How Does Carpet Steam Cleaning Work? (And How It Compares with Shampooing)

Your carpet can make or break how your home looks and feels, so keeping it clean is worth the effort. Regular vacuuming handles surface dirt, but a deep clean is what lifts stains and helps remove bacteria and other contaminants that settle deep in the fibres.

The most common deep-clean method is steam cleaning. So how does steam cleaning work, and how is it different from carpet shampooing? Here’s a plain-English guide to both, so you can choose what suits your carpets.

How Does Steam Cleaning Work?

Carpet steam cleaning is also known as hot water extraction, and it works in three steps:

• Hot water goes in: water heated to a high temperature is sprayed deep into the carpet under strong pressure.
• Grime is loosened: the heat and pressure break down dirt, oils and stains stuck to the fibres.
• Everything comes out: a powerful vacuum pulls the water back out through a hose, taking the loosened dirt with it.

To get enough heat and suction, steam cleaning is usually done by a professional using specialised equipment. The key to its effectiveness is clean water, high pressure and high temperature. At Wizard Cleaning®, most of our carpet steam cleaning jobs use a truck-mounted hot water extraction system, with portable machines for apartments and places a van can’t reach.

Some industrial steam cleaners also agitate the carpet to loosen more particles, but most rely on heat, pressure and suction alone.

Do You Need to Vacuum Before Steam Cleaning?

Yes. Vacuuming first removes loose, dry dirt, hair and grit, so the hot water can get to work on the grime stuck deeper in the fibres instead of turning loose dirt into mud. A thorough vacuum before any deep clean, DIY or professional, gives a better result.

What Is Carpet Shampooing?

Like shampooing your hair, carpet shampooing uses detergent to work up a foam that loosens stains, oil and debris. To do it thoroughly, you need a machine with a strong motor and suction hose. There are ways to do it without a machine, but results can vary.

In other words, it follows the same basic process as steam cleaning, but adds a carpet shampoo to ‘wash’ the carpet deep within its fibres.

The machine relies on strong pressure to build a thick lather, then strong suction to rinse the carpet with hot, fresh water and pull the moisture back out.

One thing to watch: if shampoo isn’t fully rinsed out, the leftover residue can attract dirt and make the carpet look grubby again sooner. This is known as soiling.

Professional Steam Cleaning vs DIY Shampooing: Which Should You Choose?

When choosing between the two, think about how often you want to deep clean your carpets and who’s doing the work. Steam cleaning rinses the carpet with hot water and extracts it, so less residue is left behind, which is why it’s so widely used by professional carpet cleaners. A professional company will generally also have its own cleaning solutions or conditioners to apply. If you’re doing it yourself, carpet shampooing done properly can get quite costly once you add up machine hire and products.

How Often Should You Steam Clean Your Carpets?

For most homes, a deep clean every 6 to 12 months is enough, as long as you vacuum regularly in between. With small children, aim for every 6 months, and with pets and small children, every 3 to 6 months. Simple habits, like taking shoes off at the door, also help your carpets stay cleaner for longer.

Thinking about your couch as well? Fabric furniture collects the same dust, oils and spills as carpet. Our Fabric & Upholstery Cleaning service covers couches and other fabric furniture.

Call the Professionals

If you’re thinking about giving your carpets a deep clean, professional steam cleaning can save you a lot of time, money and hassle. We’re a family-owned and operated Perth business, here since 2017. Call us on 0400 634 609 or get a free, no-obligation quote.