Vacuum cleaners are among those indispensable household machines we can’t imagine living without. This smart machine removes all the dirt and dander hidden on your floor and carpet with the help of a suction motor induced inside it. Apart from saving time and effort, this process is relatively easier, less messy, and more enjoyable than other mopping or sweeping activities.
Although the vacuum picks out all unwanted hair or dander from the floor or carpets, some stubborn allergens or germs can still make a house on your carpets. This can cause severe allergies and other bacterial side effects to your toddlers or pets crawling on the carpets.
While vacuum cleans the carpets thoroughly, you can still notice a slight change in their color, especially when they are light-colored. Whenever there’s an obstinate stain, abnormal odor, and discoloration on your carpet, it’s calling for deep cleaning.
What is Deep Cleaning/Steam Cleaning?
Many confuse steam cleaning with vacuum cleaning, thinking both do the same job. That’s a myth. Vacuum cleaning is a day-to-day cleaning task to clean dust, hair, and other elements from your hard floor or carpet.
On the other hand, steam cleaning is one step ahead of vacuum cleaning. Before moving to the ways to steam clean a carpet, let’s get the basics right.
Steam cleaning refers to the process of cleaning carpets, tiles, or floors by using water to sterilize them. In a steam cleaner, water is heated to such a high temperature that it causes the machine to emit steam from its nozzle. This steam disinfects the surface by killing all germs and bacteria, hence deep cleaning it.
This steam eliminates all the trapped dirt, mold, allergens, or even bugs and deposits the dirty water into the tank.
This article will step-by-step guide you through How to Deep Clean Carpet with Steam Cleaner. The process is simple but requires some techniques. Keep reading to know more…
8 Steps to Deep Clean Carpet with Steam Cleaner:
No matter how frequently you vacuum your floor or carpets, dust mites and allergens can still get trapped inside your carpets. For hygiene purposes and to uplift the lifespan and appearance of your carpet, it’s advisable to deep clean it at least once a year. But, if you have four-legged friends at your home that shed a lot of hair, it’s better to deep clean every six months.
We have compiled the process into 8 easy steps for your comfort and convenience.
Step # 1: Clean the Area
The first and foremost step is to remove everything from the room you are going to deep clean. Be it toys, light furniture, and other household items, move them to the other room. Keep the area free from any obstacle that might come in the way of the steam cleaner. If the furniture is too heavy and you can’t move that easily, place foil, wood blocks or wax paper underneath the legs to save them from the moisture of the steam cleaner.
Step # 2: Vacuum the Carpet
It’s a misconception that vacuuming is not mandatory before steam cleaning. And this is the right time to burst this myth. A steam cleaner cannot pick up all the dirt and hair from your carpet. You will have to vacuum the carpet before steam cleaning.
It is better to vacuum twice to clean the carpet thoroughly. During the first round, move the vacuum in one direction and then move it into a perpendicular direction in the second round. This will ensure that the dirt or debris is picked from every nook and cranny.
Step # 3: Do a Patch Test
Steam iron may damage your carpets due to high temperatures. Rugs made of artificial fibers can be damaged after using a steam iron. Similarly, woven carpets can shrink under high temperatures. Always do a patch test or a small carpet area before starting to prevent this issue.
This patch test will examine the tolerance of the carpet to high-temperature water vapors. If nothing happens, you are good to go!
Moreover, if you keep the steam cleaner on one part of the carpet for a long time, it is more likely to get distorted.
Step # 4: Pretreat Stains
Steam cleaners do not pick up stubborn stains from the carpet. You better check your carpet for any stains or blemishes beforehand and pretreat them. Some stains, like blood, might retaliate to the steam, which will end up making a big mess. To avoid such circumstances, use a stain cleaner and clean cloth to get rid of these spots prior to the cleaning process.
Make sure you don’t rub or scrub the spot; just blot it.
Step # 5: Add Water to the Steam Cleaner
Now, add demineralized water to the cleaner, especially when you live in an area with hard water. Hard water contains a lot of minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals accumulate in the cleaner components, causing them to wear out before time. Hard water cause limescale buildup inside the cleaner that affects its performance. So, make sure the water you use is distilled.
