Introduction
For centuries, carpets have been the symbol of abode’s beauty. In the golden times of the monarchies, palaces’ halls and floors were covered with magnificent and colorful carpets.
These carpets have turned the place so magical.
In fact, legends had it that King Solomon rode with carpets to reach his destinations faster, secretly, to the wonder of his subjects.
The lowly boy Alladin, of the Arabian desert kingdom of Agrabah, took the princess Jasmine for a carpet ride and captured her heart.
Such was the popularity and importance of carpet that it has become one of the indicators of a home’s social status.
The carpets’ popularity and acclamation in the Arabian countries are unparalleled. Old Persia, now Iran, is one of producers of the best carpets in the world.
In the modern times, carpets are also staple products in homes all over the world. It has been said that homes with carpets belong to the middleclass and rich families.
Carpets are made of natural fiber. The durable and expensive types are made of wools woven and designed into a carpet.
In weaving the same, there are so many tiny spaces created in between to conceive a particular design. All these factors have contributed to the necessity of preserving carpets.
So, how do we preserve carpets back to its new appearance and beauty after days of usage.
Today, we do not wash carpets with soap and soda by our hands anymore. Those hard stains in between will not be removed, by sheer handwashing.
The use of vacuum type steam carpet cleaners makes the job easier and faster for everyone.
The principle used in this type of cleaning machine is the use of heat and moisture to loosen the dirt even unto the deepest section of tiny spaces in the woven cloth,
Likewise, it has been designed to apply such vacuum pressure to suck those loosened dirt into the surface.
It could cover a lot of area and spaces making the whole cleaning operation so short and less tiring.
How do you clean a carpet with steam cleaners?
You can clean a carpet with steam cleaners by using the procedure of combining hot water with soap and other cleaning reagents.
The water molecules, being in hot temperature, is very active and excited so that it will bump into the surface of the stains and dirt in greater degree.
With the help of stain removing of soap and other cleaning reagents, the dirt and stain shall be removed and loosened faster.
Benefits of steam cleaning your carpet
These are some of the benefits that can be derived in steam cleaning the carpets. First, it can removed trapped pollutants because the hot water or vapors can penetrate even the deepest section of the carpet.
Those stains stuck in between spaces of the rag shall be loosened and can be removed then, even just by rinsing.
Second, carpets are hot-bed for mites and pests. Some of these were already immune by the chemicals used in cleaning the carpets, partly, since only the surface of the carpet has been exposed in greater amount.
The hot water-soap-chemical solution plus the hot vapor will kill these pests and removed them from their breeding grounds.
Some of theses pests are blood suckers which can harm people especially children. Along with the killing of pests, other harmful germs and bio-objects, killed and and extracted in the process of steam cleaning, are the molds.
Following the instructions, with water vapor and strong chemicals combined and placed in a steam cleaners, these molds shall be eliminated.
Absent of these stains, dirt, pest, and mold, the carpet life can be extended to its maximum utility.
Those decomposing bioagents like pest and molds plus the stains and dirt can weaken the fabric of the carpet. They will destroy the durability of the whole carpet.
Basically, the feed on the fabric itself, lived on it, and destroying the cloth in the process. They are harmful and must be cleared away from our precious carpets.
Is steam cleaning good for carpets?
This is undeniably so. Steam cleaning, in general, is good for carpet. The benefits far outweigh the disadvantage, if there is any.
Utilizing steam cleaners, it can make the carpet fresher and livelier. At the same time, it can smell good and feel smooth.
The smell of the cleaning materials shall be retained in the vapors and moisture present in between fabrics.
The reason behind is that, with steam cleaning, the right amount of moisture can be absorbed by the fabric itself.
The carpet will not be drowned with chemical solution for a longer period of time for it to dry, and you do not have to expose it in the sun or subject it to the dryer just to remove the trapped chemical solution.
Trapped chemical solution overtime will eventually weaken also the fabric of the carpet. Thus, it harmful and detrimental to the fabric itself.
So, with steam cleaning, it dries by itself and leave a right amount of moisture enough to make the carpet soft and shiny.
