There has always been a debate on which cleaning method is better for carpets and upholstery – steam cleaning or dry cleaning. The answer depends on your particular situation – the type of dirt you want to remove, the fibers in your carpets or upholstery, and whether you want to use harsh chemicals for carpet cleaning or not.
As an upholstery and carpet cleaning company, at PristineGreen Upholstery and Carpet Cleaning, we successfully use both methods to ensure a clean environment in our clients’ homes. Let’s find out more about each cleaning method and when you should use each.
What Is Steam Cleaning?
Steam cleaning uses steam and hot water extraction to effectively remove stains, bacteria, and odor from carpets and upholstery. A major advantage of steam cleaning is not requiring chemicals, as the power of steam is sufficient to eliminate germs and loosen dirt.
Furniture steam cleaning is a very popular service as it enables cleaning technicians and homeowners to remove stains that have already settled into fibers without using chemicals.
When To Use Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning is preferred by those who are interested in green cleaning techniques due to environmental concerns or being prone to allergies. Homes with small children and people suffering from asthma and allergies are often recommended steam cleaning because surfaces treated with upholstery steam cleaning have no chemical residues left.
What Is Dry Cleaning?
Dry cleaning is mostly used for garments but is suitable for carpet and couch cleaning as well. This method starts with vacuuming carpets and continues with applying a dry carpet solvent to the area that needs to be treated. Eventually, special cleaning pads are used to remove the solvent and leave the surfaces clean.
The best thing about dry cleaning? This method implies very little moisture and will provide you with carpets that are dry and ready to walk on in less than an hour. Unlike dry cleaning, steam cleaning your carpets requires proper ventilation for the surface to get dry within a few hours.
When To Use Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning has the unique property of breaking down oily residue in carpet fibers, due to the solvents it uses. Oil is responsible for dirt sticking to fibers, so once you remove the oil, the dirt can be easily extracted, too.
But where does that oil come from? From our skin, which is protected by natural oils, and all that grease ends up in our home environment. This is why carpet cleaners recommend not walking barefoot on carpets and area rugs, to avoid skin oils from blending into fibers and catching dirt.
Dry cleaning is also used for couch cleaning services because sofas are another area of our homes that collects grease from contact with our skin, and sometimes from food.
Upholstery Cleaning Brooklyn services using dry cleaning substances are preferred in commercial spaces too because surfaces are dry within an hour and downtime is reduced considerably. Unlike dry cleaning, steam cleaning leaves more moisture in carpets and upholstery, even if water extractors are being used. Steam cleaning requires proper ventilation of the treated areas before they can be used again.
Can You Dry Clean Rugs?
Oriental rug owners often wonder if it is a good idea to take their area rugs to a dry-cleaning facility. The answer depends on the type of rug you need to clean. Using the wrong process or chemicals on your rug could cause permanent damage. You must call the services of a professional rug cleaner in NYC so they can advise you on which cleaning technique to use for your rug. When it comes to area rugs, oriental rugs are the most delicate and intricate type. Only a professional can decide which cleaning method is recommended for your rug.
What Cleaning Technique Is Better?
Each cleaning technique has its advantages and disadvantages – and you should carefully weigh the pros and cons before choosing one. Homeowners who have children and pets tend to prefer steam cleaning, as it does not require any chemicals such as solvents used for dry cleaning. This makes steam cleaning a safer and healthier option. Furthermore, steam cleaning does not produce any chemical odors, as opposed to dry cleaning, which can leave an artificial smell in your home. However, if you want to minimize downtime, the best carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning method is dry cleaning.
The type of dirt also dictates the suitable cleaning method. Steam cleaning can be more effective at collecting dirt and debris from a carpet, while dry cleaning is better for treating stains and removing oils from fibers.
What If None of The Two Methods Is Suitable?
When choosing one cleaning technique or another, it is important to talk about the damage it may cause. Steam cleaning uses high temperatures, and couch steam cleaning may not be suitable when treating sensitive fibers such as viscose – the fabric could shrink.
Dry cleaning, on the other hand, can leave solvent residues in your carpets and upholstery, so sofa cleaning NYC using dry cleaning substances could cause other troubles. Unless you (or your cleaner) remove every trace of detergent, those resides will sit unseen in your carpets and continue to attract dirt. This means that your carpets get dirty quicker than they did before!
For some carpets and upholstery types, the good old washing and rinsing can be the best or only cleaning method. If you have furniture with delicate upholstery, using a water extractor with cold water and a mild detergent can be the only option that will not cause harm. PristineGreen Upholstery and Carpet Cleaning staff can easily identify for you the right cleaning method that is both effective and safe.
