Steam cleaning versus shampoo – everything you need to know
Sometimes the vacuum is just not enough. Even after your best efforts, the office carpet looks dull and dingy. There’s no way that you’ll get that carpet and upholstery brightened up ready for your next tenant. Even the most powerful vacuum can’t always lift all of the accumulated dust, grime, foot traffic and pet stains.
Houses and offices have to put up with a lot:
Maybe your ankles are telling you that your tenants’ feline family’s latest flea infestation has had a field day (or should that be fur day?).
Or it’s plain from the state of the sofa that it’s suffered a few steamy Netflix sessions.
Or the office carpet harps back to the days when office parties were still a thing (remember those?)
At the end of the day, everyone wants the same outcome: a bright, fresh, clean space that’s guaranteed free from contamination.
So should you go down the route of traditional shampoo cleaning or check out the steam cleaning method?
When it comes to professional carpet and upholstery cleaning, what are the advantages of steam cleaning over traditional cleaning with shampoo?
- Steam Cleaning is good for the environment
At Oakeys Cleaning Ltd, we’re passionate about wildlife (except fleas and dust mites!!) so it’s good to know that for this type of cleaning, we don’t have to rely on detergents - there’s no corrosive bleach, ammonia, or lye, simply water and heat. And because steam cleaning only uses water, it’s ideal for people who are sensitive to chemicals.
Since steam cleaners typically have a steam tip temperature of 245° F, this means that mould, mildew, viruses, and other allergens are killed on contact. This is a big relief for allergy and asthma sufferers.
Steam cleaning works by thermal disinfection – when the high temperature of the steam kills microorganisms. This, along with the steam cleaning machine’s vacuum extraction and microfibre tools, means effective removal of contaminants from the area being cleaned.
Laboratory tests show that steam cleaning on surfaces such as laminate, stainless steel, vinyl, textiles and floor tiles eradicates microorganisms such as MRSA, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella and Clostridium difficile spores, as well as completely disinfecting the cleaned surface.
A recent report from the Department of Health has linked periodic steam cleaning to the reduction of MRSA, finding it significantly more effective than traditional methods – meaning that it’s a safer and healthier way to clean.
And because vapour steam cleaning can be used on almost any hard or soft surface - including upholstered furniture, bed spreads, bathrooms, windows, hardwood flooring, grout, tiles – it means that it is a one-stop cleaning method.
Even those rows of stuffed animals can get the steam cleaning treatment!
Following on from our last blog post on how to remove wine stains from carpet, any surface that has been pre-treated with a surface cleaner for stain removal is perfect for steam cleaning – that’s because the steam from the steam cleaner boosts the effectiveness of any stain removal products used.
What a difference a day’s steam cleaning makes.
Everything’s sparkling, clean and germ-free. Stepping onto that carpet no longer makes you itch. Even better, there are no more sticky fingerprints, suspicious residues and UFOs (unidentified fuggy odours).
Just clean fresh pile. Uncontaminated surfaces. And the reassurance that you’ve done your best for your new tenants and office employees.
So it’s full steam ahead for that spotlessly clean carpet that’s also free from MRSA, ecoli and norovirus.
Call us at Oakeys Cleaning Ltd and we’ll treat your carpets and upholstery to our specialised steaming cleaning service.
Our steam cleaning service is perfect for both domestic and commercial use. Landlords can rest assured that carpets, hard surfaces and upholstery in their rental properties are looking clean and fresh for new tenants. Office employers can have peace of mind that they’re providing a safe, clean space for their employers.
Contact us for a no obligation quote at Oakeys Cleaning Ltd - your local and regional cleaning specialists.