Carpet And Upholstery Cleaning.
There are various ways to approach carpet and upholstery cleaning. The kind of material as well as the reason you are cleaning it will determine which specific method you will use Regardless of whether you are planning on using a professional carpet cleaning service or you feel energetic enough to do it yourself, here are some of the basics on cleaning upholstery, rugs and carpets
Methods of cleaning carpets
In a nutshell there are five general methods of cleaning: hot water extraction (steam cleaning), shampooing, quick dry (bonnet), dry foam and dry absorbent compound cleaning.
Hot water extraction (steam) is often the most common of all the normally used methods but since the drying time can be up to 12 hours depending on the material, this is not always the best solution. A strong pump sprays a cleaning solution on to the carpet or rug which then gets sucked out with all the dirt by a powerful vacuum.
There are many different types of carpet shampoo machines available on the market. Many of them stand upright with a tank for the solution and a couple of nylon brushes underneath. If you can imagine somebody manually cleaning with a scrubbing brush, this is basically the same that happens with a machine. The carpet is scoured with the nylon brushes loosening the dirt which is then vacuumed up later after the carpet has dried. This method has the same unfortunate downside in that it can take over 12 hours for the carpet to dry
Cleaning using the quick dry method may actually seem to be the same as carpet shampooing but the machine is slightly different in that, instead of brushes, it uses a couple of absorbent pads. A quick dry cleaning detergent is first spread over the carpet and then the machine buffs the carpet clean by absorbing the detergent as well as the dirt. The process is similar to buffing your tiled floors. It takes about an hour to dry so this method is ideal for high traffic areas.
If you are looking for a method that is between steam cleaning and shampooing then dry foam cleaning is the answer. Foam is distributed over the carpet using a machine which has rolling brushes after which the carpet is sucked clean using the standard carpet vacuum cleaner. It only takes an hour or two to dry.
Dry absorbent compound is a powder which contains solvents and detergents, which are spread lightly on the carpet. You, or the professional you hire, uses a machine which scrubs the mixture into the carpet fibers and the carpet is left to stand for a bit. After a little wait, the vacuum cleaner is then used to suck up the compound (which has by now absorbed all the dirt) as a result the carpet stays as dry as it was when you started. This is probably the best method to use if you have thick carpets which can go moldy underneath if they stay wet for too long.
Options for cleaning upholstery
The upholstery fabric is what normally determines what kind of cleaning method will be used. Velvets and silks, for example, can only be dry cleaned and, unless you really know what you are doing, is best left to an upholstery cleaning professional. Other more durable fabrics can be steam cleaned similar to carpets as they do not suffer any side effects from getting wet. The hot extraction method (steam cleaning) is identical to that which is used for carpets except that the nozzle is a small, hand held version. Hand shampooing can also be used but instead of using a machine the cleaning fluid is agitated into a foam and this foam is then applied to the fabric using a sponge.
Identifying the upholstery material
Many people are unaware of the best method to choose when cleaning furniture. In many cases you should find a label (possibly on the underside of one of the cushions) which will state the manufactures instructions, suggestions and warning. The most important thing to look out for is the code, either right at the top or right at the bottom of the label with either a ‘S’, ‘W’ or ‘SW’. ‘S’ indicates that the fabric should be dry cleaned while wet cleaning is indicated with the ‘W’. Materials which can be both wet and dry cleaned are indicated by the ‘SW
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