Compared to years ago, carpet cleaning has come a long way. Our grandmothers were limited to a few very strong cleaning agents that usually took out the stain, right along with the color of the rug. Typically, they would just take the rugs out back and beat them silly, hoping for the best.
When cleaning machines were invented, they were heavy, cumbersome and even difficult to get into a regular car to take home. If you lived on the top floor, forget it. Your rugs stayed dirty.
Unfortunately, these machines did more damage than they did good. The shampoo eventually dried, but not into a fine powder that could easily be vacuumed. It usually took days for the carpets to dry, and because the foam was never dispersed evenly, there were clumps of shampoo all over the place that turned into clumps of dried shampoo that remained on the carpet.
These machines also had no mechanism to suck up the dirt that was supposedly being loosened by the brushes. The assumption was that the machine would simply apply soap, loosen up the fibers of the rug, and then you would need to take a pretty heavy duty vacuum later on and try to get rid of the residue. Typically, the results were disappointing. Try doing this a few times over a few years, and you shortened the lifespan of your carpets significantly.
Professional carpet cleaners could also come to your home. Even with the newest equipment and life time guarantees, stains wouldn't completely come off. This difficulty in keeping carpets clean was instrumental in the resurgence of the hardwood floor.
Suddenly everyone was talking about steam. Steam dryers, steam washing machines, steam presses, and even steam rug shampooers. Because the process relied on the steam to loosen and remove all the dirt, the shampoo could be lighter and milder, no longer threatening to build up and harm your rugs. These new machines could scrub, shampoo and vacuum up the dirty water in the same motion.
Steam models can be found in the $300 range and are worth every penny. - 32202
When cleaning machines were invented, they were heavy, cumbersome and even difficult to get into a regular car to take home. If you lived on the top floor, forget it. Your rugs stayed dirty.
Unfortunately, these machines did more damage than they did good. The shampoo eventually dried, but not into a fine powder that could easily be vacuumed. It usually took days for the carpets to dry, and because the foam was never dispersed evenly, there were clumps of shampoo all over the place that turned into clumps of dried shampoo that remained on the carpet.
These machines also had no mechanism to suck up the dirt that was supposedly being loosened by the brushes. The assumption was that the machine would simply apply soap, loosen up the fibers of the rug, and then you would need to take a pretty heavy duty vacuum later on and try to get rid of the residue. Typically, the results were disappointing. Try doing this a few times over a few years, and you shortened the lifespan of your carpets significantly.
Professional carpet cleaners could also come to your home. Even with the newest equipment and life time guarantees, stains wouldn't completely come off. This difficulty in keeping carpets clean was instrumental in the resurgence of the hardwood floor.
Suddenly everyone was talking about steam. Steam dryers, steam washing machines, steam presses, and even steam rug shampooers. Because the process relied on the steam to loosen and remove all the dirt, the shampoo could be lighter and milder, no longer threatening to build up and harm your rugs. These new machines could scrub, shampoo and vacuum up the dirty water in the same motion.
Steam models can be found in the $300 range and are worth every penny. - 32202
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Want to find out more about St Louis Carpet Cleaning, then visit Walter Wilhelm's site on how to choose the best cleaning solution for your needs.
