When you invest in a carpet, be it wall to wall or an area rug, you want it to stay clean, fresh and healthy for as long as possible. Beside the dirt and odor that accumulate in carpets, microscopic organisms such as dust mites can make their home there. For this reason, consider using carpet cleaning services at least twice a year.

The carpet cleaning methods that are right for you will depend on the amount of traffic your carpet or rugs endure, whether or not children and pets live in the home, and whether anyone in the home has allergies. It is also very important for the life of your carpet to choose a carpet cleaning method that is compatible with the materials that your carpet or rug is made of. This is why it is better to hire a carpet cleaning service staffed by professionals than to attempt to deep clean carpets yourself. Carpet cleaning services generally offer five methods of cleaning: shampooing, dry cleaning, foam cleaning, bonnet cleaning, and steam cleaning. Regardless of which method is used, the carpet cleaning service will first thoroughly vacuum all carpets that are to be deep cleaned.

Carpet cleaning that involves shampooing is probably the least effective method. Special detergents are applied to the carpet or rug and agitated with a carpet cleaning machine. The shampoo is then extracted from the carpet by vacuuming. The detergents used contain brighteners and deodorizers that leave your carpet looking nice and smelling good. However, most of the dirt and microbes stay in the carpet and reappear after the shampoo's effect has expired.

The dry cleaning method is ideal, because you do not have to wait for the carpets to dry. This form of carpet cleaning is performed by covering the carpet with a special cleaning powder that is designed to attract dirt like a magnet. Once the powder is worked into the carpet, it is thoroughly vacuumed away.

The foam carpet cleaning method is a cross between shampooing and dry cleaning. It uses a minimal amount of water and foam detergent that attracts and adheres to the soil. After the foam is worked into the carpet, it is thoroughly vacuumed, extracting most of the water, detergent, and dirt.

The bonnet carpet cleaning method is usually preformed only in commercial buildings. It does not work as well as other methods in residential homes, because it is designed mainly to maintain or restore the appearance of industrial carpeting rather than to provide deep cleaning. It also has the potential of damaging the fibers that most home carpets are composed of. Bonnet carpet cleaning is performed by applying a chemical detergent to the carpet and using an absorbent pad on a rotary shampoo machine to extract soil.

Steam cleaning, also known as hot water extraction, is the most effective method of carpet cleaning. Carpet cleaning services use a powerful machine that injects a solution of hot water and detergent into the carpet or rug. The mixture is then powerfully extracted by the machine, leaving the carpets looking and smelling like new, but most importantly, removing as much of the soil and microbes as possible.