Differences in Cleaning Upholstery and Carpet

It’s a common misconception that you can rent a Rug Doctor Pro from your local Home Depot store and tackle your flooring and couches with the same machine. It won’t work. Because carpet is made up of synthetic fibers most specialized cleaners are geared to treat while upholstery is woven and made of up different materials altogether.

To determine the factors in cleaning upholstery versus carpet one must know the differences in each. So let’s take a look.

Upholstery

The literal definition of the word upholstery is soft, padded textile covering that’s fixed to most furniture such as armchairs and sofas. We are all familiar with these.

Upholstery is also commonly made up of breathable fabrics and delicate textiles such as cotton, wool and sometimes silk. Because it’s available in a wide variety of colors, prints, and textures, it requires more specialized treatments.  

Chances are you spend your days off parked on the sofa in front of your television snuggling your favorite pet. With that much “downtime” one can imagine the germs and bacteria that accumulate on those cushions! Food, pet hair, dander from dust and even lotions are commonly found down in your couch fibers.  

Carpet

Carpet, on the other hand, is a floor or stair covering made from thick woven fabric with individual strands, shaped to fit a specific room, or a souped-up conversion van with that orange shag carpeting every parent from the 80’s owned. Yeah, you know the ones!

Those carpet fibers become saturated with dirt, grease, and whatever is clinging to the bottom of your shoes! As such, the debris that finds its way into your carpet is different than what you encounter on upholstery.      

With two dissimilar materials, cleaning them isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and Steam Pro Inc is here to solve all of your carpet and upholstery needs! We even spray a protectant across your floor after they have been properly cleaned to ensure your carpet stays cleaner, longer.

Our technicians are fully trained to take on whatever you have brought in, so give us a call today!