Carpet cleaning is generally taken synonymous to the steam cleaning, also referred to as the water extractions, however there are actually five different methods of carpet cleaning, namely foam cleaning, shampoo method, bonnet cleaning, dry methods and lastly the steam cleaning.
Foam Cleaning: Foam cleaning can be used as a part of the maintenance process of the carpets especially in the areas which experience heavy rush of people. This method is an amalgamation of the dry cleaning and shampooing. With the help of a machine buffer, you can release the shampoo onto the surface of the carpet while the brush works though the fibers to spread the shampoo, minimal amount of water is also used. After this you have to wait for a couple of hours before the shampoo dries up and then vacuum the whole carpet thoroughly so that all the dirt, shampoo and water is extracted out from the carpet, leaving it nice and clean
Shampoo Method: in the method a shampoo containing brighteners and deodorizers is poured onto the brush of the buffer and is worked into the carpet, after the shampoo has been properly spread then the carpet is buffed portion by portion just like one would buff the floor. A small area is to be cleaned at a time and you might even have to go over it repeatedly, the corners and edges are cleaned by the hand only. To finish the task you will have to vacuum the carpet, to extract out all the shampoo however not all of it does get drawn out. This is the least effective method of cleaning, the brighteners in the carpet just give it an illusion of being clean however most of the dirt still remains inside and the shampoo residue left as a result of the cleaning, makes matters worse by attracting more dirt eventually.
Bonnet Cleaning: Best suited for the commercial establishments rather than at homes, bonnet cleaning doesn’t really go well with the materials that most home carpets are made of. In this case shampoo is applied to the carpet and the bonnet is placed at the base of the buffer and this is used over the carpet to absorb the dirt and soil, as you see the bonnet getting dirtier you will get proof of the cleaning of the carpet, keep using the same bonnet as long as you can eventually replacing it. Finish the task by vacuuming the carpet.
Steam Cleaning: this is the most effective cleaning method which actually ‘cleans’ it in terms of removing the dirt and the micro-organisms, it also leaves the carpet looking as good as new and smelling fresh. A special machine is used to douse the carpet in a mixture of hot water and detergent, this mixture is then extracted out by the vacuum cleaner.
Dry Methods: It’s the ‘quickest’ way to a clean carpet, just as the name suggests, there is no water used hence no time required for the carpet to dry out. It’s a three step procedure, first sprinkle the carpets with a dry powder which acts as the cleaner and let it be for 15 minutes, work it through with a buffer and then vacuum to get the powder plus the dirt out. However not all the powder does get extracted and the residual eventually attracts more dirt and the final cleaning has to be with the steam method only.
