Carpet Steam Cleaning Vs Hot Water Extraction (Useful Tips)

Looking for carpet steaming or hot water extraction? There are very many methods of cleaning carpets, both traditional and modern methods. Carpets are cleaned so as to remove stains, dirt, sand as well as allergens. Carpets that are kept clean tend to be visually appealing, last longer, and even look healthier compared to those that are poorly maintained. There are many carpet cleaning methods used today and we will focus on two of these many carpet cleaning methods. Hot water extraction versus the steam cleaning method.

Many people refer to hot water extraction as the steaming method and the fact is these two methods are entirely different cleaning methods. For each method, different water temperatures and different cleaning solutions are used. What exactly is the difference between these two cleaning methods?

The major difference between hot water steaming and steam cleaning is simply the temperature of the water used. It has everything to do with science. So if a carpet is a steam cleaned, steam has to be used. Water is first boiled so as to transform it into gas. This means the temperature required for this method has to be over 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

For hot water extraction, only hot water is needed. The water should be hot enough to clean deeply as well as effectively. On the other hand, the water shouldn’t be too hot that it changes into another state of water. It should just be hot enough. That means that the water used for this method should therefore be below 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The hot water extraction method makes use of equipment that sprays hot water which sometimes contains cleaning chemicals on the carpet. This equipment simultaneously vacuums the sprayed water as well as any dissolved dirt.

Most carpet manufacturers recommend the hot water extraction method. The steam method is likely to damage man-made carpet fibers as well as to shrink natural fibers like wool. The equipment used in hot water extraction may be a unit that is portable which is plugged into an electrical outlet or a truck mount carpet cleaner which requires long hoses that go from the truck to the room that requires cleaning.

The truck-mounted equipment reduces noise in the room being cleaned but it can cause noise as well as air pollution which is likely to offend your neighbors. This method, however; happens to be faster and gives better results as compared to portable equipment.

For steam cleaning, detergent-based solutions are used. The surface being cleaned is first saturated and takes about a day to dry up.

Cleaning natural fibers using the hot water extraction method helps prevent shrinkage and is a good way of treating stains as well. Steam cleaning is avoided in this case as it can actually set stains permanently. This cleaning method is recommended for synthetic carpets as opposed to man-made carpets.

As a homeowner, you should be aware of renting extractors and steamers for use at home. If you don’t have the experience using this equipment you can damage your carpet thinking that you are actually cleaning it.

For two of these carpet cleaning methods, there are certain misconceptions that can seriously damage your carpet if you do not avoid them. These misconceptions are:

· You should wait as long as possible to clean your carpet. 
Each and every time you step on your carpet, you tend to grind dirt into your carpet fibers and the longer you wait to have that dirt removed, the more damage you cause your carpet and you also put it in a position to wear out faster.

· You only clean your carpet to only remove dirt. 
Any time you are out of your house you collect bacteria, pollen, and other chemicals which attach themselves may be on your hair, skin, clothing as well as on your shoes. Thanks to gravity all these agents are likely to end up on your carpet. Should you be having breathing problems or any allergies, it could be due to these agents on your carpet. You do not have your carpet cleaned to only remove dirt but these agents as well.

· All carpet cleaning methods are the same. 
Carpet cleaning methods are not all the same. There is a method that is way better than the other and also there is a cleaning method that will be recommended for a certain carpet and not for another. Different carpet cleaning methods use different cleaning agents and also the water used happens to differ in temperature.

· It is best to hire a carpet cleaning company that charges the lowest price. 
There are very many factors to consider before you hire a carpet cleaning company. Have in mind whatever you want to accomplish. If you don’t want so much work done on your carpet, you can even do the job yourself.

You could hire a company whose charges are low and you end up even paying more than was advertised. Before any charges are quoted by whatever company they have to consider the type of carpet being cleaned, the amount of soiling on your carpet, and lastly the number of furniture that has to be moved to have your carpet cleaned

· Right equipment is all that a company needs to properly clean your carpet. 
This is not the case. The company may have the equipment and lack people with experience. People who don’t know how to use the equipment available. The best cleaning companies not only have the right equipment and the best workers.

The above tips will help you take care of your carpet and maintain it in good condition. Prevents your carpet from wearing out and helps keep it pleasing to the air as well as free from dirt as well as allergens and other chemicals.

At this point, you could be wondering between the hot water extraction and carpet steam cleaning method, which is a more efficient method? Which method is most recommended? Well, the hot water extraction method carries the day. It is recommended by most carpet manufacturers. This is simply because this method is more of a deep carpet cleaning method. The hot water extraction method is superior and carries the day.