The carpet must be maintained properly to extend its life and keep it looking fresh. Frequent vacuuming, spot removal, and interim cleaning are the best ways to do this. Hot water extraction or steam cleaning is a popular process that sucks up soils and contaminants trapped within the carpet fibers. It begins with preconditioning shampoo that helps to liquefy oil and soils.
Pre-treatment
Pre-treatment of carpets helps to loosen soil bonded to the fibers, making it easier to remove it with extraction. It is one of the most crucial steps in Carpet Cleaning El Dorado Hills CA process. It also helps reduce the risk of damage caused by over-wet carpets and rugs.

Pre-treatment is a necessary step for all carpet cleaning procedures. Using the correct solution for your particular carpet type and soiling condition is important. In this step, your professional Embassy cleaner will use a pump sprayer to mix the proper solutions according to safety standards. After this, the technician will pre-vacuum all areas to be cleaned removing any large particles and debris from the carpet and rug. He or she will also carefully move any items to be cleaned around and place protective blocks under furniture if necessary to prevent re-staining.
Some companies also offer a dry cleaning method for your carpets and rugs, often referred to as surface cleaning. This involves using an absorbent powder mixture with a special cleaning agent and solvents. This is then worked into the carpet fibres with a machine outfitted with counter-rotating brushes. After a set time, the powder is then vacuumed up, leaving the carpet with less dirt in it.
Another common method of surface cleaning is called encapsulation or foam carpet cleaning. This method of cleaning is often used in high traffic areas and works by applying a foaming chemical that then traps the dirt on top of the carpet. This is then vacuumed up along with the foam, leaving the carpet with less dirt in it and a fresher look.
Other methods of surface cleaning include spotting or pre-treating difficult stains. Difficult stains such as pet urine, oil, tar and other stubborn spots are treated with special stain removal chemicals that increase the chances of them being successfully removed by our technicians.
Another method of surface cleaning involves a rotating bonnet pad. This is saturated with a special cleaning solution and then spun over the carpet fibres to remove any surface dirt. This is a very effective and fast drying method of surface cleaning.
Agitation
With everyday use, carpet fibres collect hair, skin, crumbs, pet dirt and other particles. These elements can cling to carpets and cause them to look dingy even though they are clean. To get rid of these elements, carpets need to be thoroughly agitated before they can be cleaned.
Professionals have a number of different ways to agitate their cleaning chemicals into carpets. They may use a grooming rake for deep-pile carpets or a machine with rotating brushes for rugs that aren’t as dense. The agitation process further dislodges the soiling and helps the chemical reaction to clean the carpets. After agitating, pro’s vacuum up the loosened dirt with a powerhead vacuum to avoid any re-depositing of the soiling into the carpet.
Another method of agitation used by professionals is to precondition the carpet with an alkaline solution (ammonia for synthetics) or a mild acidic solution like dilute acetic acid for woollen carpets. This preconditioning process is done with a brush or a scrubber to ensure the soiling is thoroughly loosened. It also allows the carpet to dry quicker so that it can be used again sooner.
Encapsulation cleaning is another method of agitating the carpet and is used as an interim cleaning method. Using a pump sprayer or through the tank of an agitation machine, an encapsulating chemical is applied to the carpet and agitated in with a brush or a scrubber. The encapsulation chemical breaks down the soiling on the carpet fibres and, when it dries, crystallizes it into a non-sticky substance that can be easily removed by dry vacuuming.
The agitation and encapsulation process takes less time than extraction and rinsing. For the best results, a professional will have access to tools you can’t buy or rent at a hardware store such as UV lights to spot stains and a motorised bonnet machine that has an encapsulating pad for heavy soiling and a microfibre pad for lighter soiling.
Extraction
In the commercial cleaning industry, carpet extraction is an important and effective method of deep-cleaning your facility’s carpet. It helps remove the dirt, debris and contaminants that accumulate in your carpet fibers over time, leading to a more professional-looking and cleaner environment for your employees and customers. This process uses a specialized machine that sprays a mixture of hot water and cleaning solution onto your carpets, and then immediately extracts it back out along with any dirt, debris or contaminants it contains. This is a much more effective method than traditional carpet shampooing, which can damage the fibres of your carpet and leave behind a residue.
First, the carpet is preconditioned with a special cleaning agent or solvent that liquifies and displaces soil, dirt, allergens, and other particulates trapped among the carpet fibers. This step is especially important for heavily soiled carpets, as it helps to loosen the dirt and debris so that it can be more easily extracted. Some professionals also incorporate encapsulation at this point, which can help to protect the fibers from future damage.
Once the chemical has had a chance to dwell, it is then lightly agitated with either a disc brush and swing machine (floor machine) or a cylinder scrubber to further break up and loosen the dirt and soil in the carpet. If the carpet is heavily soiled, additional agitation may be necessary to ensure that the chemicals have had an opportunity to penetrate and dislodge the most stubborn dirt particles.
Next, the carpet is thoroughly rinsed using a heated carpet extractor. This is a very important step that is often overlooked by less experienced or untrained carpet cleaners. This step not only rinses the carpet, but it also lowers the pH of the detergents used in the pre-spray, which can prevent browning.
It is also a good idea to inspect the carpeting for any remaining spots or stains that may need special stain removal treatment. This can be done by hand, or with a portable spotter. Make sure to only use hot water for this step, as any other type of steam will compromise the carpet’s integrity and lead to premature re-soiling.
Rinsing
In the past, a variety of simple, natural materials were used for carpet cleaning. Tea leaves were once common to collect dust; ink was removed with lemon and hartshorn; stains on wool twist pile carpets were often treated with diatomaceous earth; grease fats with pipe clay; and candle wax was removed by placing a dry towel over the stain and steaming it until the wax absorbed into the towel. These methods are not as effective as today’s more advanced cleaners, but they do work to remove dirt from your carpet and are a good choice for regular maintenance of your home.
The most common carpet cleaning method is hot water extraction, also known as steam cleaning. Your pro will spray a preconditioning shampoo over the carpet to liquefy oil and soil. This will be followed by a machine that pumps hot, soapy water over the carpet to flush out soil and detergent. This is one of the most effective ways to clean your carpet and can be used on any type of carpet, including commercial, synthetic and wool rugs.
Other methods of cleaning include dry cleaning with an absorbent compound and foam cleaning. These both involve less moisture than steam cleaning but are not suitable for deep cleaning. Foam cleaning (also known as encapsulation) involves pumping a special chemical into the carpet that begins to bubble and expand, trapping dirt and debris and bringing it to the surface where it can be vacuumed up. This can be an especially useful way to remove pet urine and faeces stains, which are notoriously difficult to clean.
It is important for the cleaning process to be complete and that the rug is thoroughly dry before using it again. This helps to prevent molds and other bacteria from growing in the damp carpet fibres. These opportunistic microbes are a danger to your health as they produce allergens and can trigger respiratory distress.
It’s also a good idea to keep your pet’s from using the carpet until it is completely dry, which will help to reduce the occurrence of this problem. Finally, open windows and doors to increase airflow in the room and use oscillating fans for faster drying.