Carpet is such a wonderful addition to any Brisbane home but just like all textile products, the beauty and life of a carpet hugely depends on proper cleaning and maintenance. Generally, proper carpet care involves regular vacuuming and cleaning using these methods: shampooing, foam cleaning, dry cleaning, bonnet cleaning, and steam cleaning or hot water extraction.

Now, the question is, which one of these methods deliver the best results?

Most carpet manufacturers, including professional carpeting and cleaning organisations, are unanimous with their answers. They deem that steam cleaning or hot water extraction is the most thorough way to clean even the dirtiest carpet. Steam cleaning is the most common technique used by professionals. In fact the Australian Standard even states that other methods are only interim cleaning methods and that hot water extraction is the primary method.

Steam cleaning uses a hot water cleaning solution that is sprayed on the carpet via a high pressure jet spray. A truck-mounted or portable machine is then used to thoroughly extract the solution (together with the dissolved dirt). However, note that the truck-mounted equipment is more powerful than the portable one and should be used where possible.

Steam cleaning also consists of a number of phases—from pre-vacuuming to eliminate the dry soils in the carpet before wetting and turning to mud, treating stains and spots (if any), pre-spraying with a cleaning solution, agitation (hand or machine operated) of the cleaning solution into the carpet, hot water extraction, rinsing with a neutralising aid, and speed drying.

But why is it considered the best? Because only steam cleaning does the following:

• The high amount of heat it emits kills bacteria, molds, fungus, and dust mites, making it the most hygienic process to clean carpets.
• It doesn’t leave any residue if done correctly, making your carpet soft, fresh and clean.
• It is the only method that has the vacuuming process used the entire time which means more “nasties” are removed from your carpet.

As we all know, carpets are very expensive—so you want them to always be in great condition and to last as long as possible.

Highly recommended by professionals, steam carpet cleaning is the best way for you to maintain your valuable investment in soft floor coverings.

Bye for now.

From Mark the Brisbane carpet cleaner.