Steam Cleaning, also known as Hot Water Extraction, came about 300 years after the first woven carpet mill was opened in North America in 1791.

Within that 300 year span households and businesses used a variety of carpet cleaning techniques and methods to keep their floors and carpets looking clean.

The earliest form of carpet cleaning involved beating removable rugs and carpets with sticks, brooms and pieces of metal. This practice was modified later that century when machines were used in place of humans in performing this strenuous task.

Although carpet beating was effective in removing a good part of dust and gravel from its woven fabric, rug beating was altogether useless in reaching dirt and filth built up deep within carpet fibers. Dust mites, mold and other aggressive allergens caused a great many health problems to American citizens during that time.

Pesky stains and spots caused by oil, ink and grease spills also served as nuisance during the 1800s. Brooms and rug beating proved useless for stain and spot removal. Even vacuums, first invented by Ives W. McGaffey in 1868, later developed into the first electrical-powered vacuum (known as the “Model O”) by James Spangler in 1907 did very little to remove unwanted stains.

In the 1830s, housewives discovered that scrubbing stains with lemon juice and a hot loaf of bread proved useful in treating spots caused by grease, ink and oil. Experimentation with stain removal and carpet cleaning continued well into the 1900s. Bull’s gall with water and flannel were used to scrub out heavily soiled areas of carpet, while other individuals used clay or chloroform solutions in their carpet cleaning process.

Each technique had its benefits and drawbacks, but nothing could quiet compare to the effectiveness that Hot Water Extraction (a.k.a “steam cleaning”) would provide. Since it’s discovery at the end of the 20th century, stream cleaning has become one of carpet manufacturers’ most preferred carpet cleaning methods of all time. Steam Cleaning is known for its totality in soil, allergen, spot, stain, and other carpet contaminate removal.

STEPS IN THE “Steam Cleaning” PROCESS

Step 1 – Preconditioning Carpet/Upholstery Surface
After the carpet and upholstery is sprayed with an alkaline solution (pH greater than 7), a grooming brush is used to lightly agitate dust, grime and other heavily soiled areas of the fabric surface.

Step 2 – Dwell Time
The alkaline solution is left on the carpet/upholstery surface for a minute or two while preparations are made for hot water extraction. This allows the chemicals in the solution a little more time to break down hard to remove stains and spots.

Step 3 – Hot Water Extraction
Next, a high powered hot water extraction machine (manual or automatic) is passed over all areas of the carpet or upholstery and throughly rinses out the pre-conditioner with a slightly acidic solution (pH less than 7).

During this step, pressurized water is heated to anywhere around 50-120 degrees Celsius before being flushed through a high-pressure braided hose and into the pretreated carpet/upholstery.

Simultaneously, a highly-pressurized cleaning tool, called a wand, is used to remove excess water, sand, grime, gunk and cleaning solutions from the carpet all at once. This step is repeated as many times as necessary to insure the cleanest carpets possible.

Step 4 – Dry Time
After the carpets are cleaned, dry time takes anywhere between 6-8 hours. This step can be accelerated by using fans, opening doors for circulation and the like.

To learn more about Momentum Carpet Care’s carpet cleaning process, please visit our “Services” Page.

WHAT MAKES MOMENTUM CARPET CARE THE BEST

Kamil Tuma, owner of Momentum Carpet Care, cares about his customers. Clients served by Momentum Carpet Care experience high-quality cleaning services every time. Clean carpets is the foundation of a clean home. Momentum Carpet Care helps to make your home a better place to live.