As mentioned already, the carpet will have a longer life because all those pests and mites biting the fabrics’ carpet are destroyed by the vapors with chemical solution.
One the other hand, will there be an instance where steam cleaning a carpet may ruin the same?
There are not much dangers to the carpets that can be attributed to steam cleaning. The risk that can only be attributed in steam cleaning carpet is that it may sabotage the the same if there is no right determination of the degree of steam given corresponding to the amount of soap or chemical solution and the proportionate area of the carpet.
Anything that is too much is harmful; the same is true with steam cleaning. The right procedure should be executed.
Carpets are very expensive, and the most expensive carpets, besides being delicate, have these feathery type or design.
Necessarily, when exposed to so much pressure, they can be destroyed so easily or can be subjected to so much fabric stress that it reaches beyond their flexible limit.
When strain happened by pressure and heat, it can hardly return to its former state. The old glow cannot be recovered. It is like hot ironing soft cottons.
This situation should be avoided. Carpet should be taken care of, not only in using but also in cleaning.
Inexperienced or being unknowledgeable with machine cleaners and about the nature of fabrics can be a bane.
You may otherwise, wittingly or unwittingly, destroy the carpet by repetitions of incorrect steam cleaning.
What is the difference between shampooing and steam cleaning carpets?
There is so much difference between shampooing and steam cleaning carpets. In shampooing carpets, what is employed is the traditional method of cleaning.
You, basically, just rinse the carpet with liquid detergents or liquid cleaning chemicals, foamed it the chemical solution, and let it penetrate the fabric over time.
Hence, the fabric will be subjected to the cleaning chemicals for a longer period of time. The rinsing shall also be longer and the drying period shall also be longer.
In shampooing, if the carpet area is wide or very large, you need a lot of effort and time to do the cleaning. Usually, the cleaners employ a shampooing machine to do the job quicker.
Steam cleaning, on the other hand, employs the use of hot water mixed with cleaning chemicals to penetrate effectively the depth of the carpet, right through its fabric.
In the process, it will loosen quickly the stains and dirt in the carpet itself. Applying then the water vapor mop, it will absorb quickly the excess moisture, thereby, also the loosening the otherwise hard particles that cause stains, let alone killing and extracting the pests and mites.
What may be the reason why a carpet, after being steam cleaned, looks worse?
As discussed previously, the dangers that can be attributed to the steam cleaning of carpets will only be to the incorrect application of procedure of the cleaning process.
The essence of steam cleaning is the use of hot water vapor to aid in the loosening of dirt and stains.
Improper use of the machine, meaning, the inappropriate setting of the amount of steam of a particular area would be dangerous to the carpet, coupled with incoorect amount of chemicals put.
A good example would be to use a very large amount of steam in a very small area of the carpet. It would naturally destroy the carpet.
Also, the wrong amount of chemical solutions mixed in an unproportionate amount of water, in such a way that it is more concentrated or very strong to the cloth, will ultimately damage the carpet, no matter how durable the material is.
On the lighter side, carpets, naturally, may look worse after the steam cleaning, but when they completely dry, they will return to their usual splendor, if done properly by the cleaners themselves.
They may even look fresher and livelier than before, considering that they are freed from those mites and pests lurking within their fabrics.
Final Thoughts
Since, carpets now are present in so many homes around the world, it can be safe to say that, having a new technology to improve their shell life and performance as place-beauty-enhancer. the same is very essential.
Steam cleaning of carpets is a good technology. It makes the washing and sanitation time shorter, more efficient, and very practical.
The life of the carpet can be extended and it can be restored to its original appearance. Hence, people can save a lot of money by effectively preserving lots of carpets from destruction.
There are some sectors which claims that steam cleaning is more expensive than the traditional methods, like the shampooing procedure.
However, if you would consider the benefits that the carpets can accumulate overtime, with proper use of steam cleaning procedure, the perks far outweigh the disadvantages.
One of the highlights in the steam cleaning method is the removal of pests and mites. This is shooting two birds with one stone.
You remove the pests and mites that are feeding on the carpets’ fabrics, at the same, you are also clearing your homes from those harmful particles and organisms that can even cause diseases to the family members.
