3 Methods of Do-it-Yourself Carpet Cleaning

Most carpet manufacturers discourage the idea to clean your carpets by yourself because of the problems that can occur as a result of incorrect procedures. However many people prefer to engage in this task by the “do it yourself” method. It is quite normal to want to lay down basic care for each carpet that we purchased and laid. But in some cases the manufacturer’s warranty may be waived, if it was cleaned improperly.

Some problems may occur as a result of carpet cleaning services procedures that we perform ourselves. We must watch out for these problems and follow instructions carefully. Failure to do so could encourage the growth of mould and mildew or break the back of the carpet. The two most common problems associated with carpet cleaning when cleaning without professional help, are waterlogging and excessive use of detergents.

Ideally, the carpet should be dry within eight hours. If it remains wet for more than twelve hours it may develop fungus growth and obtain a mould. If the carpet is still very wet a vacuum cleaner with a water filter can be used to remove excess moisture. Then you can use a hairdryer to speed up the drying time. It is desirable that heating, ventilation and air conditioning system are included while carpets are completely dry.

Excessive use of detergents (chemical compounds with high surface activity of washing, disinfecting or dissolving action) is another common problem when trying to clean the carpet yourself. Exceeding the amount of detergent than the recommended proportion of solution does not increase the effectiveness of washing them. When using a stronger concentration than recommended it may lead to remaining product residues in the carpet, which consequently is a prerequisite for faster “aging”.

Other negatives associated with home carpet cleaning are: incorrectly used cleaning products – some may contain chemicals that remove only spots, many contain bleaching agents that can damage the fibres if the washing is done incorrectly. You should never use washing powder as a cleaning product. Why? Because most detergents contain brighteners.

There are five accepted methods for cleaning carpets, but only three are suitable for cleaning at home. Furthermore, if done professionally cleaning should be done only by these three methods.

Cleaning with hot water.

This is among the most popular methods among consumers who clean their own carpets. There are many carpet steam cleaners (hot water extraction) on the market, which are available to consumers. It should be borne in mind that the results of cleaning are different, depending on the procedure used and the degree of the pollution of the carpet.

Home appliances and cleaning systems, running with water, allow relatively high quality carpet cleaning, the results can be improved if we choose products with high quality and apply the product directly on the carpet by using special nozzles. The carpet cleaning product can remain on the carpet for 5-7 minutes, then it must be cleaned.

Dry cleaning with powder

Another popular method for carpet cleaning is the use of dry absorbent product, i.e. dry cleaning. This method of cleaning is not meant to restore the carpet, it is designed to be used several times a year to maintain the appearance of the carpet, instead of trying to restore its form after presence of pollution. Special powder is an organic material which is saturated with dry detergents and solvents. The mixture is applied on the fibres of the carpet and then removed with a vacuum cleaner together with the absorbed dirty particles.

Cleaning with foam.

This is another way to clean carpets, but this method can give limited results unless cleaning is not professional – using a carpet cleaning specialist. The key lies in the equipment. Cleaning companies have modern professional equipment and it’s no problem for them to achieve wonderful results in overall cleaning. However, when sanitizing the home ourselves, the results may be less satisfying. In most case the common method works like this: the foam is applied to the fibres of the carpet, spread with brushes and cleaned with a special vacuum cleaner.