Dry Foam Carpet Shampoo

You may wonder if you can get the same results as the professional carpet shampoo cleaners that arrive with their fancy steam cleaning trucks. You may be content as you watch the dirty water get sucked through the hoses of these carpet shampooing machines but actually there are some problems, other than mold and moisture, which may make you take a second look at going DRY or DIY.

There are two things that almost always happen after steam cleaning that doesn’t happen after cleaning with dry foam carpet shampoo. These two unhappy things are quick re-soiling and wicking, which is when the moisture rises up from the surface at a later time bringing with it the dirt that has not fully been removed. It is not uncommon for the carpet to look dirtier after a steam cleaning than before. It is because all the stuff that usually is hidden at the bottom of the pile is loosened and lifted to the surface (or wicked up) later and makes the grime we can’t see normally be visible and ….too close for comfort.

Also, since the standard carpet shampoo employed by carpet shampooers leaves a residue in the carpet, it’s easily re-soiled within days. It’s a bit like washing your silk blouse with a special silk soap that won’t destroy the natural silk fibers, but then not rinsing it. The next time it is worn, the blouse will appear clean but the film on the silk will attract dust and become dirty much faster. Dry foam shampoo uses a technology that does not leave behind soap residue and therefore the carpets will remain clean and soft for a longer period of time.

So you want to try dry foam carpet shampoo, where should you begin?

Firstly the dry foam machine you will use will have a pressure tank and this is where you pour the carpet shampoo concentrate. Yes it is a liquid to begin with, but will turn into foam when the compressor begins to work and then this foam will be spread over the carpet. The key to this system is to make sure that the bubbles are a similar size because if they are not, the foam will disappear before the carpet has been fully cleaned. After the foam has been applied evenly and all over the carpeted area, then all you have to do is vacuum and the dried crystals of emulsified dirt will be sucked up and away.

Just to recap the steps: Before you begin the foam procedure first vacuum and try to remove the worst stains and then mix the dry foam solution, apply it and finish with a second vacuuming after the foam is dry. It’s that simple! And it will look as if you’ve hired the pros.

The advantages of using carpet shampoos that are dry is that you can quickly cover large areas and you will never have a problem with water saturation and therefore never have to worry about mould or foul smells at a later date. The disadvantages are that you may not be able to remove stains from heavily soiled areas with only one carpet cleaning. Your machine must also have a strong extraction capacity or it may leave granules behind. Vacuum often and repeat the foam process to get the best results.