Steam cleaning and other carpet cleaning methods leave your carpet wet. This is why we are going to give a comprehensive step by step guide to help you know how to dry clean carpet at home.
Sometimes the drying process isn’t the best option, especially when you expect visitors knocking on your door the next minute. Times like this call for dry cleaning which is in itself instant cleaning. However, how to dry clean carpet at home is a query that needs informed answers in order to do it in the right manner.
What is Dry Cleaning?
Dry carpet cleaning, unlike other carpet cleaning methods, involves the use of cleaning compounds to clean your carpet. As the name suggests, dry cleaning involves little to no moisture. There are a number of approaches you can use to dry clean your carpet.
In this guide, we shall cover the dry compound method, the encapsulation method, and the dry ice method.
Dry cleaning is a faster method in that it takes an hour or less to finish. However, there are advantages of steam washing or shampooing, one of them is doing away with pests within your carpet fibers.
How to Dry Clean Carpet at Home the Easy Way
To ensure you get a taste of both worlds to your advantage, shift to steam washing after dry cleaning your carpet for two rounds.
The Dry Compound Method
This method involves spreading a slightly moist cleaning compound over your carpet. This compound absorbs the dirt in your carpet to leave it clean after brushing off. To make sure you do it right, do it as below:
Choose and Shop Your Dry Cleaning Compound
The first move is to shop for your ideal carpet cleaning compound. You can choose from dry powder, a solvent, absorbent formulation or even regulated laundry soap. We prefer the dry powder cleaners for their ease of use, though the others also work quite fine.
Vacuum the Carpet
Now you need to vacuum in order to do away with dust and other foreign particles within the fibers of your carpet. Make sure you do it thoroughly and reach all parts of your carpet including the edges.
Spread the Compound On Your Carpet
Carefully read the instructions on your select dry cleaning compound. Use the prescribed amounts. Just spread the compound evenly on your carpet. To have the compound go deep and absorb all the dirt within the grains of your carpet, ensure you leave it to stay for the stipulated time.
Attend to Stains
Give more attention to parts of the carpet with stains. To ensure the stains are going to disappear, use a thistle brush or any other soft brush to push the compound deep into the fibers. The compound shall adhere to all the dirt making the spots disappear after cleaning out the compound.
Vacuum Up the Carpet
Finally, vacuum up your carpet to get rid of the cleaning powder. Ensure your vacuum thoroughly to get rid of most of the cleaning powder completely.
In the places with stains, you can repeat a to clear out since you applied more powder as initially advised.
Using the Encapsulation Method to Dry Clean Carpet at Home
Encapsulation is another effective dry cleaning method. This is nearly similar to shampooing but takes a different approach in its action.
The encapsulation cleaning solution contains a crystalising, acrylic polymer that creates the encapsulating effect to clean out dirt from your carpet. Other substances in the solution work to break bonds between dirt and grease and carpet fibers to clean them out.
This is the right way to go about it:
Vacuum Clean
Vacuum up your carpet to do away with all the loose debris and dirt. Concentrate more on stained areas and areas that are used more often. For instance, you shall concentrate more on the part leading to the door than the part under the table.
Dilute the Encapsulating Solution
Dilute the encapsulating solution as prescribed. You have to use hot water and measure the advised amounts to avoid damaging your carpet.
Then pour the resulting mixture in a spraying pump. This method isn’t completely dry but results in very little moisture hence its dry cleaning categorisation.
Spray the Solution On Your Carpet
Now spray the carpet with the encapsulating solution holding the nozzle close to the carpet. You should ensure that you spray uniformly and sparingly. For areas with spots, apply more solution which you shall bloat up later.
This should be dry cleaning, therefore, see to it that you do not water log your carpet with the encapsulating solution.
Allow Time to Work
Give time, preferably 15 minutes or more to let the solution. During this time, avoid stepping on the carpet. To make the drying process faster, you try using a fan or cloth to blow dry your carpet.
Vacuum the Whole Carpet
Finally, vacuum the whole carpet thoroughly to remove the encapsulated debris. You should now be left with a light and sparkling clean carpet. If the carpet doesn’t look clean enough, then you can consider adding more encapsulating solution or vacuum more thoroughly.
Using the Snow Method to Dry Clean Carpet At Home
To effectively use snow in dry cleaning your carpet, avoid the soggy snow and go for the dry one. This process is the easiest. Just spread your carpet outside and spread dry ice evenly on it.
Leave the ice to freeze on your carpet for a good time.
After this, brush off the frozen snow from your carpet.
The frozen snow pieces shall drop off with the dirt in your carpet’s grains leaving it clean.
Conclusion
Dry cleaning is the best method to get your carpet cleaned up and used almost immediately after the process. If done correctly, the above methods shall make you forget professional cleaning services.
However, you do not have to do it at home in case you encounter too tough stains, just shift to a professional carpet cleaning service. We hope you now know how to dry clean carpet at home, see you later.
