Most homeowners know that professional cleaning is the best way to eliminate stains and odors and to restore their carpets’ original beauty. But why are carpets sometimes stiff and “crunchy” after a cleaning? And is there any way to avoid it?
According to Scott Howard of Carbonated Solutions of West Texas, residue from heavy soaps and detergents are often the culprits behind crunchy carpets. Howard, whose company offers soap-free carpet cleaning in Lubbock, Texas and the surrounding areas, insists that there is a better way. The secret? Carbonation.
Why Is Soap Bad for My Carpets?
“Some carpet cleaning companies use thick soaps and harsh detergents to get your carpets clean,” Howard explains. “But these heavy soaps can actually impede the cleaning process and almost always leave behind some amount of residue.” It’s that residue that makes carpets feel stiff, sticky and crunchy. And, ironically, that very residue can make it more difficult to keep your carpets clean after they’ve been treated.
What’s the Alternative?
Rather than relying on a soap to “shampoo” the carpet, Howard’s company uses the penetrating power of tiny bubbles to reach deep into the carpet fiber and gently lift soil to the surface, where it can be easily removed. Not only is the Carbonated Solutions process completely soap and residue-free, it also leaves behind only a small amount of surface water so that your carpets are ready to walk on within about two hours. And furniture, he says, can be replaced right away.
In addition to cleaning without the “crunch” associated with competitors’ methods, Carbonated Solutions’ process is totally safe for kids and pets, and is environmentally friendly to boot. “Our cleaning solution is all-natural, non-toxic, and solvent-free,” Howard says, “so you don’t have to worry about fumes, chemical odors or risks to the environment.”
Howard’s customers also enjoy the fact that his process doesn’t involve long hoses and big, noisy indoor/outdoor equipment. The entire cleaning can be performed with doors and windows closed, so your home stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The process, he says, first involves a thorough vacuuming, including the cracks between the carpet and baseboards. Next, the all-natural carbonated cleaning solution is sprayed onto the carpet. “Once the solution has done its work, we use a buffer,” Howard explains, “to collect the cleaning solution and all the soil that’s been lifted to the carpet’s surface.” The entire process is very gentle and non-invasive, but also highly effective.
“Getting carpets clean doesn’t have to involve harsh chemicals or unpleasant residue,” Howard says. “Our process gets your carpets clean, dry and ready for normal use in just a few hours.”