Best Carpet Cleaning Methods by Carpet Type

By: Lisa Bower

The best carpet cleaning methods will depend on the type of carpet you want to clean.  Different carpets will respond better to different carpet cleaning treatments. The wrong cleaning method could ruin a carpet. Make sure that you have chosen the best carpet cleaning method for your carpet type before you even begin.

Hot water extraction is one of the most effective and easiest carpet cleaning methods to use on a cotton carpet. Here, heat is used to remove dirt that has become embedded or sunk deep into a carpet or rug. After the heat treatment, apply a cleaner to remove more of the dirt. Follow that with more heat and fans to dry the surface. Cotton carpets and rugs are generally the least temperamental of carpets to clean, so any number of carpet cleaning chemicals and liquids and should be fine for the task.

Wool and silk carpets should never be treated with hot water. In fact, hot water could ruin the carpet. Keep bleach as far away from wool as is possible.

The best way to clean a wool carpet is to first shake the rug outside to try and loosen or remove the first round of dirt. Then, vacuum the rug. Use a cleaner and stain remover that is especially made for wool rugs and carpets. Lay the rug flat to dry and keep it away from direct sunlight so that it does not fade or alter in size.

Keep in mind that there are specific products for wool and silk carpets.

Finally, plant fiber carpets. Never use steam cleaning on plant fiber carpets because it can alter the carpet, causing it to shrink and fade. Instead, use dry extraction methods only. Their fussiness makes plant fiber carpets some of the most difficult to clean and maintain.

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