(Newswire.net — November 15, 2020) — Caring for carpets is not the same as other types of flooring. The fabric in carpets readily absorbs liquid that falls on them, which makes removing the stains and dust more difficult.
Most people use the conventional water and brush combo to clean their carpets. Aside from being tedious and time-consuming, this method is not that effective. It doesn’t take out as much stain and dirt as a steam mop.
Why Use a Steam Mop?
Although steam mop is designed initially for hard floors, modern brands make it well-suited to clean carpets as well. Unlike the traditional water and brush method, a steam mop uses hot water vapor or steam to clean and sanitize the fabrics in the carpet. The hot steam is blasted into the carpet at high pressure to clean them.
The heat and moisture from water loosen up dirt, grime, and oil. The mop pad removes this broken-down dirt, leaving your carpet looking fresh and new. Cleaning with steam mop also takes out any nasty smells.
The steam mop also helps in sanitizing the carpet. At 212°F, the steam can effectively get rid of any microorganism living in the fabrics, such as dust mites and bacteria. Although vacuuming can also help kill them, it’s not enough. The hot steam can destroy these elements, which is hugely beneficial in preventing allergy attacks.
Why Not Use Carpet Cleaner Then?
Is carpet cleaner better than a steam mop?
Yes – a good carpet cleaner works better than a steam mop.
However, the downside to owning one is that it’s costly. Sure, it makes cleaning fast, especially for heavy projects (think of a hotel, movie theatres, etc.) but for home use, investing in this equipment is very impractical.
Also, a bulky carpet cleaner takes up extra space in your storage area. If you live in a small house, finding a space for a carpet cleaner may be challenging.
If you already have a vacuum cleaner, it’s not advisable to buy a carpet cleaner. Instead, you can purchase a carpet glider that fits on the bottom of the steam mop. The glider can be bought separately if your mop doesn’t have one yet. You can find a wide variety of models of steam mops with or without a carpet glider in various stores and online shops.
How to Clean Carpet Using Steam Mop: Step by Step
Using a steam mop to clean the carpet is easy. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Clear the room
It’s easy to work when no obstacles are lying around. You must remove furniture, toys, baskets, magazines, and any other items that can obstruct the movement of the device before cleaning. Having a lot of clutter will slow down the process.
If you can’t lift heavy furniture from the carpet, make sure to wrap its base with waterproof tape. This way, it can be protected from steam when you glide the mop nearby. You can also use an aluminium foil if you don’t have a flex tape.
If you don’t have enough room where you can put the furniture, you can move the furniture at one end of the same room to give way for the steam mop.
2. Pre-clean the carpet with a vacuum
Use a vacuum to suction hair, dust, crumbs, and any small particles from the carpet. Remember that steam mop can remove stains and some dirt, but it cannot remove solid particles on its own.
You can run the vacuum twice before mopping. On the first run, vacuum in a single direction. For the second time, vacuum in the opposite direction. This two-way application ensures thorough cleaning, especially if you have kids and pets at home.
Pay more attention to high traffic areas. The feet carry a lot of debris and deposit them into the carpet. These are the areas where you need to focus on.
3. Treat stains before steam mopping
Stains make your carpet look dirty, ugly, and cheap! They happen after some mishaps or as traces of pet urines and poop. Whatever the cause may be, common stains are complete eyesores.
Vacuuming and mopping stains cannot remove them altogether. Here are some ways to treat stain spots in your carpet:
· Put some carpet stain remover in a clean piece of cloth;
· Dab the cloth on the stain spot so that it can soak in the stain remover solution;
· Repeat the process if necessary. Allow it to sit for a while before steam mopping the carpet.
4. Prepare the steam mop
Fill the tank with distilled water. Use the guide from the manufacturer to determine the quantity of water you need. You can add a cleaning solution or vinegar to the water if you want to, but plain water is enough.
Plug the mop in the power outlet. Let the water heat up to a steaming temperature of 212°F which effectively kill dust mites, bedbugs, and fleas.
5. Run the steam mop on the carpet
Using the handle to guide you, run the mop on the carpet from one corner to another. Cleaning in straight lines first before making overlapping strokes ensure that you do not miss any dirty spots.
It will be easier to exit the room without stepping on the freshly cleaned carpet if you start in the corner farthest from the door.
6. Leave your carpet to dry
The fabrics in the carpet absorb moisture and need some time to dry, depending on how thick the carpet is. Typically, you need to wait between 4-12 hours to dry carpets completely. You can only put the furniture back when the carpet has completely dried up.
Need more information on how to clean a carpet using steam mop? You can watch this short how-to video.