Foam * Bonnet or Adsorbent Pad * Hot Water Extraction or Steam Cleaning. Shampoo: A wet shampoo/detergent solution is scrubbed onto the carpet through openings in a rotary brush, whose turning converts the solution into foam and works it into the carpet. Once dry, most residue containing loose, encapsulated soil is vacuumed to remove it (although often dirt attracting residue remains). Chemicals may be added to the shampoo solution to reduce odors, retard soiling, brighten colors and/or speed drying which may also leave a residue. Sometimes this method is combined with Hot Water Extraction using water rather than a detergent solution to remove shampoo. Although more expensive this method is especially effective for cleaning highly soiled carpets, with heavy oil/soil build-up. Dry Methods Dry methods use dry chemicals or dry foams and are generally best for public or high traffic areas where a more thorough wetting could be a problem and they are typically used with periodic with deep cleanings. "Dry" is often a misnomer since quite some dampness may be involved. The process is fairly simple. First, because this method does not reach as deeply into the carpet fibers as a wet method, vacuum thoroughly. You might consider renting a commercial vacuum if yours is not very powerful (not only to pre-clean, but also to extract the dried foam and soil). If the carpet is heavily soiled you may wish to use a pre-conditioner to help clean it. Then the chemicals are dusted into the carpet and worked in by brushing a number of times in different directions with a brushing machine. After a short period of drying, usually about an hour, the entire carpet and floor surface are vacuumed. Bonnet or Adsorbent Pad Method The Absorbent Pad method of cleaning (often called bonnet cleaning) is similar to the Shampoo Method. It uses an absorbent pad ('bonnet') attached to the bottom of a rotary machine. A detergent solution is sprayed onto the carpet and the rotary pad is used to agitate and remove the soil suspended in the solution from the carpet. When one side of the pad gets soiled it can be reversed. And when both sides are soiled, the pad can be replaced and later cleaned. Often, his method is used in regular maintenance of commercial buildings. Like the dry methods, Adsorbent Pad cleaning does not wet the carpet fibers completely and dies relatively quickly. Hot Water Extraction or Steam Cleaning As with other methods you'll get the best results if the carpet is thoroughly vacuumed and pre-treated, if necessary, prior to cleaning. In recent years the most effective steam cleaning method appears to be truck-mounted units. Either portable or truck-mounted equipment is used to spray heated detergent solution into the carpet pile at a high pressure and immediately extracted along with the suspended soil particles. The machine may employ rotary brushes or another agitating device to work the solution into the pile and loosen soil. Results may vary. One reason truck mounted units function more effectively than portable units do is that they are powered by the truck's engine and not your residential electric supply. For the same treatment, our team offer steam cleaning using truck mounted units. See our main page for more information: carpet cleaning auckland
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