How Can I Disinfect My Carpet? Carpets are champions at accumulating germs and dirt. Besides regular cleaning that targets dirt and stains, you also want to rid the carpet of invisible pathogens. Detergent and vacuum cleaner would not do the trick, so you have to go for disinfection methods.
Here are two methods of sanitizing germy carpeting.
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Carpet extraction
Carpet extractors are more powerful than vacuum cleaners and are an effective weapon against deep-down dirt and pathogens. First of all, start by vacuuming the loose dirt from the carpet. A large amount of soil would muddy the water from the tank, making you replace it quite often.
That’s why you are good to vacuum as much dirt as possible before using the extractor. Move on to spraying an alkaline solution on the carpet, which will help capture dirt and germs easier. Leave the solution to sit on the carpet for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill the extractor tank with hot water. Once the alkaline dwell time is up, start the extracting job. The machine uses powerful suction and agitation to remove the deepest dirt and germs. Make sure you walk the extractor across the carpet slowly to allow it to suck the dirt up properly.
Once you finish the first round, go with the rinse round. Replace the dirty water from the tank with clean water and add the extraction rinse. Run the extracting machine across the carpet to allow it to suction all soap residues.
Section up the carpet into straight strips and follow them while working with the extractor. This will ensure all carpet areas receive proper attention and care. If you go chaotically, you will compromise the results of the sanitization.
Just ten germs surviving your sanitization may breed hundreds of thousands of new germs in some minutes. So you got to be extremely careful and thoughtful towards each inch of the carpet.
Drying
The last step of carpet cleaning and disinfection is drying. Let the rug dry completely before starting walking on it. Moist carpet attracts dirt easier, so you are good to ensure zero foot traffic while the carpet is drying. If the ventilation in the room is poor, the carpet may fail to dry completely.
The moisture inside it will create a breeding ground for the growth of bacteria, which love humidity.
Hence, it would be reasonable to open the windows to ensure full carpet drying. You can also use an air blower to speed up the drying time. If the humidity levels in your house are high, you can run the air blower occasionally across the carpet. This will help keep it dry and prevent the growth and spreading of mold and germs.
Steam cleaning
Another way to disinfect the carpet is by steam cleaning. Steam features hot water vapors that are highly effective against germs. The methodology differs from carpet extraction, as extractors spray water in its liquid form directly on the carpet.
Nonetheless, both devices use heat to disinfect the carpet. High temperature is the worst nightmare pathogens can have. While their shell is more resistant to heat than human skin, it still fails at extreme temperatures.
Start by filling up the cleaner’s tank with water. Choose the heat setting and let the water reach the needed temperature. Once it does, you can proceed with your steam raid. Move the steam cleaner slowly across the carpet to let hot vapors reach the deepest germs and annihilate them.
Keep in mind that there are two types of steam cleaners. Ones that can vacuum and have extraction tanks, others that only blast steam to loosen the dirt. The latter involves an additional round with the vacuum cleaner to lift the loosened grime.
For carpet disinfection, the first type of cleaner is more suitable. It allows you to collect and dispose of germs right away after killing them.
How Can I Disinfect My Carpet? – Bottom line
Carpet disinfection is a necessity with the growing amount of germs that end up on your rug every day. You can choose either of the two methods we have mentioned above if you have the devices on hand. Both of them are safe for carpet fiber and inactivate most harmful pathogens.
If neither the carpet extractor nor the steam cleaner is at your disposal, you can call in professional cleaners. They have all the needed tools and techniques to provide your carpet with deep disinfection.