If you’ve just had your carpet professionally cleaned, you may be wondering how long until you can walk on it again? Expert carpet cleaning services in Adelaide are the best way to rid your carpet of deep down dirt and bring the fresh, fluffy feel back. But, drying times can often be a concern.
How long a carpet takes to dry, depends on the carpet cleaning technique used. The two main methods are carpet steam cleaning and dry cleaning. Let’s take a look at how long each takes to dry and how you can speed up the process.
Different Types of Carpet Cleaning
Steam cleaning is one of the most popular and effective ways to clean a carpet. A cleaning solution is mixed with water and sprayed onto the carpet. The carpet fibres are agitated to mix the solution deep down. Stains are treated, the carpet fibres are rinsed and the dirt plus 95% of the water is extracted. The carpet may remain damp for 3-6 hours afterwards.
Dry cleaning uses minimal liquid plus dry cleaning compounds. A machine is used to buff the carpet and remove any dirt or soil. The carpet is raked to finish and fluff up fibres. You can walk on a carpet after a dry clean almost immediately.
Factors That Affect Carpet Drying Times
Humidity – If you live in an area with low humidity, your carpet will dry faster. Moisture evaporates quicker if the air is dry, speeding up the drying process. If you have high humidity, open windows to let air flow through.
Carpet material – The type of carpet you have effects it’s drying time. Wool carpets absorb moisture and take longer to dry than polyester or nylon. Synthetic carpets do better after steam cleaning, since they don’t hold onto much moisture.
Indoor temperature – The temperature of your home also affects a carpets drying time. Moisture evaporates quickly at temperatures of 20 – 30 degrees Celsius, so summer time is the best time to steam clean carpets.
How to Speed up the Carpet Drying Process
It can be a nuisance, waiting for your carpet to dry after a steam clean. If you need to get on with your day, follow the simple tips below.
Use standing fans. Place standing vans around the room to blow air over your newly cleaned carpet or even better turn on your ceiling fans.
Open windows and doors. As soon as the professional carpet cleaning team leaves, open up the windows for at least 2 hours.
Turn on your reverse cycle airconditioner It will bring moisture levels down, speeding up the carpet drying process