Carpet And Upholstery Cleaning.

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

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

Quick dry cleaning uses the same equipment as normal shampooing and actually the two methods are identical in many ways. The only different is that quick dry cleaning, instead of using nylon brushes to scrub the carpet, uses a flat, absorbent pad which looks similar to a small round mop. The carpet is first sprayed with the quick dry cleaning solution before the machine buffs the carpet (think of buffing as being the same as trying to make your kitchen floor shine). The bonnet (the pad) absorbs the cleaning fluid and collects the dirt at the same time. Drying time is about an hour which is a lot more practical 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.

A dry, absorbent compound which contains various solvents and detergents are spread lightly over the carpet. Either you, or the professional carpet cleaner you hire, will use a machine which works the powder into the carpet fibers after which you need to let some time go by while the powder absorbs the dirt and smells. After a short while (depending on the brand of powder you use), vacuum the carpet so that it removes the remainder of the powder. Since no water is ever used on the carpet there is no need for any drying time.

Options for cleaning 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

When it comes to cleaning fabric furniture, most people don’t know what the best method to use should be. Search for the manufacturer’s instructions label. You should find it lurking at the bottom of one or all of the cushions and this should contain the manufactures suggestions, warnings and instructions. Apart from all the other images and text, look out for one of three codes: ‘S’, ‘W’ or ‘SW’. ‘W’ indicates that wet cleaning is permissible while the ‘S’ states that the material should only be dry cleaned. ‘SW’ indicates that the material is suitable for both wet and dry cleaning methods.

Crystal Clean Solutions professional cleaners offering industrial cleaning in the South East. (www.crystalcleansolutions.co.uk) Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory