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By We tend to forget that the carpets at home or in the office, can often affect the air quality.
For example, dirty carpets with excessive dust particles trapped between carpet fibres can rise into the air we breathe when we walk on it – and we breathe in these dust particles. Besides airborne particles, microorganisms like bacteria, dust mites, mould and fungi also thrive in the warm and humid carpet.
Regular carpet cleaning not only helps to prolong a carpet’s lifespan, but regular professional carpet cleaning service also maintains the quality of the air we breathe. So keeping your carpet clean is important.
Carpet cleaning in Singapore
While many people vacuum their carpets or wipe off surface soiling to maintain carpet cleanliness, these methods are sufficient for day to day maintenance but are not enough to remove microorganisms like dust mites and bacteria.
Dust mites and other microorganisms are not so easily rooted out by just vacuuming and surface cleaning. They often reside deep in the fibres of the carpet material and it takes deep cleaning methods to really flush them out.
It also takes a relative humidity (RH) of 60% or more for microorganisms to grow, and in Singapore, it has an RH of between 60% in the mid-afternoon, to about 90% in the morning – making it an ideal place for bacteria and other microorganisms to multiply.
That is why cleaning it the right way is important, because you do not want to damage the carpet or the environment while doing so.
So how do I deep clean my carpet?
There are many solutions on how to clean carpets yourself. But DIY methods using home remedies often involve investing a lot more time, while results often vary; with some cases even making the carpet smell worse after cleaning.
While you can attempt to wash smaller ones on your own, bigger carpets and carpeted floors, such as those in the office, would often be better off with professional carpet cleaners.
There are many questions when it comes to professional carpet cleaning.
- Do professional carpet cleaners vacuum first?
- How soon can you walk on the carpet after cleaning?
- How long do professionally cleaned carpets take to dry?
- What is the safest carpet cleaning method?
- What is the best method for cleaning carpets?
- Is it worth getting carpets professionally cleaned?
- Is it better to shampoo or steam clean carpets?
- Do carpets get dirty faster after cleaning?
- And many other questions…
So let us look for the answers to these questions by studying the methods used by professional carpet cleaners.
Hot Water Extraction Cleaning
Also known as ‘Steam Carpet Cleaning’ among the professionals, the process utilises high-pressure hot water to agitate the fibres and threads of the carpet to allow for dirt to be efficiently dissolved. Usually, cleaning agents will also be added onto the soiled surfaces for just a short period. before a thorough rinse to wash off all the cleaning agents. Finally, the carpet is left to be air-dried and is ready for use in no time.
After the cleaning agent is settled in the carpet for a short duration of time, the carpet is “washed” by carpet cleaning equipment to rinse the cleaning agent thoroughly. The carpet is finally left to dry in room or air-conditioned temperatures.
For the average-sized carpeted offices of roughly 3000 sq ft, the Steam Carpet Cleaning method is ideal due to the amount of time it takes. After approximately 2 hours of cleaning, it then takes another 4 to 6 hours for the carpet to dry, which can be done overnight after everyone has knocked off from work.
Carpet Shampooing
If you do not rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing, your hair would feel uncomfortably “sticky” when your wet hair has dried. Carpets cleaned by the shampooing method would face similar consequence if carpet rinsing is not done thoroughly.
Before encapsulation technology for carpets came about in the 70s, shampoo cleaning was the most relied upon when cleaning our carpets. Shampooing of carpets often seems to be able to clean heavily soiled carpets, giving the impression the carpet is thoroughly cleaned.
However, carpet shampooing often leaves high amounts of wet foam residue in the carpet due to insufficient rinsing. Because of this, it gives the carpet a “sticky” feel, eventually causing the carpet to be re-soiled quickly.
Encapsulation
This method is very similar to shampooing as it relies on the aggressiveness of the brushing action, which is usually counter-rotating cylindrical brushes. The only difference is that the solution is pumped into foam and applied on the carpet before the brushing process, instead of using liquid shampoo. Thus, the carpet cleaner would use 80% less liquid than conventional carpet shampoo.
The revolution of foam encapsulation or dry foam method is the synthetic detergents used as the main cleaning ingredient, that will crystallize into powder form when it dries. The loose dirt particles in the carpet fibre will be encapsulated into powder when the applied cleaning foam dries and, finally, this powder is vacuumed or brushed away at the end of the cleaning process.
This technique has become more popular than carpet shampooing technology as it uses less water during the cleaning process. This results in shorter drying time when compared to carpet shampooing.
It can also be used with environmental-friendly products which produce less chemical residue after cleaning compared to carpet shampooing.
Although it has shown good cleaning results, this method only removes average levels of soiling, and there is a possibility of excessive residue and soil build up if the machine being used has inadequate extraction capabilities.
Bonnet Cleaning
The Bonnet Cleaning method produces great results as it utilises a heavy-duty motorised machine that cleans the surface of the carpet fibres. Its reliability is further emphasised with a cleaning solution that effectively absorbs dirt from the carpet.
