If your carpet is starting to look a little beaten and dusty, you might be battling with the option of either cleaning it yourself or hiring professional carpet cleaning services. Well, renting a cleaning machine for DIY cleaning and hiring a pro are both viable options, but if you take a closer look, you will notice that one option is more suitable for your situation.
If you rent a carpet cleaner machine, it’s possible that you can clean your carpet reasonably well, but if your carpet needs frequent cleaning, then you’re better off hiring a professional cleaning service. Different cleaning machines vary in terms of handling and power, but their cleaning concept, which is steam cleaning, is pretty much the same.
When most people think about steam cleaning, what comes to their minds is steam coming out of the machine and infusing into the carpet for cleaning purposes. However, the steam is actually just the side effect –most machines work by spreading hot water mixed with the detergent into the carpet and sucking it all up (well, most of it) back with the dirt, allergens, and other contaminants.
That’s is the basic working concept that most carpet cleaning machines use –hot water mixed with the detergent is worked into the carpet, and then sucked out using a vacuum action along with the residue. Some carpet cleaners use absorbent powder and absorbent pads to achieve the cleaning effect, but this method has seen declining favor from various carpet manufacturing companies.
If you don’t have the right training and experience in handling a particular machine you’ve hired, you might end up over-doing the cleaning, placing stress on the carpet fibers and initiating premature aging. In addition, using the wrong cleaning machine, method or detergent might end up voiding your carpet’s warranty.
Professional carpet cleaning companies tend to invest in high-quality machines and better training and will have an advantage over DIY cleaning. They have handled all manner of carpets, and they’re least likely to make some of the popular DIY carpet cleaning mistakes such as rinsing insufficiently or using too much detergent.
If you’re looking for industrial scale cleaning service, you will notice that the pros already have advanced, large cleaning machines that have more features for effective cleaning. Such machines also have more powerful suctioning which will extract more water and leave your carpet drier –you don’t want to stop your operations for over three days just because you’re waiting on your carpet to dry.
The pros have the tools, equipment, and methods that push the detergent deep into your carpet fibers to remove even the most stubborn, deep-seated stains. With extensive knowledge and experience, the pros will also use specialized formulation to address unique situations such as ink on your carpet, or if the dog had an accident on your carpet.
On the downside, having your carpet professional cleaned can be more expensive compared to hiring a machine for DIY cleaning. But it’s important to note that the quality of most rental machines is not the best, with some machines having been configured wrongly by previous renters. In addition, frequent deep cleaning of your carpet requires a lot of effort and discipline –and going for too long without proper deep cleaning will lead to progressing and irreversible deterioration of your carpet.
While there’re minor problems that you can address on your own in between professional washes, carpet manufacturers recommend regular professional carpet cleaning to extend its durability. Based on how you use your carpet, a professional cleaning frequency of 6 to 12 months is considered sufficient.
It’s important to note that if the water is not completely extracted from your carpet during cleaning, it might create a favorable environment for the growth of mold and mildew, and breeding of harmful bacteria. When mold is neglected or goes undetected under your carpet for too long, you might end up having to replace your carpet.
Bottom line
With all the caveats discussed above, it would appear that hiring a professional carpet cleaning service is a much more effective and safer bet compared to DIY cleaning. Professional carpet cleaning will provide a more robust and effective cleaning that will ensure your carpet lasts longer, looking clean and presentable.