Shampooing Your Carpets

Vacuuming a carpet keeps it clean but for deep cleaning of the carpets, you need to do carpet shampooing. People, usually, hire professionals for deep cleaning of the carpets. However, if you want to do it on your own then you need to understand how carpet shampooing is performed. Here we discuss in detail what all is required for shampooing your carpets. Read carefully to get all the information and do it right for cleaner, brighter, and more hygienic carpets.

Shampooing your carpet involves three main stages:

  1. Preparing for Carpet Shampooing
  2. Filling the Carpet Shampooer
  3. Using the Carpet Shampooer

Preparing for Carpet Shampooing

  1. Remove Furniture –

    The first thing you need to do while preparing for carpet shampooing is to move all of the furniture from the room. If you can’t get the furniture out of the room then at least move it to one side of the room. Remove any other clutter from the room so you can easily run the shampooer on the carpet. For heavy furniture, which cannot be moved, use aluminium foil or plastic films to cover the base of the furniture to save it from water during the process.

  2. Vacuum the Carpet –

    Carpet shampooers also vacuum but they are designed to extract water and just small dirt particles. So it is advisable to thoroughly vacuum the carpet using carpet vacuum cleaner. You need to get rid of larger dirt particles, soil, human and animal hair and so on. Vacuuming also fluffs up the carpet that makes shampooing even more effective. Vacuum a little more than what you usually do. First go in straight lines up and down the carpet and then perform while criss-crossing the first set. If you find any stains, mark them for the next step.

  3. Treat Carpet Stains –

    You can choose a basis stain removing solution to work with the shampooer for removing tough stains. You will find instructions for stain removal on the machine itself.

    Carpet Stain Removal Service

    Carpet Stain Removal Service

Filling the Carpet Shampooer

There are various kinds of carpet shampooer so you need to check one before you buy it or get it on rent. Before you pick any carpet shampooer, it is good to research a little and find out if it is verified by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). A certified machine will yield better results.

  1. Know How It Works –

    You will have to read the instructions properly to use it in the right manner. Some carpet shampooers need to be pushed forward like a normal vacuum and some may need to be used pulled backwards. You will not be able to clean your best carpet cleaning if you don’t use the shampooer as it is designed to be. You can look online for tutorials to use a specific kind of shampooer.

  2. Fill Water in the Shampooer –

    Fill the shampooer with water, as directed. You may want to use hot water as it does better cleaning. However, please check if your machine supports hot water or not.

  3. Add Soap –

    Every soap does not work with every kind of carpet shampooer. So you have to pick up a soap that works with your machine. Use only required amount of soap as directed on the machine. You can consult online to choose the best carpet soap.

    How to Shampooing a Carpet

    How to Shampooing a Carpet

Using the Carpet Shampooer

  1. Remember that shampooers are not your typical vacuum cleaners. So you cannot use them pulling back and forth. You will have to pick one corner of the carpet and start from there while making strips. Walk from the corner to the other side of the room. Then move the machine to a new line overlapping a bit the first one. Repeat the process for complete cleaning. Use the machine making straight lines and you will get complete cleaning done.
  2. Use the shampooer slowly because deep cleaning requires time.
  3. Keep an eye on the dirty water tank, which comes fitted with a float valve. It tells you when it is full and you need to stop when it does. If you don’t stop on time, the machine gets damaged. Also, you will have to empty the dirty water tank and refill it many times before you are able to clean your entire expert carpet cleaning.
  4. It is best to empty the dirty water into the toilet or outside. Shower drains and sinks can get clogged with dirty water.

Final Steps

Once you are done the cleaning, it is generally advised to run the shampooer a second time but with cold water and without any soap. This removes any leftover soap residues and dirt. You can do the second round a little faster than the first one. Remove your shoes to keep the carpet clean.

Let the carpet dry before you use the carpet. It may take up to 6 hours for completely drying. You may use overhead fans to quicken the drying process. Do not be in a hurry to put the furniture back on a wet carpet as it will cause mildew growth and ugly indentations. If you are not able to deep clean the carpets on your own then hire professional experts of carpet cleaning from Capital Cleaning Canberra!

Lastly you need to clean the shampooer. Empty the tanks and rinse them under running water. Let it stay uncovered for a day for complete evaporation of the water.