Finding a carpet cleaner is often confusing because there are so many different methods offered. It is very hard to judge one company from another if they are using totally different methods to clean your carpet. Knowing the difference between these methods will help you better understand how to get the best cleaning for your carpet.
One of the lesser used methods to clean carpet is the dry method. Dry carpet cleaning methods are often used in commercial carpet cleaning; however, some companies will also utilize them in residential homes. Usually, a compound is sprinkled on the carpet and raked in. This compound is allowed to absorb soil and dries. After it has dried it is vacuumed up. In theory, the soil is encapsulated by the compound and removed through vacuuming. The problem with this method is that not all of the compound is always vacuumed up. This compound may be left behind to attract more soil and make the carpet look dirty faster.
Traditional steam cleaning has been around for many years. The majority of carpet cleaners will utilize this method of cleaning. More often than not, they will have a truck-mounted unit in conjunction with a traditional floor wand. Traditional steam cleaning uses high heat along with high water pressure to literally blow the soil off fibers and attempt to vacuum it up. The problem with traditional steam cleaning is that often drives the soil into the backing of the carpet, making it harder to remove with vacuum.
Finally, many carpet cleaners these days will describe their cleaning methods as low moisture cleaning. Low moisture may include methods such as bonnet cleaning. With bonnet cleaning a cleaning solution is sprayed on the carpet and allowed to dwell for 15 to 20 minutes. Then cotton pads are used on a machine to absorb the cleaning solution. Other low moisture cleaners may use truck-mounted carpet cleaning machines in conjunction with special floor machines that do not use as much cleaning solution as traditional carpet cleaning wands. These cleaners often are able to utilize much less moisture because of increased agitation with the floor machine.
