The process of dry cleaning a carpet is not as difficult as it seems. A carpet which is not heavily soiled can be easily cleaned at home. This section gives some simple tips to dry clean a carpet at home.
Regular carpet care involves simple vacuuming. However, cleaning a thick and heavy carpet when it becomes dirty is a tedious task. There are several professional carpet cleaning methods, like shampooing, dry cleaning, and hot water extraction. However, if the carpet is moderately soiled, then it is possible to dry clean it at home as well. In fact, it is a fairly simple process and also saves you a few hundred dollars that are charged by professionals.
Dry Cleaning Carpets at Home
Carpets cannot be cleaned using the conventional soap and water method. When these rugs become wet, their weight increases greatly, making it impossible to wash or rinse them. They also take a long time to dry completely. Even a slightly moist carpet will promote growth of mold and mildew underneath it. Shampooing and warm water extraction are not long-term solutions, and their procedures are quite tedious.
If you are opting to clean the carpet yourself, do not wait till it is heavily soiled, so that it can be cleaned in a shorter period and with lesser efforts. This process is carried out without water. You do not have to own a commercial carpet cleaning machine for it. All that is required is a good carpet cleaner and some basic cleaning skills. The steps involved in this process are explained below.
- First of all, purchase a good quality cleaning product from your local home supply store. It does not necessarily have to be a dry powder. It can also be an absorbent formulation prepared with water, solvent, and laundry soap in specific amounts.
- Before you begin, vacuum the rug properly, reaching the corners as well. Vacuuming gets rid of 80 percent of the dust and similar particles adhering to the carpet.
- Sprinkle the powder or spray the solution (whichever is applicable) as per the directions mentioned on the label. Leave the product on the carpet for the stipulated time―this enables the chemical to go deep inside the rug fibers and absorb the contaminants.
- For removing stains, you can use a soft-bristled brush, or a clean broom. Using any of these, spread the product throughout the rug to reach the deeper fibers. It will adhere to the dirt, which can then be removed by vacuum cleaning.
- Another advanced technique that can be used is the cotton bonnet technique. For this, you will need to rent a machine that has rotating pads. A cleaning solution is fed to the spinning pads, which then separate contaminants from the rug fibers. The final cleaning is done with the help of a vacuum cleaner.
Dry cleaning a carpet at home requires about an hour in all, which is not so in the case of shampooing or warm water extraction. Nevertheless, for long-term maintenance, steam cleaning the carpet between two dry cleans is advisable. In case of tough carpet stains, giving the rug to a professional carpet cleaning service is a practical solution.
