Which Carpet Cleaning Method Is Best – Wet, Dry Or DIY?

Did you know that over 5 million carpets end up in landfills across the globe, where they rot and decompose? Most woollen carpets decompose under anaerobic conditions to produce harmful methane gas into the environment. In such circumstances, it is ideal to reuse your carpet as gardening equipment or donate it to a charity. You can also save your carpet from going to a landfill by maintaining it properly and thus increasing its lifespan. With regular vacuuming and deep cleaning, you can increase the lifespan of your carpet by about 15 to 20 years. To help deep clean your carpet, you can hire end-of-lease cleaners Melbourne who will use either dry or wet cleaning techniques. If you are on a tight budget, you can even use DIY cleaning methods to prolong the life of your carpet. To understand which method will work best for your carpet, you must see the advantages and disadvantages of each and pick one that suits your carpet best. But first, it is necessary to understand what your carpets contain and why it is important to deep clean them.

What Does Your Carpet Contain

Did you know that your carpets are around 4000 times dirtier than your toilets and hold up to 200,000 bacteria per square inch? This is because organic material like food scraps, dirt, dust mites, skin cells, hair, nails, moisture, pollen and more settle into your carpet fibres. These materials rot over time and weaken your carpet fibres. But the worst part is that these rotting organic materials attract harmful bacteria such as:

Salmonella- Can result in fever, abdominal cramping and diarrhoea

Campylobacter- Campylobacter infection can cause dysentery

E coli- Could lead to kidney failure and bloody diarrhoea

Besides these harmful bacteria, your moist carpet can also attract mould spores that can become airborne and cause rashes and breathing problems. Therefore, to protect your family from these harmful bacteria and germs and to maintain a cleaner home, you must vacuum your carpet at least once a week. Besides this, you must also use deep cleaning methods like dry, wet and DIY cleaning to keep your home safe. There are three ways you can deep clean your carpets to remove bacteria and prolong their lifespan: dry, wet and DIY.

1. Dry Carpet Cleaning: Removes Dust Quickly and Efficiently

Dry carpet cleaning was invented in the 1980s and has become a popular deep-cleaning technique. In this method, your end-of-lease cleaners in Melbourne will use a rotating brush to spread a dry cleaning powder that is often biodegradable into your carpet. This powder will deep clean the fibres of your carpet and remove dust. After 15 minutes, your cleaners will vacuum the powder, and your carpet will be fresh and dirt-free. Advantages

An inexpensive and quick method

Does not require any specialised training

Perfect for hotels where you need quick maintenance

Ideal for cleaning jute and coir carpets

Disadvantages

The powder can stick to the carpet fibres and damage the fabric.

Chemicals in the powder can pollute indoor air quality.

Might not remove deeply embedded bacteria and germs.

2. Wet Carpet Cleaning: Get Rids Of Embedded Bacteria

In the wet cleaning technique, professional end-of-lease cleaning services spray a cleaning agent on your carpets to liquefy soil and deeply embed oils in your carpet. These professionals then use a machine to heat water up to 100 degrees Celsius and pressurise and apply this over your carpets. After the cleaning agent and water have loosened the soil in your carpet for about 15 to 20 minutes, your cleaners will extract all this solution from your carpet and leave it to dry. Advantages

Highly effective in removing deeply embedded dirt

High-pressure and high-temperature cleaning

Can kill deadly viruses like the norovirus

Disadvantages

Takes a long time to dry

Can damage jute and coir carpets

Need to use specialised equipment

More expensive than dry cleaning

3. DIY Carpet Cleaning: Uses Natural Solutions to Remove Stains

If you are cleaning your carpets using a DIY method, you will first have to rent a steam cleaning machine that can effectively clean your carpet. If you do not want to use a machine to clean your carpet, you must arrange the following items to start deep cleaning your carpet:

Cleaning brush

Baking soda

Vacuum

White vinegar

Warm water

Spray bottles

White microfiber cloths

Once you have arranged all your equipment, you should start by sprinkling baking soda over your carpet.

Baking soda will loosen dirt and debris and remove odours from your carpet.

Next, mix two cups of warm water with two cups of white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it over the baking soda.

The baking soda and vinegar will react to create a foam that will remove even the toughest stains and dirt.

Next, use a white microfiber cloth and blot the area to remove the solution.

Spray some fresh water over this area and then remove this water by blotting it with a dry white microfiber cloth.

Lastly, clean the carpet with a brush to smoothen the fabric and eliminate any remaining dirt.

Advantages

Cost-effective and easy to follow

Uses natural ingredients like vinegar and baking soda

Can be done whenever needed

Gets rid of stains instantly

Helps strengthen the carpet fibres

Removes foul odours

Disadvantages

Not as effective as a professional cleaning

Needs time to dry

Stains might need to be cleaned again

Tip Here are some other genius hacks to solve your worst carpet problems.

Conclusion

Depending on your carpet quality and frequency of use, you can use any of the above methods to remove dirt from your carpet fibres. You can also protect your carpet from dirt by placing rugs in high-foot-traffic areas. Lastly, whatever method you choose to clean your carpets, you must ensure you deep clean them every 12-18 months to maintain the warranty, make your carpet last longer and to remove bacteria and germs.