Every once in a while, it's probably a good idea to undertake carpet steam cleaning to remove dust, stains, odours and other debris embedded into carpet fibres thanks to constant feet movement. If you have decided to hire or buy a carpet steam cleaner for this task, you must follow certain steps to do a thorough job. Alternatively, if you don't have the time or expertise to do this task on your own, an expert carpet cleaner will steam clean your carpets professionally and efficiently.

Vacuum Thoroughly Before Cleaning

Carpet shampooers or steam cleaners are not vacuums and will not pull out dirt as much as vacuums. Steam cleaners are designed to wash and extract deeply embedded grime from carpets, but if you want them to be extremely effective, then you should vacuum thoroughly before undertaking carpet steam cleaning. Make sure you remove as much dust as possible from the corners and below furniture before steam cleaning your carpets.

Treat Any Stain Before Steam Cleaning

While carpet steam cleaning machines extract a tremendous amount of grime, they will not be able to treat stains as easily. A stain removal cleaner is easily available at your nearest home improvement store. You simply need to follow the manufacturer's instructions for treating the carpet stain. This is important because you don't want the stain to come back after you finish steam cleaning your carpet.

Operate The Steam Cleaner Accurately Over The Carpet

Use the recommended products from the manufacturer in the machine and operate it accurately over the carpet. Keep in mind that most carpet steam cleaning machines will spurt out water when you push it forward and will extract it when you pull back. After spurting out the detergent-based water by moving the machine forward, make sure you pull it back very slowly to ensure maximum water extraction from the carpet. Keep in mind that leaving too much water behind will cause your carpet to remain soaked for longer than necessary. This can lead to the growth of mould and mildew, while strange odours emanate from these wet carpets. Always ensure you extract as much water as you can before letting your carpets dry naturally.

Ventilate The Room To Speed Up Drying

Now that the steam cleaning process is over, make sure you ventilate the room well to speed up carpet drying. You should ideally steam clean carpets when it's warm so that you can open up your windows. If you cannot open your windows, then use fans to quicken the drying process.

While you can undertake carpet steam cleaning on your own, this task will take up a chunk of your time. You can always hire professionals to do the job efficiently without consuming any of your precious time.