Carpets endure a constant battle against dirt and grime, from muddy footprints to accidental spills. When it comes to cleaning them, two dominant methods strike in the minds of homeowners: steam cleaning and shampooing. However, is steam cleaning carpet better than shampooing is what concerns them the most.
In this blog post, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of both steam cleaning and shampooing, focusing on which method effectively removes dirt, keeps carpets fresh, and dries quickly. So before tackling grimy carpets, read on to discover your cleaning champion!
Is It Better to Steam Clean Or Shampoo The Carpets?
1. Let's Explore Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning, also known as hot water extraction, is a powerful deep-cleaning method. It uses hot water and a cleaning solution to permeate the carpet and remove allergens, dirt, or stubborn stains from the fibers. A vacuum cleaner then sucks up the loose dirt, leaving the carpets fresh and sanitized.
1.1 How Good Is Steam Cleaning?
Now let's see what steam cleaning has got to offer you!
- Steam cleaning penetrates deeply into your carpet to remove dirt and allergens that regular vacuuming or traditional cleaning methods may miss.
- When compared to shampooing, steam cleaning uses less water, making it an environmentally friendly choice.
- Additionally, carpets dry more quickly with steam cleaning, reducing the risk of mold and mildew growth.
- Can effectively tackle common carpet stains like chocolate, ink, pet urine, and red wine from your carpet, assuming traditional solutions fail to do so.
1.2 What Are Its Cons?
While steam cleaning offers many advantages, it also comes with certain disadvantages. Take a look at them.
- Steam cleaning presents a greater risk of fiber damage when excessive or incorrect methods are used.
- If not rinsed adequately, steam cleaning may result in significant residue buildup, which has a tendency to attract dirt.
- It requires proper drying and, if not done so properly, can invite moisture to affect and shrink away the fibers.
2. What You Need To Know About Shampooing
Shampooing is another method for deep cleaning carpets, but it works in a different way. To shampoo your carpet, you'll need a shampoo and a machine to scrub the carpet fibers.
Most homeowners have separate tanks for clean solution and dirty water extraction, so working in small sections and, most importantly, following the manufacturer's instructions, they do a forward pass to distribute the cleaning solution and a backward pass to extract the dirty solution, followed by a thorough rinsing to clean up the residue.
2.1 Benefits Of Shampooing
So let us see what advantages carpet shampooing yields!
- Shampoo solutions are easily available in most stores, making it easy for you to choose the product of your choice.
- The same goes for the machines – they are readily available to buy or rent at an affordable price.
- Shampooing eliminates unpleasant odors caused by pet accidents, spills, or general mustiness, leaving your carpets smelling fresh and clean.
2.2 Drawbacks Of Shampooing
Similar to steaming, shampooing too has its weak points. Check them out!
- Carpet shampooing machines use more water, increasing the risk of over-wetting your carpets, which can lead to mold growth.
- Shampoos are more likely to leave residue compared to steam cleaning solutions, which can attract more dirt than they remove.
- Shampooing also requires more effort and time compared to steam cleaning to get the carpets cleaned and back to a usable condition.
The Final Say!
So, to answer your question: Is steam cleaning carpet better than shampooing? In most cases, it is, as it effectively eliminates hidden pests, stains, bacteria, and dirt, and is capable of heavy-duty cleaning without requiring long drying times. Moreover, it minimizes water usage, reducing the risk of carpet damage compared to shampooing.
Additionally, steam cleaning provides gentle cleansing, while shampooing can potentially degrade carpet fibers due to scrubbing during the process. Although shampooing is not without merit, steam cleaning stands out as the superior choice on any given day.
You can also read: Is Carpet Cleaning Helpful for Allergy Season?
