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There are many different ways which you can take when approaching a carpet and upholstery cleaning task. The reason you are cleaning (general clean, removal of stains etc) as well as the kind of fabric you are cleaning both determine the kind of method you will choose. Whether you are going to use a professional carpet cleaning service or you are planning on doing it yourself, here are some basic guidelines to follow to make sure you don’t damage the material.

Methods of cleaning carpets

Basically there are five basic methods of cleaning carpets namely, steaming, shampooing, dry foam,quick dry, 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.

You can get various different types of shampoo cleaning machines. Many look like an upright vacuum cleaner except that they have two nylon bristle brushes as attachments underneath and a tank which contains the cleaning fluid. The process is similar to that of somebody sitting on their knees with a brush as the carpet is scrubbed with the nylon brushes which loosens the dirt which is then vacuumed when the carpet is dry which, the same as the hot water extraction or steam method, is about 12 hours.

The quick dry or bonnet method might seem to be the same as shampooing the carpet, in fact the machinery is very similar. Instead of the two or three nylon brushes, the machine has a couple of highly absorbent buffing pads. A special quick dry cleaning solution is firstly distributed over the carpet and the machine then buffs the carpet clean by absorbing the solution as well as the dirt. It only takes about an hour to dry so this method is a must for high traffic areas.

Dry foam cleaning is a hybrid of the steam and shampooing methods. A machine with rollers first spreads foam over the carpet after which a vacuum cleaner is used to remove all the remaining foam and the dirt. The foam dries quickly, often within an hour or two.

A powder called dry absorbent compound containing detergents and solvents which are lightly spread over the carpet. Either the professional or you use a machine which brushes the mixture into the carpet fibers after which you leave the carpet for a short time while the powder encapsulated the dirt. Once a bit of time has passed, a vacuum cleaner is used so suck up the dirt as well as the remaining compound. This method eliminates the chance of your carpets going moldy since no water is ever applied.

How to clean upholstery

The determining factor when choosing the best method to clean upholstery is the type of material to be cleaned. Some, for example, can only be dry cleaned (velvets and silks) and the cleaning is best left to a professional while other stronger materials can be wet cleaned. The steam method or hot extraction method is the same as what you would use on your carpets. The only difference is that the nozzle is a smaller, hand held version. You can also hand shampoo most fabrics but it is advisable to shake the cleaning solution and only apply the foam using a damp sponge.

Identifying Upholstery

Most people don?t know what the best method is for cleaning their fabric furniture. If you are lucky you will probably find a manufacturers label underneath one of the cushions which will contain the cleaning instructions and various suggestions and warnings. Mostly you are looking for a code at the top or bottom of the label with a ‘S’, ‘W’ or ‘SW’. The ‘S’ means that the material must be dry cleaned while the ‘W’ means wet cleaning is allowed thus allowing for shampoo or steam cleaning methods. The ‘SW’ indicates that both wet and dry cleaning methods are acceptable for the material.

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