Carpet Cleaning Process

The carpet cleaning process, what is important and what is a myth?

Cleaning agents

The purpose of cleaning agents is to loosen the soil from the carpets so it can be removed in the extraction process. To obtain the best results as further discussed in the technique section, the cleaning agents for carpet cleaning falls into 2 categories. The first step is the cleaner that helps loosen the dirt from the carpet fiber. The second step is typically a rinse agent which totally neutralizes the cleaner and leaves the carpet residue free. There is a belief system that carpet cleaning agents are dangerous. Quality products should do a very good job, not leave a residue, and be safer for the user and the environment.

PH - In carpet cleaning, the strength of the cleaning agents is measured through ph. Similar to the measurement in pools and spas, a ph of 7 is neutral. The theory behind cleaning agents is you use a ph which is opposite of the spot. The dirt and spot will loosen so it can be removed in the extraction phase. Many spots on the carpet come from food, spilled drinks etc. Soda for instance, has a ph around 3. Cleaners with a ph above 7 can do a better job cleaning, a ph of 9.5 is standard in the carpet cleaning business. This is a major concept and worth repeating. The 9.5 ph is put down as step 1 in the cleaning process. Time is given to allow the agents to work. It is then extracted with a rinse with a ph around 5 to neutralize the carpets and leave it residue free. This is typically done in the extraction phase. In a 1 step process, where the cleaning agent is put into the carpet cleaning machine, the ph has to be around 7 which does not clean as well.

Biggest mistake made by users of home and rental carpet cleaning machines. They use cleaning agents on their carpets that are 1 step. At the same time they are extracting the dirt, or cleaning the carpets, they are putting down the cleaner. Best practice dictates that a cleaning agent is applied to the carpet, allow it to stay for about15 minutes and then extract. It is important to give the cleaning agent enough time to work.

There are 2 problems with applying the cleaning agent at the same time as extraction,

1. It does not give the cleaning agents enough time to loosen the soil from the carpet.
2. There is no rinsing and the cleaning agent itself can leave a residue on the carpet which will attract soil in the future.

Time – As discussed above, time is directly related to the amount of time the cleaning agents stay on the carpet before being extracted. This is a critical element to achieve the best results possible. Most home systems put the cleaning agent into the machine. The cleaning solution is applied to the carpet at the same time that the soil and dirt is extracted from the carpets. As discussed in cleaning agents, best practice would be to put a rinse agent in the machine, opposed to a cleaning agent. The cleaning agent should be applied first, allowed to sit on the carpet, time, and then extracted.

Biggest Myth, Heat, The reality is that the cleaning agent does not remain hot for long and heat is not a big factor in carpet cleaning. The concept is that heat helps increase chemical activity. In reality, even very hot water does not stay hot for a long period of time on carpets; and quickly returns to room temperature. The way to compensate for the lack of heat in carpet cleaning is to increase other parts according to the general cleaning principles. The 2 parts to increase are time and agitation. Apply the cleaning agents first and let them sit on the carpet for 15 minutes. The second way to compensate for lack of heat in carpet cleaning is agitating the carpets after the cleaning solution has been applied. This will help loosen the soil and dirt from your carpets. The use of heat has been exaggerated by professional carpet cleaners. There is no such thing as steam cleaning in carpet cleaning. The correct term is hot water extraction. This is very misleading and helps spread the belief that heat plays a significant role in carpet cleaning.

Agitation – Agitation should be done after the cleaning agents are applied. The concept is that the soil, dirt, spots are loosened from the carpet. There are grooming tools made especially to agitate carpets. Creativity can be used in making up your own agitator. A stiff broom could be used. You can use your shoe to agitate spots on the carpet; a towel can also be used. Carpets fibers are strong and generally can take a lot of agitation. If the carpets are over agitated there is a risk that the carpet fiber can be damaged which can change the appearance of the area from the rest of the rest of the carpet.