When it’s time to clean the carpet in the house, we all labor over the do it yourself steam cleaning that you can rent at the store, or hiring a professional. We believe that we can get better results from hiring a professional steam cleaner but that is not always true.
Some carpet cleaning companies have a high turnover of staff. Some carpet cleaning technicians do not have the proper training in using the equipment. They also do not have the proper training in spot removal techniques. Whether you hire a professional or whether you do it yourself the most important thing to remember is to go slow enough that you remove as much water as you can. If there is too much water left in the carpet, there is a risk that you damage the carpet but the risk to your health is much greater.
If too much water is put into the carpet it goes straight to the under pad. When this happens there is a danger that mold and mildew will form. Due to the sponge-like texture of the under pad, the only way it can be properly dried is if it is lifted from the floor and an air is able to circulate under the carpet. When mold and mildew start to form that is where the health risks begin.
The EPA recommends that people avoid mold and mildew in their homes, especially if any member of the family has a respiratory illness such as asthma. Mold and mildew can stress the lungs and in people with asthma, it can trigger an asthma attack. In children who don’t have asthma, it is possible to distress the lungs and cause illnesses like bronchitis and asthma.
When you are steam cleaning the carpets it is difficult to tell if you are adding too much water. Going over one area of the carpet too many times will put too much moisture into the carpet. Stains can be stubborn to remove and it is the first instinct to add more water and keep trying, but that is not the answer. Professionals do use the steam more on those areas but their success lies in the knowledge of how to use the equipment as well as the selection of professional chemicals they use for stain removal.
Many people when they rent the do it yourself steam cleaners, if also buy the bottle of shampoo to clean the carpets as well. One of the major problems with that is the concentration and strength of that product is not very powerful. The reason it is made weaker is that the manufacturer assumes that consumers will not use it properly, and they do not want to be responsible for you damaging your carpet with their product, so it is diluted.
There is not one cleaner that can remove all stains. When you hire a professional carpet cleaner they often show up with an assortment of different bottles and each one has a solution for a different stain one cleaner does not clean all carpets.
It is tempting to save a couple dollars and steam clean the carpets yourself, but the damage that you can cause your carpets could cost you thousands of dollars. Rippling carpets, faded color patches, damaged carpet fibers and worst of all mold, are all common problems people experience when they attempt to steam clean their own carpet. Just remember when you are deciding whether or not to hire a professional carpet cleaner, the least expensive way is not always the cheapest.
