Regular and deep carpet cleaning are both essential to maintaining your floor and wall coverings’ appearance and hygiene. The former helps maintain carpets’ general appearance and hygiene, while deep cleaning removes embedded dirt, allergens, bacteria, and tough stains that regular vacuuming misses.
Understanding the nuances between these two methods can help you decide which one is best for your home in a given situation. You’d want to make the right choice, given that carpets may trap allergens and pollutants that can have negative health impacts, per the American Lung Association.
What Is Regular Carpet Cleaning?
Regular carpet cleaning typically involves vacuuming and spot cleaning. It helps maintain carpets and keep day-to-day dirt and allergens at bay.
Regular carpet maintenance and cleaning involve using a vacuum to remove dirt and dust particles. Spot cleaning, which is treating stains and spills right away with carpet-friendly cleaning solutions, is another method.
What Is Deep Carpet Cleaning?
Deep carpet cleaning uses specialized cleaning equipment and solutions to provide a thorough cleanse. It digs deeper into the fibers to remove:
- Ingrained dirt
- Allergens
- Bacteria
Deep cleaning employs cleansing and stain removal techniques such as steam cleaning. Steam cleaning uses high-pressure hot water extraction to remove dirt and sanitize the carpets.
Another is shampooing, which involves spreading a foaming agent over the carpet and extracting it. There’s also bonnet cleaning, which uses a rotary machine with a cleaning pad to absorb dirt.
What Are Their Pros and Cons?
According to the U.S. EPA, indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the health and environmental concerns associated with carpets.
One reason is that ill-maintained carpets trap unwanted particles. Ultimately, they can lower your home’s IAQ.
Fortunately, among the primary benefits of regular carpet cleaning are:
- Being easy, convenient, and requiring minimal tools
- Catching debris and spills immediately, preventing larger stains
- Maintaining carpet hygiene and appearance
The key drawback is that regular cleaning doesn’t completely sanitize or remove all allergens.
Deep cleaning benefits, on the other hand, include:
- Removing stubborn stains and deep-seated dirt
- Sanitizing and revitalizing older carpets, making them look brand new
- Improving IAQ by reducing allergens
The downside? It requires professional carpet and home cleaning services, which can cost more upfront.
How Often Should You Have Carpets Cleaned?
Regular carpet cleaning should include vacuuming at least once weekly and addressing spills promptly.
For deep cleaning, the typical guideline is to do it every 12 to 18 months. It can help maintain your carpet’s overall appearance and quality while also contributing to a healthier IAQ.
Is It Worth Professionally Cleaning a Carpet?
Yes. While you can do regular cleaning yourself, you should consider investing in routine professional carpet cleaning.
Experts use powerful equipment and specialized techniques for deeper, more effective cleansing that’s hard to achieve with DIY methods. They can help save you time and effort, and you can worry less about ruining your carpets with the wrong cleaning solution or technique while ensuring they get the TLC they need.
Ready for a Cleaner Home?
At Steam Wave, we understand the importance of maintaining your carpets. With years of experience in professional carpet cleaning, upholstery care, flood restoration, and water damage clean-up, we aim to provide unparalleled services.
Transform your living space and ensure a healthier environment for your family. Contact us today for a consultation!