What to Use to Clean Carpet

Kids, pets, day-to-day routines—with everything we have going on, it’s easy for carpet messes to happen without you noticing. 

Whether you’re looking for a good spot cleaner to keep a spill from becoming a lasting stain, or you’re researching the best professional carpet cleaning methods before hiring a cleaning company, Stanley Steemer is here to help. 

With 75 years of experience, we’ve put in the time and money to formulate the best products for your carpet, and by writing this blog, we hope to save you some research by empowering you with our knowledge of various cleaners, including our own.  

Let’s get started!

Types of Carpet

First, let’s talk about what type of carpet you might have in your house. While our technicians are trained in the nuances of how to deal with each type, particularly when it comes to the right methods for applying our stain remover, deodorizer, and protectant sprays, we think it’s helpful for you to understand some basics. 

Generally, there are two types of carpet fibers: synthetic and natural.

Today, synthetic carpets are the most popular style of carpeting with the vast majority of carpets sold in the U.S. being made from synthetic material. Synthetic fibers are machine-made fibers. Common types include:

Since both are synthetically made, people often question which carpet fiber is better: nylon or polyester.  

Nylon is very durable and abrasion-resistant, but it’s more expensive than Polyester. Polyester, on the other hand, is stain-resistant, strong, and softer to the touch than Nylon. Both nylon and polyester are relatively easy to wash and mildew-resistant. 

In the end, both are quality materials for carpet, so it really comes down to personal preference and choice.

While it’s uncommon to see this in a home, some carpets are made of natural fibers. All this means is that they are made from materials found naturally, such as wool. Since most carpets are made from at least some synthetic material, natural carpets and rugs are valued for their rich textures and natural weave. 

Wool is the most common type of natural carpet fiber. These fibers easily absorb stains and are typically better at insulating sound and heat.

In general, the right type of cleaner for your carpet can depend on what type of fibers your carpet is made from. Natural carpet fibers tend to be a bit more finicky and easy to damage. Any spot cleaner bottle or carpet cleaning solution found at the store should designate on the bottle which types of carpet the cleaner is safe for use on. 

DIY cleaners are an entirely different animal, however. Some are less likely to cause harm, while others should definitely be used with caution. In general, we just don’t recommend these methods since they haven’t been tried and tested with the same quality assurance that store-bought cleaners have been. 

Also, you might not realize that a DIY solution or a certain proportion of it isn’t safe for your specific carpet type unless your source happens to mention it. This is another reason why it’s important to work with experts who know and will tell you which gentle ingredients are safe for use on your carpet. 

Similarly, as you consider retail cleaners, be wary of any cleaners that use harsh chemicals, as these are the most likely to have restrictions regarding what type of carpet they can be used on. And even if they’re marked as safe for your type of carpet, they may not be the best option for the longevity of your carpet, as harsh chemicals can wear on carpet fibers over time. 

We’re proud to be able to say that Stanley Steemer’s spot remover and deodorizer is gentle and safe for use on any carpet type. We still recommend that you test the cleaner on an inconspicuous part of your floor to be sure that no color bleeding will happen, but we formulated our cleaner specifically to be gentle, yet effective on any kind of carpet. 

First and foremost, it’s important to clean the stain as soon as possible after the spill occurs. This keeps the contaminants from having extra time to sink into and dry on the carpet fibers. 

Here are the important steps to remember while applying the cleaner:

Professional Carpet Cleaning Options

While there are several different professional cleaning methods available, we recommend hot water extraction cleaning. This is the most effective method used by leading companies, as it injects hot water and cleaning solution into your carpet to knock contaminants loose, then extracts them back out of the carpet, leaving your carpet fresh and clean. This also provides for minimal dry time. 

Carpet shampooing can often leave behind residue, which attracts dirt and dust over time. The same is true of dry carpet cleaning. Encapsulation carpet cleaning is better than the previous two options, but it can’t get below the surface of your carpet.

Stanley Steemer offers EPA-approved carpet cleaning agents combined with our proprietary hot-water extraction process to achieve the best results possible. We also have powerful stain treatments that go beyond what our retail cleaner can offer you when they are applied by our technicians using their expertise and knowledge of carpet.