If your office is carpeted, chances are you will need the help of a commercial cleaning service to get them cleaned. You may already have this service as part of your cleaning contract, but have you ever questioned how your office carpets are cleaned, and if the methods are safe for you, your colleagues and the environment?
There are basically two types of carpet cleaning: dry cleaning and steam cleaning. Dry cleaning involves the addition of a cleaning powder deep down into the carpet absorbing dirt particles as it is beaten into the carpet. The powder is then vacuumed out and the dirt along with it.
Steam cleaning is basically a water extraction method of cleaning. Cleaners are applied to the carpet via a stream of very hot water and then vacuumed up, extracting dirt at the same time. There are fans of both methods and it’s hard to say which will be right for you. Here are a few of the pros and cons of each to consider.
Vacuuming the powder out of a carpet completely can be difficult. Particles of the powder may remain in the carpet and move into the air as people walk on the carpet releasing chemicals and toxins that everyone then breathes in. However, this is a generally a much more cost-effective method of carpet cleaning as the equipment used is much less expensive, but many people question that all of the cleaning compounds can ever be removed by a vacuuming process.
Steam cleaning or hot water extraction seems to be the method most used and preferred by cleaning companies and consumers alike. Part of the reason for this is that large trucks with exterior motors and pumps can be brought on site to extract the dirty water. The motors on these machines are much more powerful that those of portable units that can be brought right inside a building, with the end result being less residue left in the carpets. This means fewer toxins remaining behind that can move into the air, and less residue in the carpet that can attract soil and stains, and also less drying time for your busy workplace.
The high temperatures of the hot water used can also be better for destroying bacteria that can lurk in your carpet, providing further support to the theory that steam cleaning, or hot water extraction is the best carpet cleaning method.
Regardless of which method is ultimately used in your office or building, keeping carpets clean is of the utmost importance. In addition to regular cleanings, daily vacuuming and immediate spot removal are the two best ways to keep office carpet in tip top shape.
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