Have you ever entered a house and thought, “Yuck! This carpet needs to be thoroughly cleaned!” So, we will tell you the difference between Steam Cleaner and Carpet Cleaner in this article.
It is not only for interior looks, but also it makes a welcoming touch to your place — after all, a clean carpet makes a house feel like home. From keeping your home warm in winter to yoga or potluck parties, your carpet endures a lot of activities. You can’t avoid the mess.
The issue is that carpets can become muddy very rapidly (pollutants, oil, dust, stain, pet hair, microparticles), and frequent routine vacuuming is insufficient.
Floor carpets suffer both liquid and solid filths and leave you confused between steam cleaner and dry cleaner. Are you stuck on the question ‘Difference between Steam Cleaner and Carpet Cleaner, or what is the most effective method for cleaning carpets at home?’ Both have its advantage and disadvantages.
Both cleaners work well on specks of dirt, but here we will crack the nutshell so that you have a prudent decision for a perfect cleaning solution.
Also Read: How to use a steam cleaner in the bathroom
How do Carpet Cleaner work?
Carpet cleaner is a mix of cleaning and vacuum suction technology. It is also known as a carpet shampooer (it releases shampoo-like liquid to wash). The machine releases a carpet cleaning detergent and warm water vapor; then, it injects chemicals/detergents into your carpet to create foams with its revolving brush.
The foam helps to disconnect stubborn dirt and filth from your carpet. During high traffic, you should use it two times a fortnight. However, it can be extended with a 6-month gap if you have no allergic patients or have very less traffic.
The filth is then lifted from your carpets with a forceful suction.
This cleaning technology is popular for houses having mass footfall, especially for toddlers and pets. But the cleaning liquids make the carpet overwet for a long time. Sometimes it causes a fungus-like problem in rainy seasons. It has a revolving brush, frequently facing problems with the furniture. Either it hits or gets hit back.
How do Steam Cleaner Work?
Steam cleaners are a relatively greener and environment-friendly option without any chemical operation. You can easily anticipate from the name that steam cleaners use vapor to loosen dirt. You can use it on woolen carpets also. It helps you kill germs, termites, and bugs and sanitize the carpet with washing. The chemical-free operation is a good fit and safe for pets and children.
Some cleaners take 3 to 6 hours to dry, and others can make you wait for 24 hr.
Water vapor comes out with immense pressure to inject into the carpet. It releases stubborn dirt, mud, and other filth materials without any suction. Due to the boiling point of water, steam cleaners have no issue with overwet or moisture. However, some companies offer a vacuum process before the cleaning.
Main Differences between Steam Cleaner and Carpet Cleaner
To make it more crisp and coherent, we draw a picture of the comparative difference between a Steam Cleaner and a Carpet Cleaner —
Cleaning method: Carpet cleaners mix water with carpet cleaning detergent ( you may also need some other stain removers). While there are no external chemicals in steam cleaners, it works on water vapor at boiling point.
Protection limit: Carpet cleaners have no germ-killing methodology, whereas steam cleaners kill 99.9% of germs with excessive hot vapor. You can eliminate allergens, pests, bugs, and bacteria with steaming.
Time-consuming: You may need 3 to 4 days to dry after washing with carpet cleaners, but steam cleaners do it within 24 hours (48 hours in some cases, depending on the machine and carpet).
Size: Steam cleaners are relatively small and smart than their nearest peer carpet cleaners. Steam cleaners’ flexibility helps reach out to every nook and corner of furniture.
Price parity: Steam cleaner is expensive due to ‘deep cleaning’ technology. But you can afford a carpet cleaner with less pocket pinch.
Conclusion
So as per the above discussion, we get a coherent concept about steam cleaners and carpet cleaners. You see the limited use of carpet cleaners and the wide-range presence of steam cleaners in our daily life. But, the point should be noted: don’t keep any electric war or inflammable things with the machine.
Avoid it on water-painted, unglazed tiles or polythene products.
However, it depends on your regular use and requirements. You can choose a dry carpet cleaner option if you want a short-term result or if you are in a hurry for a family event, party, or Christmas get-together. But if you have sufficient time for carpet cleaning and looking for deep -cleaning, then pick a steam cleaner. It helps to remove allergens, dust-allergy, and suffocation-related problems.
FAQ’s
Q: – Which is better dry or steam carpet cleaning?
Dry carpet cleaners appear pocket-friendly at first look option but also have certain limitations. Dry cleaners are your friendly option due to their fast service, but they are not effective during deep cleaning— you need steam or hot vapor to remove deeply ingrained stains from carpets.
Similarly, steam carpet cleaners can ask for deep pockets, but it depends on your basic needs. It needs long-term effort to clean, but deep-cleaning results are miraculous. Steam cleaners remove tough stains, dirt, pollen, or other allergic agents. People from coastel area (e.g. Connecticut, Florida, Virginia) should avoid carpet cleaner due to moisture in environment — steam cleaner is the best option for them
Q: – Do steam cleaners remove carpet stains?
If your mission is to remove stubborn grease and dirt, including microparticles like pollen and allergens, steam cleaners are one-man-army for you— however, carpets have a rare issue with spilled oil and grease. The machine sprays water at boiling point or hot vapor to clean your commercial or domestic carpets.
Your daily household chores become easy. However, you should not apply the vapor on water-based paint materials, pvc or plastic equipment.
Q:- Which is best: Steam Cleaner or Carpet Cleaner?
Steam cleaner is a better option for deeper cleaning. Even shampooers have problems with cleaning as they push the dirt foam, leading to decoloration or yellowish spot, which is hard to remove.
For deep cleaning, you should use a steam cleaner, but it takes time to dry the carpet. Commercial carpets need more regular cleaning than domestic ones — a steam cleaner is best for both cases. You can use the steam cleaner to remove invisible bugs, allergens, pests, dirt, and filth; it can endure heavy-duty cleaning and dries quickly.
Q: – Does steam cleaning make the carpet fluffy again?
Steam is the ultimate solution for carpets. You will get back the fluffiness up to certain limits through steam cleaning. It depends on how regularly you wash the carpet, its purchase history, proper maintenance, and present condition.
After removing all stubborn dirt and stains, you will get a fluffier product, but sometimes washing the carpet results in more stretch than fluffiness. Steam can revitalize and clean carpet piles.
