Steam vs Chemical carpet cleaning; which is the best?

 

Years of dirt, grime, stains, and debris can accumulate in your carpet, despite your efforts to vacuum occasionally. This is why you need regular professional carpet cleaning service to get rid of the dirt and grime resting deep into the fabrics of your carpet. 

There are two main methods that carpet cleaning services use to clean upholstery and carpets: steam cleaning and chemical cleaning. Each method uses a different process to clean the carpet, but at the end of the process, your carpet will be clean. But just like many other clients who come to seek out professional carpet cleaning services, you must be wondering which method is the best for your carpet and situation.

Well, today we want to take a closer look at these two methods, what is involved in each, pros and cons, and when you should choose one over the other. 

Steam cleaning service

Steam cleaning, which is also referred to as deep cleaning, uses hot water and some chemical solution to clean the carpet. Most people think that steam cleaning only uses steam to clean carpets, but it actually uses some detergents, it’s not always plain water. Steam cleaning is known to remove at least 97% of bacteria and dirt from the carpet. It also reaches deep down into the lowest layer of the carpet during cleaning. 

A cleaning machine is used to agitate and soak the carpet to loosen the stains and dirt. The machine then vacuums up the dirt, stains, grime, cleaner, and water leaving your carpet or upholstery clean as new. This is considered the best carpet cleaning method if your rug or carpet has deep tough stains.

Steam cleaning generally takes longer to dry since it uses water heated into steam. Depending on the extraction system used and how thick your carpet is, it can take anywhere between 45 minutes to several hours for the fabric to completely dry. In some cases, thicker carpets can stay up to the next day before they dry completely. So if you need to access your room urgently, this might not be the best option. 

Pros and Cons of Steam cleaning 

The biggest benefit of using steam carpet cleaning is that it reaches deep into the lower layers of your carpet to remove dirt and stains. While you can carry out steam cleaning on your own, the results may not be of the same quality that you can get from a professional cleaning. Additionally, the cost of buying the cleaning machine might not be worth it for occasional cleaning. 

The downside of steam cleaning is that it might take a little longer for your carpet to dry, so you should probably consider a different option if you need to use your carpet urgently. Professional cleaners are however able to extract the most water out of the carpet to speed up the drying process. 

Chemical cleaning service 

The chemical cleaning method, as you may have already guessed, uses chemicals to clean the carpet. Some of the chemicals used are referred to as “dry” shampoos, but we use this term loosely. These solutions are not completely dry, however, they use a significantly smaller amount of water compared to steam cleaning. This also means that it takes lesser time to dry than steam cleaning. 

Pros and cons of chemical cleaning 

The number one benefit of using chemical carpet cleaning is that your carpet and upholstery dries faster. It leaves little or no liquid behind, which could otherwise lead to more dirt and grime being trapped into the fabrics of your carpet. You can resume using your carpet within an hour. 

On the downside, chemical cleaning is not effective in cleaning deep-seated stains and grime in the inner layers of your carpet. Additionally, this method has a tendency of leaving some chemical residues behind, which might be a concern for you and your family. It’s important to understand the type of chemicals used if you choose this method. 

Which is the best? 

Both cleaning methods do a considerably great job in getting rid of dirt and grime from your carpet and upholstery. However, if your carpet is severely stained or hasn’t been professionally cleaned in a long time, you should consider steam cleaning. This method removes deep stains and dirt more effectively than chemical treatment. On the other hand, if you have a significantly thick carpet which isn’t severely stained, you should consider chemical cleaning as it dries faster.