In order to choose the right carpet shampoo for your home, you need to understand a little bit about the different types of carpet shampoo and the benefits and limitations of each. There are two major classifications of carpet cleaners. There is dry carpet shampoo and liquid carpet shampoo. The main difference is clear based on the names. The types of factors that might steer you in one direction or another are things like the carpet cleaning equipment available to you, the color of your carpet, the sensitivity of your carpet to bleach or harsh chemicals, and whether mold and mildew growth is a large concern for your climate. Taking all of these things into consideration will help you choose the right carpet shampoo.
Dry carpet shampoos can be further divided into two categories - dry powder carpet cleaner and dry foam carpet cleaner. The dry powders are very easy to use. The only equipment needed is a vacuum cleaner and a medium bristled brush. You first sprinkle the slightly moist powder over an area no larger than five by ten. If you work on an area that is too large, you run the risk of the powder drying up before you get a chance to work it into the carpet. Once the powder is down, you use your brush to work the powder down into the carpet. If the brush is too hard it will damage the carpet fibers and if it is too soft it will just push the powder around don the surface and not work it down into the fibers. After you let the dry carpet powder sit for twenty to thirty minutes, you vacuum up the powder and dirt. During the waiting period, the powder's magnetism will attract any dirt particles that are in the carpet and adhere to the powder. The vacuum will take away all the cleaner as well as the dirt.
The second variety of dry carpet shampoo is dry foam. The process for using dry foam is identical to the dry powder. The difference between these two methods is in how the work. Instead of attracting the dirt with magnetism, the dry foam uses encapsulation. The dirt particles are surrounded by foam particles. As the foam dries into a crystalline powder, the dirt becomes trapped in a crystal lattice of foam. The final step is to vacuum away the dirt and powder.
Liquid carpet shampoos often work better than the dry carpet shampoos, but there are some concerns when using this type of product. First, a liquid carpet shampoo requires the use of a carpet shampoo machine. Not everyone owns one of these contraptions, but they are easy enough to rent. However, you will spend more money renting or buying a shampooer than you would on the brush you need for dry carpet cleaners. Keep in mind, though, that you do not need to match the brand of your carpet cleaner to the brand of carpet cleaning machine. For example, Bissell carpet shampoo [http://easycarpetshampoo.com/] does not require a Bissell carpet shampoo machine and vice versa.
When the carpet shampooer is operational, water is combined with the shampoo and sprayed onto the carpet under high pressure. The brush system works the lather into your carpet and then heavy duty suction removes the soapy liquid. There are two possible problems with this procedure. First, any time you introduce water to your carpet or any fabric, you run the risk of mold and mildew problems coming about. If you climate is particularly conducive to these problems, then you might want to stay with dry carpet shampoos. Second, if you do not remove all the soap, you might experience a phenomenon known as wicking. Wicking is when the soap particles left behind attract dirt and then migrate to the surface. Any dirt left deep down in the carpet will make its way to the surface and your carpet could look worse when you are finished than it did when you started. You need to weigh the pros and cons of each kind of carpet cleaner before making your decision.
Dry carpet shampoos can be further divided into two categories - dry powder carpet cleaner and dry foam carpet cleaner. The dry powders are very easy to use. The only equipment needed is a vacuum cleaner and a medium bristled brush. You first sprinkle the slightly moist powder over an area no larger than five by ten. If you work on an area that is too large, you run the risk of the powder drying up before you get a chance to work it into the carpet. Once the powder is down, you use your brush to work the powder down into the carpet. If the brush is too hard it will damage the carpet fibers and if it is too soft it will just push the powder around don the surface and not work it down into the fibers. After you let the dry carpet powder sit for twenty to thirty minutes, you vacuum up the powder and dirt. During the waiting period, the powder's magnetism will attract any dirt particles that are in the carpet and adhere to the powder. The vacuum will take away all the cleaner as well as the dirt.
The second variety of dry carpet shampoo is dry foam. The process for using dry foam is identical to the dry powder. The difference between these two methods is in how the work. Instead of attracting the dirt with magnetism, the dry foam uses encapsulation. The dirt particles are surrounded by foam particles. As the foam dries into a crystalline powder, the dirt becomes trapped in a crystal lattice of foam. The final step is to vacuum away the dirt and powder.
Liquid carpet shampoos often work better than the dry carpet shampoos, but there are some concerns when using this type of product. First, a liquid carpet shampoo requires the use of a carpet shampoo machine. Not everyone owns one of these contraptions, but they are easy enough to rent. However, you will spend more money renting or buying a shampooer than you would on the brush you need for dry carpet cleaners. Keep in mind, though, that you do not need to match the brand of your carpet cleaner to the brand of carpet cleaning machine. For example, Bissell carpet shampoo [http://easycarpetshampoo.com/] does not require a Bissell carpet shampoo machine and vice versa.
When the carpet shampooer is operational, water is combined with the shampoo and sprayed onto the carpet under high pressure. The brush system works the lather into your carpet and then heavy duty suction removes the soapy liquid. There are two possible problems with this procedure. First, any time you introduce water to your carpet or any fabric, you run the risk of mold and mildew problems coming about. If you climate is particularly conducive to these problems, then you might want to stay with dry carpet shampoos. Second, if you do not remove all the soap, you might experience a phenomenon known as wicking. Wicking is when the soap particles left behind attract dirt and then migrate to the surface. Any dirt left deep down in the carpet will make its way to the surface and your carpet could look worse when you are finished than it did when you started. You need to weigh the pros and cons of each kind of carpet cleaner before making your decision.