Comparing Common Carpet Cleaning Methods

Carpet is hands down the most comfortable type of flooring, but it’s not necessarily the easiest to maintain. Although vacuum cleaning can remove surface dirt and keep the floors looking nice, carpets can trap all sorts of contaminants and odors that are impossible to remove with a vacuum alone. Carpets also easily stain, and the stains themselves can be very difficult to remove depending on the type of spill and how long it’s been sitting. Fortunately, professional carpet cleaning can get rid of dirt, grime, and even the most difficult stains that vacuum cleaning and other methods leave behind. But should you hire a company that offers dry carpet cleaning or steam carpet cleaning in Tampa? Here is a quick comparison of these two common methods.

Pros and Cons of Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning involves a combination of steam and detergent to get rid of dirt, grime, and stains. Although you can rent a steam cleaner, professional carpet cleaners use more powerful machines that not only get carpets cleaner but suck up more water, which means carpets take less time to dry compared to DIY steam cleaning. In either case, one of the drawbacks of steam cleaning is that your carpet will be wet for a period of time during which you’ll have to avoid walking on it.

Pros and Cons of Dry Cleaning

Despite its name, the dry-cleaning method does in fact use a small amount of moisture. However, it requires much less moisture than steam cleaning. Dry chemical compounds break down soil, dirt, mold, and other contaminants that may be trapped in the carpet’s fibers. One of the benefits of dry carpet cleaning is that floors can be used again almost instantly after cleaning is complete, which is why this method is often preferred in retail shops and restaurants. However, the chemicals used to dry clean carpets can often be harsh and may damage certain types of carpeting. Talk to a professional carpet cleaning company in Tampa to learn about the products used for dry and cleaning and whether steam cleaning makes more sense given your flooring.