Top 5 Carpet Cleaning Myths

Carpet cleaning is the subject of much confusion with consumers. Here are some of the leading myths about carpet cleaning and the actual truth behind the misconceptions.

Myth: Cleaning carpeting too often can ruin it.

This is a misconception we hear frequently. Dirt left in carpeting breaks down carpet fibers and accelerates wear. Because dirt is abrasive, every time you walk on carpeting, dirt cuts into the carpet fibers, causing it to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean carpet. And while vacuuming helps — by itself, it’s simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.

Myth: The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the dirt.

Outside air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust — and hundreds of other chemicals. When you and your family members come into your home, you carry those pollens, bacteria and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals, pollens and bacteria wind up — you guessed it — in your carpet.

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems — one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and chemicals in your carpet.

In addition, as you may know, tobacco smoke contains over 4000 different chemical compounds, 43 of which cause cancer. And even if you don’t smoke, those chemicals get on your shoes, you track them in to your home and you leave them in your carpet.

If you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, you might find that you’ll breath easier after you hire a company to get those harmful chemicals out of your carpet.

So in addition to getting rid of dirt, another important reason to clean your carpet is to get rid of pollens, fungus, bacteria, chemicals and the tars and residue from tobacco smoke.

Myth: Steam cleaning your carpeting will cause mold.

With the steam cleaning method, water does not go beyond the backing of the carpeting or into the pad, which means that there are no conditions for mold to grow. A professional carpet cleaning company, like Old West Cleaning, that utilizes the proper cleaning equipment and techniques will remove all excess moisture.

Myth: Carpets will be left wet for days.

When carpet is cleaned using the hot water extraction method with the proper cleaning techniques and equipment, it should be dry (in most cases) within a few hours. In some instances, where

humidity is high or other conditions that might slow drying exist, the carpet might take longer to dry.

Myth: Dry cleaning does a better job than steam cleaning.

The truth is, the hot water extraction method (also known as steam cleaning) is the recommended method by carpet manufacturers. Why? Steam cleaning provides the most thorough cleaning available because it uses hot water to help clean and sanitize and removes dirt, bacteria and contaminants from the base of the carpet fibers.

The dry cleaning method still uses some water, but only cleans the top surface of the carpeting, not deep down into the base of the carpet fibers where the majority of dirt, bacteria and contaminants settle over time. Another issue with dry cleaning is that the solution being used to clean the carpet is neither rinsed nor extracted which means that residue is left behind. If a spot is deep down in the carpeting, which many tend to be, the spot will often reappear shortly after being cleaned since it was never actually removed in the first place.

Check with your carpet manufacturer for the recommended cleaning method. Choosing a method of cleaning other than what the carpet manufacturer recommends could actually void your warranty.

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