Dry foam carpet cleaning is a very low moisture cleaning procedure consisting of about 90% air and 10% liquid.

The dry foam machine is equipped with a pressure tank in which a mixture of water and shampoo is placed. A compressor on the machine converts the solution into foam which is then dispensed onto the carpet with a revolving cylindrical brush.  The brush works bubble of uniformed size foam into the pile of the carpet so that each individual fiber of the carpet is cleaned.  Once the foam has dried, the carpet needs to be thoroughly vacuumed to remove the dried crystals of dirt that have been left behind.

Steps of the dry foam procedure:

1. Vacuum the carpet and spot clean to remove spots and stains.
2. Mix the dry foam solution following the directions of the manufacturer. Using too little or too much chemical can result in poor results so stick with the measurements stated in the directions.
3. Shampoo the carpet.
4. If the carpet is a cut pile or shag, groom the pile to speed the drying process and leave the pile running in the same direction.
5. Place aluminum foil or furniture blocks under the furniture legs to prevent wood stains or rust.
6. Once the carpet has dried thoroughly vacuum it.

Advantages

• The process of dry foam cleaning is capable of covering a lot of area in a very short amount of time.
• There is little danger of saturating the carpet simply because the moisture content is low.  This will also help you to minimize the problems that are commonly associated with over wetting.
• Dry foam is a good choice if you have older, more soiled carpet that you want to get as clean as possible.
• You can rent a machine at many hardware or equipment rental stores.
• They don’t cost that much to rent, which is great for those who just want to give it a shot and see what happens.
• Dry foam carpet cleaning isn’t that hard to do, as you’ll be fine even if you have no experience with these types of machines.

Disadvantages

• The dry foam method is capable of removing average levels of soil.
• There is the possibility of excessive residue and soil build up if the machine you are using has inadequate extraction capabilities.

Dry foam can make a carpet look really good as long as you follow the manufacturer’s directions on mixing the solution and take your time with each step of use.

Tags: carpet, carpet protection, Cleaning, dry cleaning, dry foam, dry soil, shampoo, spot cleaning