Carpet Cleaning: A Detailed Comparison Between Dry Cleaning and Steam Cleaning

Carpets are one of the most popular flooring choices available for modern homeowners. They provide a warm and comfortable feeling under the feet but also increase the beauty of the home interior environment. However, they require a higher level of maintenance to keep clean because they easily trap and hide dirt.

Regular carpet cleaning is essential to make your home free of allergens that may hide in your carpet floors unnoticed. In order to achieve the best cleaning results, you'll need to employ the right carpet cleaning techniques. 

Dry cleaning and steam cleaning are two of the most effective cleaning methods used by today's carpet cleaners. Read on to discover the difference between these two carpet cleaning techniques and when to use each.

1. Dry Cleaning 

While traditional carpet cleaning processes typically require the use of water to achieve the desired cleaning results, this technique doesn't require the use of water. The cleaning compound that's available in powder form is applied onto the bottom part of the carpet using specialised equipment—usually a motorised rotating brush machine. This allows the powder to settle inside the fibre of the carpet, efficiently removing the dirt and grime.

The cleaning powder works by absorbing dissolved dirt, which can then be removed immediately by thoroughly vacuuming the floors. The powder is biodegradable so you won't have to worry about leaving a nasty residue behind.

The biggest advantage of dry cleaning is that it delivers effective cleaning performance without requiring drying time. This is particularly useful when there is a need to get the floors clean as quickly as possible.

2. Steam Cleaning

Unlike dry extraction, this carpet cleaning method involves the use of water to remove dirt, grime, and stains from carpets. The dirty carpet is first vacuumed to get rid of loose, surface dirt. A chemical-based cleaning solution is then sprayed onto the soiled carpet and a brush used to help dislodge dirt particles from the fibres of the carpet. After the cleaning agent has settled in, high pressured hot water is sprayed into the carpet and left for a short duration. Finally, a powerful vacuum is used to extract the hot water along with the dirt on the carpet. 

This is the cleaning process of choice for many carpet cleaners when a deep cleaning action is desired. It, however, requires drying time to deliver the desired cleaning results.

Want to learn more about the above carpet cleaning processes? Talk to a carpet cleaning specialist near you.