There are two main ways to clean a carpet professionally: hot water extraction and dry, or low-moisture, cleaning. They suit different fibres, and only one of them removes stains.
How hot water extraction works
Hot water extraction, often called steam cleaning, injects hot water mixed with cleaning solution into the carpet under pressure. The machine then extracts it, together with the dirt. It suits synthetic, mixed and wool carpets, and it's the method that lifts stains, deep-down dirt, dust and allergens. Carpets usually dry in 3 to 5 hours afterwards.
How dry cleaning works
Dry cleaning is for fibres that shouldn't get wet. In the powder method, a dry detergent is worked into the fibres with a machine with slowly rotating brushes, then vacuumed off with the dirt. In the solvent method, used for silk, velvet, cotton and viscose, a solvent is misted on and wiped off with towels. It suits seagrass, sisal, jute, cotton, silk, velvet, oriental and Persian rugs, and the carpet is dry almost straight away. But dry cleaning refreshes rather than restores: it cannot remove stains.
Which one your carpet needs
You don't have to decide. The cleaner identifies the fibre first, then chooses the method, settings and detergents to suit it. One thing to know: stain protection can only be applied after hot water extraction, not after dry cleaning.
Booking the right clean
Tell us what the carpet is made of if you know, and mention any delicate rugs on the quote form. We reply the same day with a fixed price.