Wet vs. Dry Carpet Cleaning

December 27, 2018

Almost everything has a positive and a negative aspect, and carpet cleaning is no exception. Choosing between “wet” or “dry” methods for cleaning your carpet is often difficult because of a misunderstanding of the process. The wetness that you get from both methods is a matter of degree.

The wet method uses hot water to clean your carpet, and it may take at least four hours for the carpet to dry out. The dry method uses foams and chemicals that can create some wetness as well, but the drying time is reduced to approximately an hour or two. In addition to a difference in drying time, there is also a difference in cleaning depth.

Dry methods tend to clean the surface of a carpet while wet methods reach the dirt that resides deeper in the pile. Hot water and detergent create a cleaning method that is similar to using the same combination to clean your clothes. Dry cleaning your carpets introduces chemical compounds that can break down and remove soils. The options that you face require you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Basically, you can choose between the dry method that dries quickly and cleans soils on the surface or the wet method that cleans more deeply but takes longer to dry. Considerations that may enter your decision making process include the presence of children or pets in your home and the amount of time available to clean and dry your carpet.

The best way to choose the right cleaning method for your acrylic, nylon, polyester, olefin or wool floor covering is to check with a professional carpet cleaning service.