Carpets can add a lot of beauty to your home when kept clean and plush. Keeping your carpet clean has never been easier with the invention of the carpet cleaner. There are several models of the carpet cleaner available today, to include the extraction cleaner, carpet sprayer, steam cleaner and dry cleaner. The type of cleaner a person chooses is greatly dependent upon the size of the job and how deeply the dirt penetrated the carpet.
An extraction cleaner is a style of carpet cleaner that involves saturating the carpet with a water and cleaning solution. After the solution penetrates deep into the carpet fibers, it is extracted back into the cleaner via a vacuum system. This method is highly effective but it uses a lot of water and leaves the carpet thoroughly wet for up to 24 hours. Due to the amount of work involved, and the size of the machinery, this cleaner is recommended for the deep cleaning of heavily soiled areas on an irregular basis.
A carpet sprayer is a type of device that resembles a chemical sprayer used in pest control services. It consists of a small tank filled with a chemical agent and a hose with a sprayer attachment. The cleaning solution is left on the soiled area for a predetermined period of time, in which it is then rinsed, or a secondary application is applied. This style carpet cleaner is used primarily for heavy stain removal, or the cleaning of high traffic areas.
Steam cleaners are becoming as common to find in the average household as a standard vacuum cleaner. It is the size of the average vacuum and just as easy to use, making it great for shampooing the carpets in the entire house at one time. A carpet cleaning solution is poured into a small tank with hot water. The cleaner uses rotating brushes and the cleaning solution to extract dirt from the carpet, where it is emptied into a separate section of the tank. Steam cleaners are great devices for removing surface dirt, but are often inadequate at removing dirt that has become deeply embedded.
Dry cleaners are similar to steam cleaners, in that they are small and compact, but they use less water. They are frequently used by people who prefer to walk on their carpet immediately after cleaning. Like the steam cleaner, it is efficient in removing surface dirt only. Because of the cleaner's size and ease of use, it works great for shampooing the whole house with one short cleaning spree, including hardwood flooring.
