Posted by Todd Ellebruch on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 09:09 AM
Today many people are looking for an Eco-friendly approach when cleaning their home. If this is something that you are striving for, why settle for anything less when it comes to having your carpets cleaned? With the many professional carpet cleaning companies in the industry there are numerous processes and even more types of chemicals that can be used.
What process is best?
Hot water extraction is the most utilized cleaning process in the carpet cleaning industry according to Cleanfax Magazine, the frontrunner cleaning magazine in the business. Shaw Industries and Mohawk Industries, the two largest carpet manufactures in the world, recommend hot water extraction for the maintenance cleaning of carpet. Other processes include, but are not limited to, the application of moistened materials and chemicals to the carpet for vacuuming.
How can you determine if the process is environmentally friendly?
If the company is using hot water extraction and the water is hot enough, virtually no chemicals will be needed to clean the carpet. The water needs to reach at least 200°F to achieve optimal cleanliness. The extremely hot water penetrates the carpet fibers loosening the dirt, soil and grease while the vacuum extracts the dirty water. Keep in mind, for every 15° increase in temperature the cleaning ability of the water doubles! Not all carpet cleaning companies can achieve this intense temperature level for cleaning and in turn, will revert to using chemicals on the carpet.
Consult your professional carpet cleaning company to find out what process they use to clean your carpets.