At Rainbow Restoration, we recommend that our customers utilize our 6-step, Superior Carpet Cleaning. People frequently ask me why our Superior Clean includes 6 steps. Why don’t we clean all carpets using two or even one step like our competitors? This is the second of six blogs to answer this question.
The second step of Superior carpet cleaning is dry vacuuming. Why dry vacuum the carpet? Doesn’t the steam cleaning process remove any soil the vacuum will remove?
The steam cleaning method (also known as hot water extraction) is very good at removing water-soluble soil from the carpet. However, there are a variety of soils and debris that steam cleaning is not designed to remove.
Studies have shown that 80% of the soil in a carpet is dry particulate. In layman’s terms: dirt. Studies have further shown that particulate soil can best be removed while it is dry. This makes intuitive sense. What happens when you add water to dirt? You get mud. When you steam clean a carpet that is full of particulate soil, you run the risk of creating a soluble mixture that will attach to the carpet fibers.
Besides particulate soil, there are numerous other materials that the steam cleaning machine is not designed to remove. This might include small bits of crackers, small pieces of paper, lint, string, etc. These materials are better removed using a high-quality, dry vacuum.
Hot water extraction is completely useless for removing cat, dog, or human hair. While the carpet is wet, there is no practical way to detach hair from it. We highly recommend our superior cleaning when you wish to reduce the amount of hair in your home. (Please remember that this will reduce the amount of hair in your home. All hair cannot be removed from a home with one cleaning.)
A thorough dry vacuuming of your home will greatly reduce the soil load in your home. It will also make the subsequent steam cleaning much more effective.
Rainbow Restoration performs carpet cleaning in Charleston, North Charleston, James Island, Johns Island, Wadmalaw Island, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, and the Isle of Palms. Call us for a free quote.
