How to do DIY steam carpet cleaning perfectly?


An occasional steam clean is a fantastic alternative if you want to freshen up your carpets, stop the spread of allergens and germs, remove carpet stains, or just get your bond back. Routine carpet cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is crucial. There’s no need to employ a carpet cleaning company! Here’s how to carry it out on your own for carpeting and rugs.
Although you could certainly hire a professional to deep clean your carpets, you can easily do it yourself. The procedure of steam cleaning your carpet moves quickly after you’ve cleaned and prepped the area. Additionally, the outcomes are so outstanding that it’s a highly satisfying task!
WHY STEAM CLEAN CARPET AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
It’s a good idea to steam clean carpets to get rid of dirt and other debris that has been embedded in the carpet fibers. Water, soap, and a steam cleaner are needed. Wait until a nice time, when there won’t be much foot traffic and it will be warm and dry outside, so you can open the windows to dry the carpet when you’re done.
Prior to steam cleaning, make sure to completely vacuum the space. Add the recommended quantity of soap and hot water to the machine. If you read the instructions carefully, your machine may work whether you pull or push it. Starting at a corner, make long strips by moving back and forth across the space. Utilize fans and lots of drying time to dry the carpet in this cleaning method.
““Carpet steam cleaning” is a deceptive word. Steam is produced when water reaches a temperature of around 202°F (100°C), which is high enough to melt the glue that holds the fibres of your carpet to the backing. Furthermore, such warmth may harm the subflooring’s adhesives.
Therefore, to differentiate it from the dry chemical compounds employed by certain carpet cleaning services, experts refer to it as the hot water extraction technique even though homeowners refer to it as “steam cleaning.” The best part is that it’s a technique you can do at home by following the given instructions.
STEPS TO SHAMPOO OR STEAM CLEAN YOUR CARPET
If you have a lot of carpet, purchasing a carpet cleaning machine is a great investment. You may rent one from your neighborhood hardware shop.
Stage 1 Clear the Floor in
Pick up all of the items on the floor, including toys and pillows. Small furniture should be moved to another room. Slide a piece of aluminium foil below the legs of any couches or tables you can’t move to protect them.
Stage 2: Thoroughly dust and vacuum
If there is too much dirt or pet hair on the floor, carpet cleaners might get blocked. Because the process of washing your carpet may cause dust from your baseboards to fall to the floor, be sure to dust them before you start. After that, thoroughly vacuum your floors, paying special attention to the base of walls and any furniture that you don’t intend to move.
Stage 3: Stain remover
Heat, particularly pet stains, may make certain stains more difficult to remove. When you’re done, they’ll seem to be gone, but they’ll come back a few days later.
What causes carpet stains to come back after shampooing?
The carpet’s fibres wicked the stain back to the surface when the carpet dried because the steam cleaner pushed the dirt deeper into the carpet pad. Therefore, get rid of carpet stains before steam cleaning your carpet. You should also pretreat any places where your carpets have dark edges where they meet the wall.
Stage 4. Prepare a carpet cleaning solution
Fill the machine’s cleaning tank with extremely hot (but not boiling) water, stopping just short of the fill line for the tank’s capacity. Then, for each quart of water (or 1/4 cup for every gallon) used, add one tablespoon of castile soap. You need to utilise what the manufacturer recommends if your unit is still covered under warranty.
Stage 5: Go from wall to wall slowly
The majority of carpet steam cleaners extract the cleaning agent as you draw it back and release it as you press forward. So, move the machine gently forward to allow the carpet to be “scrubbed” by the brushes while the carpet cleaning solution is applied.
After that, carefully draw the cleaner back to drain as much water as you can. Mold and mildew, as well as those scents, will result from too much moisture being left behind. If necessary, drain the unclean water tank, and when the cleaning solution begins to cool, replenish it. As required, empty the filthy water tank.
Stage 6. Prepare a Rinsing Solution
For the second pass, empty the clean water tank and replace it with extremely hot water mixed 50/50 with distilled white vinegar. (Avoid using apple cider vinegar; it contains pectins that might draw bugs into the home.)
Acetic acid in vinegar helps remove remaining allergens, dissolves more oil, filth, and grime, and deodorises your carpet in addition to neutralising and eliminating the soap. Following this procedure, you don’t need to rinse it again since doing so can oversaturate the carpet.
Finally
If it’s warm enough, open the windows in your house to hasten the drying process. Run fans to speed up the drying of your carpet. Even if there is enough air flow, you should wait 8 to 12 hours after steam cleaning your carpet before moving your furniture.
Even though the carpeting seems dry to the touch, the pad underneath may still be drying. For the protection of your carpet and furniture, please be patient and give it at least a day.