Carpets can be some of the best floor coverings for your home. They are warmer, and cosier, and create a welcoming atmosphere for you and your guests. The upsides are clear, but when you think about keeping your carpets clean the downsides can feel overwhelming. Especially in a household with pets and children, a love of strong foods or really anything that can cause dirt or odours to gather in your carpet.
Steam cleaning is one of the best ways to properly get your carpets clean, but is it actually good for them and why? Read on to find out more…
Is steam cleaning good for carpets?
Unlike wood, laminate or hybrid vinyl floors which can easily be swept and mopped to get clean, carpets are much trickier. You can’t exactly mop a carpet – though a steam cleaner does come close in some ways.
Carpets that aren’t adequately cleaned over time become faded and dull, dirty and smelly. They lose their comforting feel and can indeed make entering a room unpleasant if they hold bad odours. Vacuuming alone is not enough over time. You need something more, something better to truly get your carpets clean.
Steam cleaning can indeed leave your carpets looking and smelling fantastic. It is the best way to remove any dirt, but also any build-up of oils, skin and even odours. Here we will look at some of the upsides and downsides of steam cleaning your carpets, to help you decide if it is the right choice.
What are the pros of carpet steam cleaning?
There are many pros to giving your carpets a steam clean, especially when it is carried out by local carpet cleaning services who really know what they are doing. The main ones include that:
- It ensures a truly deep clean – even if you hoover every day, you will never get your carpets as clean as a proper steam clean will.
- It does not harm the carpet – as long as the job is done right, you can clean your carpets every few months without fear of harming them. It is also far better than using harsh chemicals which can cause yellowing or damage which can occur with dry cleaning and other cleaning methods.
- It leaves your carpets looking good as new – steam cleaning can brighten up your carpets to such a degree that they look good as new, far better than just hoovering or other cleaning methods.
- It is more sanitary – steam cleaning thoroughly removes bacteria, grime and pollutants from your carpets. People spend around half of their time in their homes, so it is essential that you keep it as clean and sanitary as possible.
- It is perfect if you have pets – we all love our pets, but there is no denying that pet odours can work their way into the carpet and leave the room with an unpleasant smell. Steam cleaning removes these odours as well as hair and other pet-related mess.
- It is environmentally friendly – steam cleaners are mostly water-based, which means that using one is better than a more chemical-based cleaning method. Your family and pets will enjoy fewer chemicals, and you will be pumping less back into the waterways when you are done.
- It is healthier – people with asthma or who suffer from allergies will find that a steam cleaning greatly reduces the allergens in your carpets and your home. From the above-mentioned pet hair to dust and debris, carpets can be an excellent container for these particles, and a steam cleaner can effectively remove them.
- It is good for air quality – as well as containing these particles, carpets that are dusty and dirty can make the room feel stuffy and closed. Using a steam cleaner can freshen up the air in the whole room and leave your home not only clean but with better airflow as well.
What are the cons of carpet steam cleaning?
While there are many upsides, there are several downsides to consider when getting your carpet steam cleaned. If you are considering making it a regular part of your cleaning schedule. The cons to steam cleaning are:
- It can make your carpet unnecessarily damp – other methods will leave your carpets much less wet, and if they get too wet, this can in itself cause mouldy odours and issues to occur.
- It can take a while to dry – likewise, if your carpet does get too wet this can take a long time to dry. This can cause annoyance if you have to avoid the room or rooms, and also if you have had to lift off any furniture.
- While damp you can actually make more mess – in some cases simply avoiding a damp carpet isn’t possible, especially not for 24 hours or more. You could well end up having to step on it, or having someone else step on it, undoing much of the good work through muddy paw prints or not quite clean shoes.
- It can wear down your carpet over time – if you try and make steam cleaning a part of your weekly routine this can have a negative effect on your carpets over time.
- It can be expensive – if you go with the wrong company or do it too often, steam cleaning can not only cost you a lot to get done, but can also cost you if you have to replace your carpets sooner than planned.
Final thoughts
The pros of steam cleaning do outweigh the cons, as long as you do the job well and not too often. Steam cleaning is indeed good for carpets in that it gets them clean and back to being good as new. As long as you avoid over-cleaning them. It is also the best way to remove oils and odours that would otherwise leave you wishing for alternative floor coverings.
Carpet cleaning doesn’t have to be too expensive to be done right. If you are looking to get your carpets cleaned, check out the local options like Statewide carpet cleaners near you today.
