DIY or Professional Carpet Cleaning: Pros and Cons

by Martin Moran Project Management Consultant

Even if you vacuum your carpets regularly, they should be professionally cleaned at least every 6 to 12 months. Competent carpet cleaning will extend their life and contribute to better indoor air quality.

Do It Yourself Carpet Cleaning

Ideally, a carpet should be cleaned by professionals. However, to save money, some people try DIY. It's far less expensive, but almost never as effective as the professional cleaning. It also involves a great amount of time, hard work and possible damage to the carpet. Here are three most common ways a DIY cleaning can ruin your carpets:

* Over shampooing: It occurs when either too much shampoo is used or the carpet is not completely rinsed. Both are practically inevitable, by applying many of the DIY approaches. This is the reason why even hard-core DIYs should occasionally use professional cleaning. If they don't, the build-up soapy residue can be impossible to clean out, leaving a carpet that becomes a virtual dirt magnet.

* Over wetting: It occurs when too much water soaks into the bottom of the carpet. Some carpets may shrink or even lose colors if they get too wet. There is also additional risk of mold and mildew.

* Failing to protect the wet carpet from furniture: If left in contact with wet surface, some kinds of wood furniture may release dyes into the carpet's textile. Many pieces of soft furniture have metal feet, that can rust and leave stains.

Professional Carpet Cleaning Methods

Many professional contractors in Atlanta (where I live) will use dry extraction to clean your carpets. Technically, it's not a "dry" procedure, but more of a moisture controlled process. The technicians will use a machine with two counter-revolving brushes, that will move the cleaning detergents through the carpet's material. The cleaner will supply enough liquid to dissolve the dirt. After that it will re-absorb soil and liquid, leaving the carpet dry for vacuuming and immediate use. Some cleaning pros spray a carbonated solution onto the carpet, which allows the agents to get to the carpet fibers with minimum wetting.

Here are two important differences between DIY approaches and professional methods:

1) Pros do this all day every day. The gained experience helps them understand the maximum potential of each cleaning system and avoid any hazards.

2) Pros use more sophisticated equipment and cleaning agents. For example, there is a machine that can shampoo the carpet and then follow with hot water extraction. Its vacuuming system is extremely powerful and is mounted on a truck, parked outside the house.

Carpet Cleaning Extras You May Get

* Carpet stain removal: Some contractors include stain removal in their base price. Others charge extra for individual stains or for highly soiled areas. Be sure to ask about this upfront.

* Carpet pre-treatment: Most cleaning results can be improved by spraying an agent on the carpet a few minutes before the actual cleaning. The non-toxic chemicals will help dissolve oils and grease, so the final cleaning will extract even more dirt.

* Deodorizing and pet odor treatments: The cleaning itself accomplishes most of the possible carpet odor reduction. Additional deodorizing is more like masking the odor with some stronger and more pleasant scent. Keep in mind that carpet perfumes have only temporary effect and may be irritating to some people.

* Anti-microbial treatment: It's practically impossible to kill most mold, mildew and microbes just by the cleaning itself. The anti-microbial treatment creates a hostile environment for these microbes to reproduce and spread. Also it helps control odor issues, extend the carpet's useful life and provide considerable relief to allergy sufferers.

By understanding the pros and cons of a professional or DIY carpet cleaning, you will be able to make the right choice for your favorite flooring and your home.