Steam cleaning is a water-based cleaning in which dry chemicals are used to clean carpets. In steam cleaning, the carpet is not cleaned by steam or hot water; instead, the heat of hot water activates the cleaning chemical or detergent.
So know you will be eager to know how to carpet steam cleaning and its benefits.
Steam cleaning aids in increasing the lifespan of your carpet. It is because it disinfects your carpet. The heat of the steam kills 99.9% of the bacteria present on your carpet. The steam cleaning is often used to disinfect carpets if kids are in the home.
We all know that most homeowners wonder how to clean their carpets and remove stains by steam cleaning before the holiday season. You may think that you recently need to hire a professional carpet cleaner, but it’s not that difficult of a task to do yourself. Once you understand all the steps clearly, you can easily clean your carpets without ruining them.
Method of steam cleaning carpets
Following is the procedure to steam clean your carpets.
Remove furniture
Removing the furniture is necessary to make the cleaning process much easier and quicker. Also, if there’s furniture in the room while cleaning the carpet, you cannot clean the carpet area under the furniture. So removing furniture also increases the efficiency of steam cleaning.
Vacuum the carpet
Before steam cleaning, vacuum the carpet and make sure there’s no apparent loose debris on the carpet. This step is important because the steam may further damage the carpet if it interacts with the dirt or debris present on the carpet. So get rid of all the dirt before steam cleaning!
Stain cleaning
The steam cleaner will remove a lot of dust and debris, but the heat can make it even harder to remove the stains. The stains can vanish for the time being, but they can appear after some days. The cleaning process can force the dirt into the carpet pad. It can become difficult, but you need to mop the dirty area to remove the stains.
Spot test
It is always very useful to test a small area by applying the detergent or steam cleaner. You can check a small portion of the carpet by using the steam cleaner, and you can readily hide the area. It can improve the use of a steam cleaner to a specific kind of fabric.
Use an upright Steam cleaner
You can make your carpet cleaning easier by using an upright machine. Using a quality steam cleaner can affect the cleaning time and longevity. You can easily push that with one hand like a vacuum cleaner, and it’ll also be easy to clean those areas that are hard to reach.
Assemble the machine
Carefully read the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Detach the water tank if it is detachable and fill it with distilled water to the amount written on the instructions card. Usually, steam is strong enough to remove stains from the carpets. But you can add dish soap or any steam cleaning product you want.
Do check if the manufacturer recommends adding any specific cleaner or detergent. Never add anything that the manufacturer of the machine does not recommend. Attach the tank back to the machine and plug it in.
Allow the water to heat up
After plugging in, wait until the water heats up and reaches the required temperature. The water should not be too hot or cold to clean the carpet. The optimum temperature for efficient cleaning and to remove types of bacteria, fleas, dust mites, and germs is 212°F.
Make small sections
Start from that part of the carpet that isn’t noticeable or remains hidden. Certain fiber types get damaged by steam. So this step is a test with which you can check if steam cleaning is effective and not damaging your carpet.
After that, make small patches of carpet to remember what area you’ve cleaned as you might miss a spot. Make patches of about a square inch and then clean them one by one so you know what’s next to clean.
Start from the far end
It is best if you start from the far side of the room. You may not want to step on your freshly steam cleaned carpet, so that way, it’s easier to leave the room. Avoid faucet trips by filling the water tank to its maximum capacity. This step will reduce the chance of walking over the parts of carpet you’ve cleaned and will provide you with the most efficient carpet cleaning.
Normally the maximum capacity of a water tank is about 16 ounces. So it is best to start with the far end, leave that room to dry, and start cleaning the other room.
Leave the carpet to dry by itself
Since a minimum amount of water is used in steam cleaning, the carpet is dry to touch right after you clean it. But there’s moisture hidden in the depth of the fabric. So it is best to leave the carpet to dry completely for 24 hours before walking over it.
Why is steam cleaning beneficial?
You can easily do steam cleaning without requiring professional machinery. Harmful chemicals aren’t used in this process, so you don’t have to worry about damaging the fabric of your carpet. In addition to the fabric, these harmful chemicals can also irritate the skin.
But steam cleaning uses water steam only. The heat from the steam also aids in killing bacteria and viruses. So it’s not just a cleaning process, but a disinfecting process as well. Steam can reach the deep ends and curves of the carpet, providing the most efficient cleaning. Steam can also effectively remove dried drink or coffee spills, paints, waxes, etc.
Tips for steam cleaning
Following are the tips that will make your carpet steam cleaning effective.
- Machine instructions differ with different manufacturers. So make sure that you carefully read all the instructions before starting cleaning.
- Remove possibly all the furniture. Try to clear as much area as you can.
- Shift the furniture to another room. Or else, you can also move it to one side of the room, clean the other side and wait for it to dry. After that, move the furniture back to the clean side and clean the other half.
- Dust off all the surfaces. Remove dust from ceiling fans, cupboards, and shelves so the dirt doesn’t fall on the carpet later.
- Vacuum the carpet to get rid of the extra debris. Try using a mop-like machine to clean corners and crevices easily.
- Fill your water tank with hot water. Do add detergent or cleaning agents if required.
- Some steam cleaners have separate apartments for detergent and water. If your carpet is sensitive to detergents, use a 50-50 solution of warm water and white vinegar.
Conclusion
This article has discussed how to carpet steam cleaning in detail. Now you know the whole process in detail. Also, don’t forget to follow our tips for steam cleaning your carpet; it will surely be beneficial. Try out steam cleaning your carpet and write back to us about how it went for you.
FAQ”S
Steam cleaning is different from shampoo cleaning or wet cleaning. It doesn’t require any special chemicals and only uses hot water instead of cold water. It is also more quick and easy than other famous carpet cleaning methods.
The heat from the hot water breaks down dirt and mold build up inside the fabric of your carpet. The hot water pressure cleans the dust and oils stuck between the carpet fabric. Without using water or rinsing, you can clean the carpet with the help of steam.
Cleaning your carpet after a little use, again and again, can damage the material and tear the carpet apart. You should clean your carpet once a year. Spring is considered a pleasant time since the weather is quite warm, so you can open the window to have speedy drying.
Tap water is considered stable for steam cleaning the carpet, but it is best to use distilled water to fill up your steam cleaner. If you have hard water in your area, there can be a lot of minerals and limestone all around. The minerals can contain calcium and magnesium, which can block the cleaner simultaneously, so it is advised to use distilled water in a steam cleaner.
Cleaning carpets can be a time taking task. But it is not that difficult thanks to steam cleaning. You can save up to $500 through steam cleaning if you do it yourself. It is also more effective, and since steam is used, the carpet dries out faster after cleaning.
