So imagine you’re standing in the checkout line at the grocery store. You’re waiting for a price check on your three pound bag of kale when you spy a carpet steam cleaner in the corner, ready to be rented.
You think to yourself, “It’s been since Y2K that I’ve cleaned my carpets. Maybe it’s time.”

So you fork out the dough, cart the monstrosity home, call the neighbor kid over who wants to be an astrophysicist to get it running, sweat like the pilot in Airplane!, haul the thing back to the store, wait another fourteen hours for it to dry, only to realize three days later that that patch in the carpet that Fluffy has been using for a litter box might as well be used as a litter box.

The stain is still there.

A lot of times, the fruitless folly of self-carpet cleaning is the deciding factor to calling a professional to do a professional level job.

But now comes the big question: do you want steam cleaning, or dry cleaning?

First, you should know the difference. Steam cleaning is just what the name implies: the use of very hot water  helps remove the stains in a carpet. By using Truck-mounted equipment can produce a very hot water combined with pretreating carpet to break up stains and soil, rotary machines are also used for agitation, followed by a clean water rinse to leave your carpets fresh and residue free. The now dirty liquid is sucked out of your carpet into a waste system in the truck, leaving your carpets refreshed and clean.

Dry cleaning uses almost no liquid at all. Instead, solutions are spread onto the carpet, breaking down all dirt that it comes in contact with. After resting in the carpet, the residue is vacuumed up, leaving your carpet rejuvenated.

And now the $64,000 question: which one is better?

That depends. We know… two words you didn’t want to read. Steam cleaning is our go-to method at Sams Carpet that we use the most often, we do dry clean when necessary, especially for upholstery furniture. But really, it’s up to you!

If you are looking to get a light carpet cleaning on a Friday for that holiday party on Saturday and just need surface of the fibers cleaned. Dry cleaning could be a better bet as your carpets are instantaneously usable after a dry cleaning.

However, if you have crawling children, dirty feet running in your home, dogs, ferrets,  or Fluffy the incontinent cat running around, and need a thorough cleaning  you may want to choose the steam cleaning. The carpets may take longer to dry, (air movement can be used to dry carpets quicker  but the overall results there is no comparison. You can check out your carpet’s manufacturer recommendations to assist your decision and you may find that most manufacturers prefer hot water extraction cleaning.
Regardless of which method you choose, Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs has you covered. For over 30 years, Sams has been the leader in serving our commercial and residential customers. We love what we do, and we are committed to your satisfaction. Call us today for all of your carpet and upholstery cleaning needs!