You have a stain, now what do you do with it? You have scrubbed it with everything under the sun and still the stubborn stain is still staring you right in the eye. It?s time to get down and dirty with that Mr. Stain and call in the professionals. Now you know you need to call someone but what types of carpet cleaning services are out there? Which one is right for you and your Mr. Stain? There are many types of carpet cleaning services out there so lets take a deeper look as to what your choices are.

Shampooing

There are carpet cleaning services that offer shampooing. This is where they apply some type of chemical detergent solution and then ?scrubbed in? with a carpet-cleaning machine. They solution is then extracted from the carpet leaving your carpet looking and smelling fresher than before. These types of carpet cleaning services are good for quick fixes but the stains tend to come back after the detergents effects expire. You may want to check what chemicals they are using and how harmful constant use would be to your carpet. You want to keep the life of your carpet for as long as you can without breaking down the fibers from excessive chemicals or cleaning.

Another form of carpet cleaning services is dry cleaning. This is a favored method, as you do not have to wait for the carpet to dry. Carpet cleaning services apply a layer of powder with special cleaning agents that attract the dirt. This powder must be worked into the carpet and then thoroughly vacuumed up. There is also the foam carpet cleaning which is similar to the dry cleaning method. This method uses a very small amount of water and foam and is also worked into the carpet. Once the foam has dried it must be vacuumed away as the dry cleaning method.

The type of carpet cleaning service that is most used in commercial places is the bonnet cleaning method. This type of carpet cleaning service works best on industrial carpeting so this is not commonly seen in residential homes. Perhaps the most common used carpet cleaning service is the steam cleaning method. This method utilizes hot water to clean the carpet in combination with detergent, then it extracts the water, dirt and detergent back out of the carpet with intense suction. Choosing the right service is simple just know what and how big your stain is, this makes the choice very simple.

Carpet is no doubt a common floor covering in most of the buildings that your company cleans. Carpet is inviting, sound-absorbing and helps with a building's overall health by capturing dust particles and keeping them out of the air. However, if not properly taken care of carpet can be almost impossible to keep clean and can give a negative impression of the cleaning staff. But with the right maintenance program and the right cleaning chemicals, keeping carpet looking great is not an impossible task.

It is important to:

* make sure your staff has proper training and understands the carpet cleaning process

* use the right equipment and keep it properly maintained

* use the right cleaning chemicals for the carpet you are cleaning

* use the chemicals properly

Hard floors receive daily care and are usually thoroughly cleaned at least once a week. On the other hand, you may spot-vacuum carpets daily, but only thoroughly clean carpets once or twice a year. In addition, many cleaning companies do not properly train their employees to clean carpets. To top it all off, the wrong cleaning chemicals are often used which makes the carpet vulnerable to quick resoiling.

Most cleaning contractors clean carpet by either a hot water extraction method or a low moisture method. The hot water method flushes dirt and debris by circulating clean water and detergents through the carpet. Water pressure and vacuuming creates the agitation needed to loosen the dirt from the carpet fibers. If using the low moisture method, you'll spray detergent onto the carpet, give it dwell time, and then agitate it into the fibers. Then you'll vacuum the chemicals away to complete the cleaning process.

So what is this encapsulation and why is it important to carpet cleaning? In a nutshell, encapsulation chemicals clean the carpet better and help it to stay clean longer.

The first thing to remember about carpet cleaning detergents is that they are sticky. These chemicals are designed to be sticky so they attract and suspend dirt. An encapsulating compound surrounds dirt with a crystallizing polymer. The polymer dries to a hard crystal type material, which you'll vacuum up. There is little "sticky" residue left behind. It is the sticky residue left behind by inexperienced cleaners and the improper choice of chemicals that causes carpets to resoil quickly and causes wicking.

Encapsulation technology can effectively remove most carpet soil and the detergents used in the process. However, the effectiveness of this procedure can vary for many reasons including:

* The type of carpet being cleaned

* The type of chemical being used

* Effectiveness of the cleaning equipment

* The skills of the carpet cleaning technician (or cleaning crew)

If you do not address the above reasons, there may be excess residue left on the carpet. The more residue left, the more resoiling. Have you ever worked diligently to clean a carpet and then noticed spots reappearing over the next couple of days? This problem is due to wicking. Spills that have spread deep into the carpet backing and padding are dissolved when they become wet during the carpet cleaning process. The spills then climb up the fibers like a candle wick until they reach the carpet's surface. This process goes on until the carpet is thoroughly dry.

No matter what carpet cleaning method your company uses the reality is there will always be some detergent residue left. And, of course, the "stickier" the detergent the higher the risks are that the carpet will resoil quickly. Using proper carpet cleaning techniques and using products that contain an encapsulating compound that counteracts the effects of sticky detergents will go a long way to keeping your carpets looking cleaner longer. Clean carpets make the whole building look cleaner and your clients will love you for it!

Copyright (c) 2006 The Janitorial Store