Cleaning Guides

Dry Carpet Cleaning VS. Steam Cleaning

The Fantastic Team
Published: Dec 16/2019
Last update: Mar 17/2023
3min read
Views: 372

Carpets can make your property feel luxurious, or they can completely destroy the entire home atmosphere. Proper carpet maintenance is important if you wish to keep your floor covering’s beauty from the first day you bought it. But, cleaning a carpet comes with its own difficulties. One of the most common cleaning method conundrums for homeowners is choosing dry carpet cleaning or steam cleaning.

Table of Contents:

What is steam cleaning
What is dry cleaning
FAQs

Luckily, in this article, the Fantastic Services team will explain the pros and cons of both methods, so you can find out which one is for you.

This article is for all of you who:

Own a carpet;
Need to clean your carpet;
Are looking for the right carpet cleaning method.

What is steam cleaning

Steam cleaning or hot water extraction is a cleaning method recognised worldwide as the most effective carpet cleaning solution. It uses specialized equipment that treats the carpet with pressurised hot water and detergent, made to remove stains and refresh the carpet fibres until they look good as new.

The procedure goes like this: the carpet cleaner will first vacuum the carpet from any dust or debris. Then, they will examine the type of stains the carpet has suffered over the years and from that they will deduce the type of detergent to use on the carpet. Then, they will use a professional machine to deep clean the entire carpet. A powerful suction attachment will suck out excess moisture, resulting in the carpet being washed and dried at the same time. This drastically reduces the carpet’s drying time once the procedure is done.

Pros of steam cleaning

Highly effective in stain removal;
Extremely good at refreshing the carpet;
The carpet dries in 3 to 6 hours.

Cons of steam cleaning

Uses chemical detergents;
Is not recommended for natural fibre carpets;
The steam cleaner produces noise up to 80 decibels.

What is dry carpet cleaning

Dry carpet cleaning, or chemical carpet cleaning, is a method that uses the so-called “dry shampoo” to extract dirt and grime from a rug. Note that although it’s called “dry cleaning”, there is actually some minimal moisture used to activate the shampoo. Dry cleaning comes where steam cleaning falls short – namely, in cleaning without damaging natural fibre carpets, such as jute, wool, cotton, sisal, sea-grass, and many others.

The procedure goes like this: the carpet cleaner would apply a low moisture powder on the carpet. Then, they will rub it into the fibres with a rotating brush. This loosens the dirt, dust, and grime, making them stick to the powder. In the end, a power-vacuum would suck out all the dry shampoo, along with the unsanitary particles.

Pros of dry carpet cleaning

Much less drying time than steam cleaning;
Cleans without damaging natural fibre carpets;
Rejuvenates delicate carpets.

Cons of dry carpet cleaning

It can get way more expensive;
It doesn’t remove stains;
Sometimes detergent residue is left on the carpet.

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Dry carpet cleaning VS. steam cleaning: FAQ

When should I get steam cleaning?

If your carpet is synthetic or mixed fibres, it’s better to get steam cleaning, as it will provide a deep clean and stain removal.

When should I get dry cleaning?

If your carpet is made of natural fibres, such as cotton, jute, wool or other, you need dry cleaning to rejuvenate its look.

Which of the two is more expensive?

That would be the dry cleaning method since the “dry shampoo” is a very expensive product. Although, the end price for both methods would depend on the size and condition of your carpet. You might also combine the service with something additional, such as stain protection or pest treatment.

Which of the two is faster?

Both cleaning procedures take approximately the same amount of time to perform. However, we would have to give this one to dry cleaning, as it takes a lot less time for the carpet to dry completely.

Which one removes stains?

That would be the steam cleaning method, as the machine is able to get deep into the fabric. However, there are certain types of old stains that even a steam cleaner might not be able to remove, such as hair dye or other chemicals.

Hire a professional carpet cleaner

If you have a carpet that desperately needs washing, why not let the professional carpet cleaners from Fantastic Services handle the job? They will bring all the equipment and detergents needed to make your carpet look as good as new. Our cleaning technicians will examine your carpet’s fibres and decide on the proper method it needs.

Visit the main website for more details on our professional carpet cleaning!

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Takeaways

Steam cleaning is perfect for cleaning synthetic and mixed fibre carpets;
Dry cleaning is for rejuvenating of natural fibre carpets;
Steam cleaning removes stains, dry cleaning does not.

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Did we answer all your questions? If you wish to know more about the different types of carpet cleaning, ask your questions in the comment section below!