Steam Cleaning Carpets vs Shampooing

Are you ready to breathe new life into your carpets? If “yes”, then you have most likely looked at various deep cleaning options. But with multiple choices available to you, which one is best for your home? This necessarily means asking the question what is the difference between steam cleaning and shampooing carpets and what are the benefits of both. These questions are exactly what this article tries to answer so that you can make the most informed decision for your home.

How does steam cleaning work on carpets?

Just like the name suggests, steam cleaning carpets uses steam, or hot water at high temperatures and at high pressure. This pressure and steam is applied to stained areas on your carpets or your entire carpet as a whole. Because it only uses heat and pressurised water, people often wonder: does steam cleaning actually clean carpets? In some cases, and depending on the equipment used for steam cleaning carpets, there may be agitation that is applied to dislodge more ingrained dirt inside the carpet.

However, what’s important to note is that steam cleaning typically does not use chemicals or detergents together with the steam. As the final step in the cleaning process, there’s a powerful vacuum which extracts the moisture in the carpet, as well as the loosened particles that the machine has dislodged.

Benefits of steam cleaning carpets

Steam cleaning carpets come with a range of benefits that are good for your carpets, your home and the overall well-being of your home’s inhabitants. Why? Because steam cleaning uses much less water than carpet shampooing, leading to faster drying time, less chance of mould forming, bacteria extraction and a whole lot more.

What is carpet shampooing?

A carpet shampooing machine generally has a tank where water and detergents are mixed together. This solution is then applied to the carpet through a special nozzle and the affected area is agitated to loosen up particles and to give the “shampoo” a chance to react with the dirt in the carpet fibres.

The thick foam or lather that is ejected into the carpet is then sucked up and back into the machine. There is also a rinsing process involved which includes fresh hot water. Once rinsed, the moisture in the carpet must then be extracted through a powerful vacuum.

Benefits of shampooing carpets

Although carpet shampooing is similar to steam cleaning in several ways, it still comes with several advantages. The first is that you can choose environmentally friendly detergents to mix with water in the machine’s water and detergent tank. Shampooing carpets also gets quite deep into the carpet fibres and is capable of lifting stubborn stains while leaving the carpets clean and more.

Is it better to steam clean or shampoo carpets?

And now for the big question: which one is better – steam cleaning or shampooing carpets? While the short answer is that it depends on your unique needs, it is recommended that you opt for steam cleaning over shampooing. Why?

Not only because this option works really well on a variety of carpet fabric types but also because it is highly practical and convenient. The chances are that you are not cleaning larger carpets too regularly and if you don’t have heavy stains, you’re unlikely to need shampooing. 

In conclusion – contact a professional carpet cleaning provider if you need a deep carpet cleaning

Relying on trusted and professional carpet cleaning in Enfield that uses the steam cleaning method instead of shampooing will give your carpet a deep clean, remove odours, get rid of bacteria and pathogens and dry so much quicker. This means that when your carpets are refreshed, your entire home is refreshed, too. So, if you’d like a free estimate or you’d simply like to chat to one of our specialists to see which option is right for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.