Dry Carpet Cleaning

Dry carpet cleaning is a slightly misleading term.  It is not actually completely dry, but it is certainly not the same as the wet carpet cleaning that takes place by saturating the carpet with water and chemicals and then vacuuming these both back up.  Unfortunately, most consumers will find that this method takes hours to dry during which they must not walk on their carpet.  In addition to that the shampoo never comes out of the carpet fibers completely and it can leave a stiff or sticky residue.  This is not always noticeable simply from walking on the carpet, but it is often noticed upon closer inspection and children crawl around on carpet that is then saturated with cleaning chemicals, likely putting their hands in their mouth afterward.  Most parents are much more conscientious than what society and the media give them credit for, and they likely would not want this residue in their carpet for their children and pets to pick up and potentially ingest.  This, coupled with the drying time and the potential for a lack of proper drying which can create mold and mildew in the carpet fibers, is enough to make any consumer stop and consider whether they really want to use the wet carpet cleaning method when the dry carpet cleaning method is available to them.

The process of dry carpet cleaning involves using particles that are saturated with water and cleaning chemicals.  A special machine is used to work these particles, which are similar to a white powder or dust, into the carpet fibers so that they go all of the way down into the carpet instead of only remaining on the surface.  They remain for a specified amount of time and then they are vacuumed up.  In theory, this sounds like a great way to clean a carpet and it also sounds as though it is very easy to do.  However, there can be problems.  The largest concern is that all of the powder that is rubbed into the carpet will not actually be vacuumed up properly and this will create a problem with the powder attaching itself to shoes and pant legs. 

Naturally, there are chemicals in this powder that individuals likely do not want all over them and because of this using a dry carpet cleaning method only works well if the carpet is vacuumed very thoroughly afterward, whether this is done by a professional or by a consumer.  Usually, the professional will put the powder into the carpet and then vacuum it up, but it is often a good idea for the consumer to vacuum the carpet again, at least once, after the professional has left, just to ensure that the largest number of particles have been removed from the carpet.  If the carpet is later cleaned with a wet method, the consumer can expect to find more powder at that time and this can also be problematic, so determining whether one wants to use a dry carpet cleaning method is not something that a consumer should take lightly.  A consumer should be sure to research all options before deciding what the best method is for a specific carpet and individual.