The Bonnet method is widely used in many hotels as it serves to be a quick and fuss-free solution to clean carpets where many step foot on, such as the reception, corridor and other public spaces. Carpets in such heavy footprint areas need to be cleaned without much moisture so they can dry quickly.
One downside to the bonnet method however, is its inability to deep clean carpets, allowing dirt beneath the carpet to emerge back to the surface quickly. Due to the pressure caused by the spinning pads, bonneting may also cause the accumulation of chemical residue on the base of the carpet.
Dry Carpet Cleaning
Dry carpet cleaning, also referred to as the compound cleaning method has garnered massive popularity and attention, even gaining the approval of leading carpet manufacturers due to its impressive result and convenience it provides.
Not only does this method clean thoroughly, one of the biggest takeaways from this method is it does not require drying time.
As it was invented in the 80s, the dry cleaning method is still known to be a fresh and new technology, which has led to many doubting its effectiveness when compared to the other methods of carpet cleaning which process have taken much longer.
The key benefit of this method lies in its use of the cleaning compounds or powder that penetrates into the base of the carpet using a motorised counter rotating brush which allows these compounds to settle and deeply clean the carpet.
Typically made of biodegradable materials, these micro-sponge-like compounds effectively absorb dissolved dirt which can easily be vacuumed out at the end for a freshly cleaned carpet.
Different manufacturers of dry cleaning equipment develop their own formula for the cleaning compounds and power and even customise the design of their equipment to differentiate themselves.
As the dry carpet cleaning process is suitable for all types of carpets and does not disrupt business operations at any time of the day, it’s a recommended method for commercial offices, homes or any other spaces that involves heavy foot traffic.
Professional Carpet Cleaners
Despite having a wide array of options available at your fingertips when choosing a cleaning company for your home or office, it’s still important to know the many methods of carpet cleaning used by professionals today.
Though not all carpet cleaning methods work for your carpet, you can consult a professional carpet cleaner to find out what would work for your carpet.
At De Hygenique, we use chemical safe, eco-friendly cleaning products to clean office carpets, commercial carpets, residential carpets and even exquisite oriental, Persian and Iranian rugs in a safe and environmental-friendly manner that does not damage the carpet or the environment.
We only use cleaning products certified safe by WoolSafe and IICRC, which are international carpet cleaning accreditation bodies. We use the dry carpet cleaning technology, with a specially designed carpet cleaning machine that comes with dual counter-rotating brushes to open up carpet fibres, and then brushes the biodegradable compound deep into the carpet; this compound acts like sponges to effectively deep clean the carpet.
There is no downtime, no drying time needed and it is very effective.
It is recommended, you clean your carpet two times a year, but if you have a very active family, or if the footfall in your office or commercial space is heavy, it is advised to deep clean your carpets every four months.
Frequently Asked Questions
[vc_tta_accordion 0=””][vc_tta_section title=”How often should you clean your carpet?” tab_id=”1615172224836-3c86671e-9243″][vc_column_text 0=””]Frequency of carpet cleaning depends on the footfall traffic on the carpet. Generally, carpet should be vacuumed thoroughly on daily basis to remove loose debris and dirt on the carpet surface. Fine dirt particles, stains and microorganisms cannot be removed by vacuuming. Thus, professional carpet cleaning service should be engaged to deep clean your carpet at least once annually. If there is heavy footfall on the carpet, then twice a year deep cleaning is recommended.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Is De Hygienique’s carpet cleaning service suitable for commercial carpet like office and hotel carpet?” tab_id=”1571882526826-f54e76b9-b816″][vc_column_text 0=””]De Hygienique can clean all fabric carpet used for commercial flooring. We use carpet cleaning technology and products that are certified safe by international carpet cleaning certification bodies like Insititute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and Woolsafe to ensure our cleaning system produce safe and effective cleaning result.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Without water and shampoo, how does your cleaning method clean carpet thoroughly?” tab_id=”1571882526896-22100ba4-4993″][vc_column_text 0=””]De Hygienique’s carpet cleaning service can clean your carpet just like any conventional carpet shampooing method.
State-of-the-art technology
Instead of using high amount of water and cleaning chemicals to clean carpet, De Hygienique uses counter rotating brush and environmentally friendly wood compound to deep clean carpet pile.
