Friday, August 10, 2012
Steam Processes For Carpet Cleaning
By Jacob Willerman
Decades ago the only way to clean a carpet was to sweep it or vacuum it. There were some spot removers for heavy stains but they tended to work poorly or even damage the carpeting. Even 20 years ago people were still taking rugs outside to beat them over the clothesline. It wasn't until recently that carpet cleaning became remotely effective.
Once carpet cleaning machines, or rug shampooers, came on the market, carpet cleaning was easier but still left spots behind. The first machines were almost commercial grade. Some were too big to even get into your car after renting it at the corner grocery store.
However, although their weight caused a problem, their basic operation was simple. Put soap and water in the right place, make sure the brushes were attached the right way, and push the ON button. Now, just move the machine over your rugs and ' hopefully ' this thick soapy mixture would be evenly distributed over the carpets. Later on, if you were lucky, the soap suds would have dried into a substance that held the dirt that you could now vacuum up.
After a few uses, however, there tended to be an accumulation of this soap that had turned into a slimy residue that had taken permanent hold down in your carpet fibers. This scum was capable of ruining fibers and causing plenty of damage including holes and even mold. With these machines you could probably plan on seeing more damage than anything else especially if used over a few years.
Professional carpet cleaners could also come to your home. Even with the newest equipment and life time guarantees, stains wouldn't completely come off. This difficulty in keeping carpets clean was instrumental in the resurgence of the hardwood floor.
Today we know that what cleans just about anything is steam. Steam carpet machines are much more reliable, lighter, easier to use, and produce better results all around. Whether you have your own at home or you call a professional service that uses steam, the results are incredible. Steam still needs a special shampoo and brushes to loosen the dirt, but these new machines also have the ability to suck up the dirt and grime that is being loosened up under foot.
Steam models can be found in the $300 range and are worth every penny.
Once carpet cleaning machines, or rug shampooers, came on the market, carpet cleaning was easier but still left spots behind. The first machines were almost commercial grade. Some were too big to even get into your car after renting it at the corner grocery store.
However, although their weight caused a problem, their basic operation was simple. Put soap and water in the right place, make sure the brushes were attached the right way, and push the ON button. Now, just move the machine over your rugs and ' hopefully ' this thick soapy mixture would be evenly distributed over the carpets. Later on, if you were lucky, the soap suds would have dried into a substance that held the dirt that you could now vacuum up.
After a few uses, however, there tended to be an accumulation of this soap that had turned into a slimy residue that had taken permanent hold down in your carpet fibers. This scum was capable of ruining fibers and causing plenty of damage including holes and even mold. With these machines you could probably plan on seeing more damage than anything else especially if used over a few years.
Professional carpet cleaners could also come to your home. Even with the newest equipment and life time guarantees, stains wouldn't completely come off. This difficulty in keeping carpets clean was instrumental in the resurgence of the hardwood floor.
Today we know that what cleans just about anything is steam. Steam carpet machines are much more reliable, lighter, easier to use, and produce better results all around. Whether you have your own at home or you call a professional service that uses steam, the results are incredible. Steam still needs a special shampoo and brushes to loosen the dirt, but these new machines also have the ability to suck up the dirt and grime that is being loosened up under foot.
Steam models can be found in the $300 range and are worth every penny.
About the Author:
Looking for a professional carpet cleaning service? Here at http://www.st-louis-carpet-cleaning.com/ we specialize in all your carpet cleaning problems.
Posted by AppleFanatic at 1:05 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment