PaperlessKitchen Blog

Dry Chemical Cleaning Versus Steam Cleaning for Carpets

If you have heavy soiling on your carpets, there are two main ways of dealing with the problem: dry chemical cleaning and steam cleaning. Both methods are capable of removing heavy staining, but there are major differences between the two.

 Steam cleaning involves the use of plain water to remove dirt and debris. The temperature of the steam also kills many types of microbes, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. After a thorough steam cleaning, you must let your carpets dry for 12 to 24 hours, which may mean closing off the room to children or pets. Since steam cleaning does not involve the use of chemicals, you can perform the process yourself with a system like our Vapamore steam cleaners.

Dry chemical cleaning involves applying chemicals that loosen surface stains. The biggest benefit of dry chemical cleaning is that it does not require any drying time. After dry chemical cleaning, you can walk on your carpets right away; however, that convenience does come at a cost, namely introducing chemicals to your home. Roughly 85 percent of the solutions used by professional carpet cleaning companies contain perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene, substances that have been classified as a possible carcinogen. Also, dry chemical cleaning must be done by a professional service.

For those concerned about creating a greener environment at home, steam cleaning is typically the better choice. You can check out our Vapamore models here at Paperless Kitchen and feel free to contact us with any questions that you have about them.