Carpet Cleaning: Calling in the Specialists

With modern vacuum cleaner technology, calling in carpet cleaning specialists might be the furthest thing from your mind, especially if you have ‘shelled out’ for that new Dyson!

There are, of course, times when calling in carpet cleaning specialists, such as Cleaner Cleaner LTD, is the only option. From not knowing how to handle spills or not having enough time to do a thorough cleaning job are two that immediately come to mind.

Whatever the reasons, if you are going to be calling in the specialists, it is helpful to know as much about their processes as possible to ensure you engage the right company and get the job you want done in as efficiently as possible manner.

Why Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned?

There are a lot of valid reasons as to why employing a specialist carpet cleaning firm is a good idea. The obvious, most likely reason, is generally the appearance of stains or marks on a carpet that your conventional cleaner can’t handle, but this is actually just the tip of the iceberg..

Time can also play a considerable role, as can cost. Believe it or not there are occasions when using a carpet cleaning company is the most economical option. Finally, there is the issue of just how well, despite the advances in technology, that a conventional hoover can clean.

Stains and Marks

A wine stain, a child drawing on the carpet, or a pet accident are some of the main causes of marks and stains on carpets. Generally getting rid of these marks is a challenge using over-the-counter remedies. At best they will probably only do a partial job.

If you want the marks and stains gone and the carpet looking like it was just laid, then you will almost certainly have to call in a specialist cleaner. They have access to industrial chemicals that will solve the problem.

Time and Cost

Time and cost are two good reasons why you might need to consider using a professional carpet cleaner. Three regular situations that immediately come to mind are when a landlord is looking to turn over a let quickly, a house sale, or in a commercial property needing a regular office clean.

In each of these scenarios, it could well be cheaper to employ the services of a good carpet cleaning firm as the economic loss from delaying could be considerably greater.

Deep Cleaning

The truth is that conventional vacuum cleaners only really do a superficial job. What lies beneath this clean is what should concern you. Normal vacuuming fails to deal with embedded bacteria and allergens, which can provide irritation and, in some cases, danger to humans or pets.

Employing a specialist carpet cleaner to come in and carry out a deep clean every three to four months can be an effective way of ensuring that this isn’t a problem. A deep clean will remove the allergens and bacteria that live in the carpet as well as helping improve the lifespan of the carpet.

What Are the Main Cleaning Methods Used by Specialist Carpet Cleaners

Cleaning carpets can involve several different processes. The cleaning process right for a carpet can depend upon a number of varied factors, which can include the nature of the required cleaning, the material that the carpet yarn is constructed from, and the age and delicacy of the carpet pile in question.

There are three main cleaning techniques that are most widely used. The first is the hot water extraction method, the second, the low moisture system, and lastly the dry granule carpet cleaning method. While all the methods work well, there are specific instances, usually involving the material and stability of the carpet, where you would look to use a specific method.

Hot Water Extraction Method

Hot water extraction is the most usual method of cleaning that you will come across when employing carpet cleaning specialists. Its popularity as the main cleaning system is manifold, but the central reason is that it is usually the fastest and often the most effective way to clean your carpet thoroughly.

In the simplest terms, the hot water extraction method involves agitating a hot cleaning solution into the fibers and primary backing, the part of the carpet onto which the yarn tufts are sewn. The solution is heated to a temperature of around 80-90 degrees centigrade before being released at high pressure into the carpet fibers through a stainless steel nozzle.

Drying Time and Air Movers

While the cleaning process itself can be very quick, the carpet needs time to dry. A considerable volume of solution will often need to be applied, especially if the carpet is particularly dirty or has a very deep pile.

As the process is water-reliant, drying times tend to be around 4 hours on average but can occasionally be as long as 8 hours. However, the drying time can be lessened if air movers are employed. These devices increase air circulation across the pile after cleaning, shortening the time by around a third or even a half, bringing it down to between 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Benefits of Using Hot Water Extraction

The benefits of using a hot water extraction system are considerable. When done well, the effect of this cleaning system is quite startling, with years of dirt being removed, often leaving the carpet looking almost brand new.

The benefits are broader than just the end look. Hot water extraction tends to be far better at not just removing dirt but also eliminating bacteria and allergens that lurk deep in the pile of most carpets that are immune to general vacuuming processes. Most Bacteria that can threaten humans are destroyed at around 68 degrees centigrade, so these are eradicated because of the high heat of the cleaning solution.

The other significant benefit is the actual time taken to complete the cleaning process. Hot water extraction is a much faster actual cleaning process than the other standard processes used by carpet cleaners.

Very Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning

Very low moisture (VLM) carpet cleaning looks to reduce the drying time of the carpet cleaning process. There are several different forms of very low moisture clean with the encapsulation processing being the most widely used.

The encapsulation process uses a series of chemicals in a cleaning solution that is fed through a feed sprayer adapter. The chemicals efficiently surround the dirt and cause it to be trapped. At the same time, a series of brushes and fiber pads pass through the carpet pile, scouring it to produce a clean.

Benefits of Using Very Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning

The VLM method’s main advantage is that drying time is drastically reduced after the cleaning. Drying times can be reduced to between as little as 30 and 90 minutes. This is substantially shorter than the 4-8 hrs when using the more common hot water extraction system, effectively putting your carpet out of action for a third of the day, which is only sometimes practicable in a busy household.

The disadvantage is the scouring process being that the carpet needs to be relatively tough and resilient. For this reason, the VLM method is generally used in commercial premises and office spaces where a more robust carpet pile is often found. However, the speed of the drying time has made it increasingly popular in residential scenarios.

Dry Carpet Cleaning

The third method that you are most likely to come across when hiring a carpet cleaning specialist is dry granule cleaning. This completely moisture-free process uses a dry powder or a dry solvent cleaning agent to clean the carpet.

This particular method is generally reserved for fragile or delicate carpets that might struggle with the friction that is created with the hot water extraction or VLM methods. It can take longer to accomplish the actual cleaning but it benefits from the fact that there is no drying time involved.

Specialized Equipment Used

With all these different methods, you will find that specialist equipment is needed to actually carry out the cleaning process. The equipment will vary from process to process with the better cleaning firms being able to access the equipment for each different method.

The better firms will have their principal equipment van or truck mounted cleaning machines. These, particularly in the case of hot water extraction machines, are much more powerful but, because of their size, are not designed to be dragged through residential properties.

Instead, these machines use a system of expandable hoses to reach all the areas of a property, with the cleaning solution being mixed, heated, and delivered, under pressure, from the machine inside the van.

What Carpet Cleaning Can’t Do

We have looked at what specialist carpet cleaners can do, but it serves a purpose to be aware of what they are not going to be able to achieve.

The difference that a professional carpet cleaning firm can make to the look and condition of your rugs and carpets is undoubted. However, their cleaning machines are not magic wands.

Carpet cleaners can deal with the dirt, but they cannot turn back time on damage. If your carpet has suffered acid burns or had cigarette holes, then expecting the carpet to suddenly recover is wishful thinking.

Unfortunately, a damaged rug or carpet is going to need a friendly repair specialist rather than a carpet cleaning company. That doesn’t mean it is not worth asking the cleaning company, as the chances are they will probably be able to point you in the right direction.

Conclusion

Calling in a carpet cleaning specialist should be given more consideration than it often is. While sometimes it is obvious such as getting a stain or mark removed from the carpet, other times it is less so when you are unaware of how superficial the cleaning of a domestic vacuum is when you get close up.

With a specialist, you also have the advantage of them having the right equipment to ensure your carpets are cleaned well, with the bonus that regular deep cleaning, in the long run, can extend the life of your carpet.