Dry Clean Carpet At Home. (Everything You Need to Know!)

I know that feeling… you’re carpet is dirty and you’d like to clean it. But how? Do you necessarily have to call a professional to do it? And if you can do it yourself, what’s the best way to do it?

You can dry clean your carpet home using one of the following methods: dry compound, encapsulation, dry ice, Dry cleaning powder and carpet aerosols. All those methods use little to no moisture at all! This post will cover everything you need to know.

But if your heart isn’t set on stone regarding dry cleaning, I would strongly advice you to check steam cleaning alternatives too. If you don’t know the difference between dry and steam cleaning, we have a post that explains precisely that.

Just so you know… Carpet Steam cleaning can be DIYed just as easily as Dry Cleaning. As a matter of fact, I usually recommend Steam Cleaning to most people.

Why Clean Your Carpet At Home

You’ve decided to clean your carpet. That’s awesome! Not only will it make your carpet last longer and look nicer, there’s a handful of reasons why cleaning your carpet might be a good idea. Let’s take a closer look!

1. It’s cheaper!

Let’s start with the most obvious reason… Cleaning your carpet yourself is cheaper.

Some people find professional carpet cleaning expensive, some find it cheaper than they thought it would be. But one thing is certain… if you take into account how much buying the equipment to clean a carpet yourself costs, then cleaning the carpet yourself might not seem worth it.

But is it?

The answer is… it depends on how often you need your carpets cleaned. But if you need to clean your carpets at least once every a year, then owning your own cleaning equipment might be worth it.

But how often should you clean your carpets?

It’s your lucky day! We wrote an extensive guide (with a calculator) that let’s you know exactly how many times a year you should clean your carpet depending on how many adults, children, pets, etc. live in your house. Check it out here:

But if you’re in a hurry, check out this summary (although you might need to check the post to see what light, medium, heavy and extreme soil actually mean):

2. Prevents Mold Infestation

Mold spores can accumulate at any moisture point, especially on your carpet. Food residues, pet urine, etc. are a great spot for mold to infest, and can ruin your entire carpet if not cleaned on time and properly.

If mold is something you’re worried about, perhaps this post could be useful:

3. Reduces Traffic Lines

Another perk that you get by cleaning your carpet is the reduction of traffic lines. With time, the fibers of the area of the carpet having heavy traffic tend to bend down. This results in the formation of visible traffic lines.

Moreover, this area gets dull as compared to the one that remains uninhabited. That is why carpet cleaning is needed so that your carpet gets even in all parts. It also helps clean the fibers, rejuvenating their strength from traffic lines.

4. Gives a Healthy Environment

One of the many perks of cleaning your carpet is that it gives you a safe environment. Carpet fibers pick up dirt and mold particles that can cause allergies and breathing issues for inhabitants. Cleaning your carpet will rinse off most of the harmful allergens, and will give a healthy atmosphere too.

But those are just some benefits of carpet cleaning. Perhaps you’d like to check this post to see what you’re missing on!

Methods To Dry Clean Your Carpet

As highlighted earlier, there are several ways that you can use to dry clean your carpet. You can opt for these to get your carpet dry cleaned efficiently. So let’s get cleaning:

Method 1: Dry Compound Method

This is the first way of dry cleaning your carpet. The dry compound method uses a cleaning compound with low moisture. One of the main advantages of dry cleaning is that it can easily be applied over all areas of the carpet and can be rinsed off easily.

Once spread over the carpet, you can easily brush it off without needing to vacuum it. The compound is designed in a way that it attracts dirt particles and absorbs them like a sponge. After spreading it, you can then wait for the dirt to be attracted to the component.

Later you can vacuum the carpet, making it instantly clean without any hassle. The dry compound is made to clean your carpet deeply. When you’ve spread the compound, ensure to leave it for some time so that it can absorb dirt and evaporate. Check our post on the best vacuum cleaners of 2022.