Eco-friendly
The sponge-like compound will be brushed into the carpet pile using the carpet cleaning machine. The biodegradable compound, made of wood and chemical safe carpet cleaning agent, will absorb dirt within the carpet pile effectively. Soiled compound will be thoroughly removed and discarded at the end of the carpet cleaning treatment. As we do need to rinse the carpet after the cleaning treatment, we will not discard any water waste after the cleaning is completed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Can you remove all the stains on the carpet?” tab_id=”1571882679744-3760e469-01af”][vc_column_text 0=””]Not every stain can be removed during the cleaning treatment. Stain removal depends on the nature of the stain – i.e. age of stain, type of stain, which stain removal product was used prior to our cleaning treatment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How often does my carpet need to be cleaned professionally?” tab_id=”1571882686142-40f2fb23-6f33″][vc_column_text 0=””]Depending on the amount of human traffic, most carpet should be cleaned at least once a year. If traffic is high, more frequent cleaning would be required.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Is it worth getting carpets professionally cleaned?” tab_id=”1615171123387-082be0ea-52ca”][vc_column_text 0=””]Carpets should be professionally cleaned at least once a year. Professional carpet cleaner deep cleans carpet which is important to ensure embedded dirt and microorganisms are removed thoroughly. Indoor air pollutant from carpet may cause health hazard if not treated appropriately.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Do professional carpet cleaners vacuum first?” tab_id=”1615171812760-6a7b0c42-fe4f”][vc_column_text 0=””]Each carpet cleaning service providers would have their own cleaning technique and procedures. De Hygienique’s low moisture carpet cleaning methodology requires vacuuming before and after cleaning treatment to ensure thorough removal of dirt within the carpet. [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How long do professionally clean carpets take to dry?” tab_id=”1615172061438-8b05e95f-edea”][vc_column_text 0=””]Unlike De Hygienique’s low moisture carpet cleaning service that does not require drying time, most wet carpet cleaning like shampooing and steam cleaning would require some drying time, depends on the amount of liquid injected into the carpet, and extracted at the end of the treatment. It may range from as long as 2 hours to 8 hours. [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How much does it cost to have a carpet cleaned?” tab_id=”1615171083935-77466cce-b673″][vc_column_text 0=””]Carpet cleaning service cost varies depending on carpet size and conditions. Typically, bigger carpet surface area would cost less per square foot. Carpet cleaning would cost more if the carpet is dirty. [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Will you leave behind chemical residue after the cleaning?” tab_id=”1571882821435-45a7eccb-1a0c”][vc_column_text 0=””]De Hygienique uses chemical safe, environmental friendly cleaning product for our carpet cleaning treatment so we would not leave behind harmful chemical residue after the carpet cleaning is completed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What is the best method for cleaning carpets?” tab_id=”1615171189127-cb600d64-e783″][vc_column_text 0=””]You should find out from your carpet seller what is the recommended carpet cleaning method for your carpet material. Using wrong carpet cleaning method for your carpet may cause permanent damage eg watermarks, loose carpet tile, etc. Carpet cleaning using moist compound is the safest cleaning method because this cleaning method does not wet the carpet, so there is no risk of shrinkage, discoloration, mould, etc.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Why does carpet smell worse after cleaning?” tab_id=”1615171244363-243bfabc-d3fa”][vc_column_text 0=””]Carpet often smells bad when the moisture in the carpet is not dried sufficiently after shampooing. As mould and bacteria grow in the damp carpet, these microorganism would emit musky odour.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Do carpets get dirty faster after cleaning?” tab_id=”1615171274903-75185a0f-dd5e”][vc_column_text 0=””]Surfactants in shampoo often cause shampooed carpet to become sticky if the carpet is not rinsed sufficiently. Dirt particles will attach on sticky surfaces easily. So, if shampooed carpets are not rinsed appropriately, carpets may look dirty soon after cleaning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How do I deep clean my carpet?” tab_id=”1615171378080-dd74b49d-6745″][vc_column_text 0=””]Deep cleaning of carpet should be done by professional cleaning service providers who should have the necessary tools, cleaning products and experience to perform thorough cleaning of carpet, without causing permanent damage to your carpet. If in doubt, always check with your carpet supplier.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How soon can you walk on carpet after cleaning?” tab_id=”1615171846732-8db4ba90-7053″][vc_column_text 0=””]How soon you can walk on cleaned carpet depends on how dry your carpet is after carpet cleaning is completed. De Hygienique’s low moisture carpet cleaning service uses minimal liquid during the entire cleaning process. Thus, you can walk on the cleaned carpet immediately after cleaning service is completed, WITHOUT any drying time required. [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How long do you have to stay off carpet after cleaning?” tab_id=”1615172119015-bdc86d02-8c76″][vc_column_text 0=””]You can walk on the carpet immediately after De Hygienique deep cleans your carpet as we use low moisture carpet cleaning technology. Thus carpet is totally dry after cleaning treatment is completed,. If your carpet is cleaned using wet cleaning method, then you are not recommended to walk on the carpet until the wet carpet is completely dry. [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What is the safest carpet cleaning method?” tab_id=”1615172148302-6c50fb3c-f5d0″][vc_column_text 0=””]You are recommended to always check with your carpet manufacturer or supplier for their recommended carpet cleaning method.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][vc_row 0=””][vc_column 0=””][vc_empty_space 0=””][vc_row 0=””][vc_column 0=””][mt_separator 0=””][vc_row_inner 0=””][vc_column_inner 0=””][vc_column_text 0=””]
Contact us for more information or make an appointment to have your carpet deep cleaned.