If required, you can add a recommended cleaner in water too. However, it is not mandatory.
Step # 6: Attach the Carpet Glider
The next step is to attach the carpet glider to the steam mop. It’s quite easy to secure with a little effort. If you are having trouble doing so, follow the instructions from the user manual.
Note: Before steam cleaning, ensure you open all the windows and doors of the room. Doing this will let the air circulate and prevent moisture from forming underneath the carpet. Do not miss this point!
Step # 7: Start from the Corner and Move into Lanes
When everything is set up!
Time to start the steam cleaning. Since moving on the floor you are cleaning is hard, begin by planning a proper route. It is smart to start from the corner far from the entrance to the room so you don’t have to step foot on the groomed part of the carpet. Rather than recklessly gliding onto the rug, move into straight lanes. It’s hard to miss a spot when you are going in a linear direction. In this way, you will be able to steam clean every inch of your carpet thoroughly.
Don’t rush. Let the cleaner disinfect the carpet properly and go slow. Most importantly, don’t stay in one place for long as the heat and high temperature might harm the carpet.
Step # 8: Let the Carpet Dry
The final step is to let the carpet dry completely. Although steam cleaner does not make the carpet wet like traditional ones, you can still set up fans or dehumidifiers to dry quickly if you are in a hurry. Meanwhile, we recommend you leave the room for at least 10 to 12 hours before moving the furniture back.
After the mentioned period, you can place all your furniture and other things back onto the carpet and move freely on it.
Dirty shoes can make all of your efforts go in vain. So, better be careful than regretting later.
Finally, dispose of the dirty water from the task and drain it into the toilet or sink.
These are the 8 easiest steps you can follow to steam clean your carpets. It’s like daily vacuuming but with just a little extra effort. While it does not require much energy, you can effortlessly deep clean your carpet at home and save some money. Steam cleaning never goes wrong, but you must do a patch test before starting. A patch test will let you know your carpet’s capability to high temperatures.
If all goes well, your carpet will be disinfected and you can spend another 12 months without steam cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the most common questions that people ask before steam cleaning their carpets. Read the answers if you are still unsure about the procedure and its benefits.
What Do You Put in a Steam Cleaner to Clean the Carpet?
All you need to have is demineralized water and cleaner (optional). If you live in a hard water area, make sure to distill the water before using it in a steam cleaner. Hard water contains numerous minerals, which can cause mineral buildup inside the steam cleaner.
How Often Should You Steam Clean Your Carpet?
Ideally, you must steam clean your carpet once a year and disinfect it from allergens and dust mites. If your carpet gets dirty excessively and you have pets that shed hair at home, it is better to steam clean every six months.
How Long Do You Have to Stay Off Steam Cleaned Carpet?
After steam cleaning your carpet, leave it for at least 10 to 12 hours to completely dry. You can turn on the fan to get the carpet dried quickly. But you better give it a day, and then you use it for your routine. For the first 12 hours, make sure you don’t step with dirty shoes or feet on the steamed carpet.
Is It Better to Steam Clean or Shampoo The Carpet?
Both are great carpet cleaning procedures. Shampoo cleaning is perfect for heavily soiled carpets. However, when compared, steam cleaning is always better. Steam cleaning uses water vapors by heating the water to such an extent that it disinfects the rug from all sorts of bacteria and pests. Steam cleaning is preferable as it deep cleans the carpets.
The Takeaway:
Vacuuming your carpet daily is great. However, this cannot stop the dust mites or other bacteria from accumulating inside the rug. To get rid of them, you need to deep clean your carpets at least once a year or every six months if you have a high footfall. Steam cleaner is the right tool for deep cleaning your carpets. It’s an easy process and might take more of your time. But it’s worth it. Your carpet will look new, and all the chances of allergies will vanish after a good steam cleanse.
Once it is steam cleaned, your carpet is good for the next 12 months. We hope this article was of great help to you and made you fully aware of the procedure of steam cleaning a carpet.
