6 Biggest Lies On Carpet Cleaning (Updated 2023)

Have you decided to get your carpet cleaned up after a long time? That’s a good move to increase your carpet’s life and make your home’s interior look better. There are a few things you should keep in mind when you choose a carpet cleaning service as the market is filled with myths. Most carpet cleaners try to mislead you into believing certain untrue stories to sell you their services. In the following sections, we debunk some myths about carpet cleaning.

1. A Portable Steam Cleaning Machine is as Powerful as a Truck Mount:
Portable machines are far weaker than truck-mounted ones. In addition to using your water and power, the portables dump the dirty water into your toilet. Heat plays a significant role in cleaning a carpet. Most portables depend on hot tap water at your place while some have inbuilt 2000-watt heaters.

This wattage is the same as that of a blow dryer used for drying hair and can produce just warm water. Once the cleaning process is done, vacuum pressure is needed for drying your carpet. A truck mount uses a hose with a diameter of 2-2.5 inches and is able to power two hoses simultaneously whereas portables can use just one 1.5-inch vacuum hose.

Most portables create a water pressure of 100-200 psi while truck mounts have 800-1200 psi. Moreover, a decent portable cleaner machine costs just $1000-1500 while a truck mount machine costs ten times more which proves the point that the latter has more powerful equipment.

2. Dry Cleaning Methods Win Over Wet Cleaning:
Dry cleaning leaves some residue as water is not applied to dissolve and bring out the leftover cleaning agent. So, a wet cleaning method like hot water extraction is a clear winner, but with one downside. It is a fact that many steam cleaning services fail to dry the carpet completely due to unskilled staff or underpowered equipment.

This may cause the growth of mold that may cause allergies and asthma, especially in children and pets apart from letting out foul smells. Also, once mold starts growing in your carpet, it can’t be totally removed. However, this problem will not arise if adequate vacuum pressure is applied. 

3. Cheaper Cleaning Service Does the Job: 
It is true that you don’t have to hire the most expensive carpet cleaner to get the best results. However, hiring the lowest-priced service mostly leaves poor results. A professional cleaner needs to maintain his equipment, drive around to your house and pay his trained staff. So, he wouldn’t be accepting the job for $10 a room.

A reasonable price would be $0.50 to $0.60 per square foot with a minimum charge of $250. The price per sq. ft comes down if you have more area to clean. Never fall for the commercials advertising cleaning at rock-bottom prices. Apart from failing to remove the dirt and stains from your carpet, an inefficient cleaner will damage it.

4. Bonnet Cleaning is the Best Method:
This method involves revolving a chemical-soaked towel-like fabric on the carpet’s surface to scrub and absorb the stains and dirt. This method is acceptable for glued-down carpets, but for residential ones with pads, it is very ineffective. It drives some dirt deep into the carpet and leaves a chemical residue that causes premature wearing out of carpet fibers.

Shaw Industries, the leading carpet maker in the world, suggests not using it. Some cleaners choose this process because it is quick and the carpet dries up in around one hour. Most people get their carpets cleaned up at least once in 12-18 months. So, it really makes sense to invest their time and money in a standard procedure like carpet steam cleaning or hot water extraction which gives lasting results.

5. Only Chemical Agents Clean Well:
Many professional cleaners use toxic chemicals that contaminate the indoor atmosphere apart from spoiling the carpet. It is wise to choose a cleaning company that uses only organic cleaning solutions that come with a Green seal. In the pretext of removing tough stains, many companies use harmful chemicals which are typically used in dry cleaning.

These chemical agents release a pungent odor even after the carpet is dried. Some chemicals are used to provide fragrance and they are harmful to health. Once the carpet is dried the chemical fumes spoil the air inside the house causing health issues like headaches, irritation of the nose and eyes, nausea, and cough. Using such products repeatedly may cause more serious ailments. They are to be avoided at all costs if you have babies in your home as they love to crawl on the carpets.

6. Carpet Cleaning Annihilates Stain Resistance:
The argument that several cleaners containing detergent-based chemicals can remove factory stain guards is true to some extent. But, factory stain guards are never permanent. Moreover, it is the dirt that reduces your carpet’s life more than the cleaning process. 

To cash on people’s concern about having a stain protector, most products like scotch guards are over-hyped and up-sold in the market. There is this other common myth that you should delay your carpet’s first cleaning as it will never look the same again. You must always keep in mind the fact that getting your carpet cleaned every year helps to prevent some stains from permanently setting in. To ensure that your carpet does not lose its beauty, hire a cleaning company that offers residue-free cleaning using state-of-the-art equipment. For carpets in high-traffic areas like workplaces, bi-annual cleaning is recommended.

In most cases, whenever you see the advertised price of a carpet cleaning company, it is just the base price. You will be charged extra for additional services. It is better to be informed of what these costs could be. The next time you call a cleaning service, enquire about what gets included in the price quoted. Do they charge extra for cleaning stairs? Will they move your furniture around?

Also, try to find out about the company’s past record to know if they had any complaints from previous clients. Hiring carpet cleaners involves letting strangers inside your house. So, ensure that the company conducts background checks on its employees for any criminal records. A good company will be responsible for their staff’s conduct. It should be ready to make amends in case your carpet or belongings are damaged during the cleaning process.