Method 2: Encapsulation Method

As evident from the name, the encapsulation method uses drying compound polymers that encapsulate the dirt particles. On simple contact with the dirt, the polymers encapsulate them into dry residues. Another perk of using this method is that it’s cleaning efficiency can be enhanced using detergents.

The polymers combine with detergent particles to help remove the dirt particles from deep within the carpet. This method is quite effective as it helps remove dirt from the carpet as well as give effectively refreshing cleaning for the carpet too.

In addition, to make sure that the polymers are gone, you can use rotary brushes and vacuuming them instantly. This will take some effort and cause a little expenditure; however, the results will be promising and worthwhile.

When using the encapsulation method, you can use multiple cleaning phases. The first phase will comprise of cleaning the dirt particles with polymer compound by spreading over the carpet. The second cleaning phase will comprise removing the remaining polymers, free particles and solid dirt using vacuuming. The result would be a superbly cleaned carpet with no dirt or polymer residue left.

Method 3: Dry Ice Method

If you want to save yourself from the hassle of brushing, then this method is definitely the one for you. Dry ice uses a dry ice beam that has a large CO2 footprint. The bream blows away the dirt that is stuck in the carpet fibers.

This is done because of the CO2 particles that are shot from the beam. These particles get trapped in the fibers, attract and evaporate the dirt. After some time, these particles evaporate themselves.

– One of the reasons that the dry ice method isn’t suited for home use is because of its high CO2 density. Although the result is 100% dry cleaned carpet with no moisture, it still is a costlier method than other dry cleaning methods.

Method 4: Dry Carpet Cleaning Powder

Another way of dry cleaning your carpet is by using a dry cleaning powder. This powder is similar to the compounds mentioned before and can be used to dry clean the carpet effectively. Let’s take a look at some of the products you can consider:

Oreck Dry Carpet Cleaning Powder

If you’re up for a little effort [amazon link=”B06XVGPMG3″ title=”diy-cleaning”/] your carpet, then this product is your partner. The Oreck cleaning powder can easily be applied over the carpet and can be vacuumed effectively to get a nice and cleaned carpet.

However, it is necessary that you use a dirt release spray before using the powder, and wait for 45 minutes so that the powder dries.

[amazon box=”B06XVGPMG3″]

Racine Ind. Host Dry Carpet Cleaner

Another product that is an effective choice, especially if you want to get rid of mold and allergens. The Racine Ind. Host dry carpet cleaner is a great choice even against the toughest of the stains.

Moreover, it is also effective in removing allergens and mold spores that are stuck in the carpet. The deep cleaning action of the powder makes it efficient in cleaning your carpet effectively, giving a healthy result.

All you need to do is to spread it over the carpet. The sawdust-like powder can effectively be spread using your hands. After leaving it for at least half an hour, make sure to vacuum it so that the residues are removed.

HOST Dry Carpet Cleaning Kit

If you’re worried about your sensitive carpet, then this kit is the product to use. The all-in-one kit is perfect for various surfaces, including oriental carpets, sisal, etc. However, it is also recommended that you test the product on a small cut-piece to ensure there aren’t any abrasive effects.

Method 5: Carpet Stain Spot Removal Aerosols

Another product that you should have with you if you are dry cleaning your carpet is a carpet stain spot removal aerosol. This product is efficient in lifting dirt that makes it easier for the dry cleaning powder to trap the particles.

One of the many perks of using stain spot removal aerosols is that they are safe and comprise of non-toxic cleaning materials. Moreover, these aerosols leave no spot, and the stains that the spray is used on, don’t reappear too.

[amazon box=”B001NG9XJY”]

Conclusion

With all things stated, dry carpet cleaning is an easy way to get your carpet’s appeal uplifted again. If you have a busy schedule and don’t have time for it, then search for “best carpet cleaners near me”, and you’ll find a list of professionals that do dry cleaning. Happy cleaning!