There are many different ways which you can take when approaching a carpet and upholstery cleaning task. The reason you are cleaning (general clean, removal of stains etc) as well as the kind of fabric you are cleaning both determine the kind of method you will choose. Whether you are going to use a professional carpet cleaning service or you are planning on doing it yourself, here are some basic guidelines to follow to make sure you don't damage the material.
Methods of cleaning carpets and large area rugs:
Other than the countless 'housewives remedies', there are generally five recognized methods of cleaning carpets. Steam (also known as hot water extraction), shampoo, bonnet or quick dry and dry absorbent compound cleaning.
Steam cleaning (a.k.a hot water extraction) is probably the most popular of all the different methods but not always the best since the drying time, depending on the material, can be as long as 12 hours. A high-powered pump sprays a cleaning fluid into the carpet which is then sucked out immediately by a strong vacuum.
Any appliance store can offer you a wide variety of carpet cleaning machines. Many of these appliances are upright, free standing units with a solution tank for the cleaning fluid and two or three nylon brushes on the underside. The procedure is the automated version of somebody cleaning with a scrubbing brush in that the dirt is loosened by the brushes and then the dirt and dust is then vacuumed (normally with a separate vacuum cleaner) afterwards. As with steam cleaning, the carpet takes about 12 hours to dry.
The quick dry or bonnet method might seem to be the same as shampooing the carpet, in fact the machinery is very similar. Instead of the two or three nylon brushes, the machine has a couple of highly absorbent buffing pads. A special quick dry cleaning solution is firstly distributed over the carpet and the machine then buffs the carpet clean by absorbing the solution as well as the dirt. It only takes about an hour to dry so this method is a must for high traffic areas.
Dry foam cleaning is a hybrid of the steam and shampooing methods. A machine with rollers first spreads foam over the carpet after which a vacuum cleaner is used to remove all the remaining foam and the dirt. The foam dries quickly, often within an hour or two.
Dry absorbent compound is a powder which contains solvents and detergents, which are spread lightly on the carpet. You, or the professional you hire, uses a machine which scrubs the mixture into the carpet fibers and the carpet is left to stand for a bit. After a little wait, the vacuum cleaner is then used to suck up the compound (which has by now absorbed all the dirt) as a result the carpet stays as dry as it was when you started. This is probably the best method to use if you have thick carpets which can go moldy underneath if they stay wet for too long.
How to clean upholstery
The upholstery fabric is what normally determines what kind of cleaning method will be used. Velvets and silks, for example, can only be dry cleaned and, unless you really know what you are doing, is best left to an upholstery cleaning professional. Other more durable fabrics can be steam cleaned similar to carpets as they do not suffer any side effects from getting wet. The hot extraction method (steam cleaning) is identical to that which is used for carpets except that the nozzle is a small, hand held version. Hand shampooing can also be used but instead of using a machine the cleaning fluid is agitated into a foam and this foam is then applied to the fabric using a sponge.
Recognising Upholstery
When it comes to cleaning fabric furniture, most people don't know what the best method to use should be. Search for the manufacturer's instructions label. You should find it lurking at the bottom of one or all of the cushions and this should contain the manufactures suggestions, warnings and instructions. Apart from all the other images and text, look out for one of three codes: 'S', 'W' or 'SW'. 'W' indicates that wet cleaning is permissible while the 'S' states that the material should only be dry cleaned. 'SW' indicates that the material is suitable for both wet and dry cleaning methods.
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