One way to do the challenging task of cleaning your carpet is by using Oxi fresh carpet cleaning, and another is by using steam cleaning.
However, we understand the war going on inside your head of Oxi fresh carpet cleaning vs. Steam cleaning.
So, let’s go on the ride to understand which method is best for your carpet.
What Is Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning?
Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning stands for a company that uses encapsulation methods to clean your carpets. Currently, the company is extended across 500 locations. The company claim to be eco-friendly and use less time to dry your carpet.
How Does Oxi Fresh Cleaning Work?
The company uses the encapsulation method. In this method, your carpet is injected with a substance called a crystallizing acrylic polymer.
This substance breaks down the dirt, debris, and oils from your carpet and absorbs them inside its crystals. After this process of breaking and trapping the dirt, the next step is to use an Oxi fresh scrubbing machine.
This method uses less water which means your carpet dries out within an hour.
Most of the Oxi fresh scrubbing machine has counter-rotating brushes that lift the fibers of your carpet upwards using a suction into the machine and thoroughly clean your carpets.
However, this method is only practical when you have to deal with mild dirt and stains.
Will Encapsulation Eliminate Viruses And Bacteria Too?
No joke, but your carpet is among the filthiest thing you have in your home, which has the potential to spread thousands of bacteria and viruses.
From your dog’s pee to your vomit’s smell to dirt bought inside by your dirty shoes to dead bugs, you name it, everything sinks into your carpet and stays there until you clean them and can live for up to four weeks in carpeting.
However, the rising awareness of buying carpet cleaners that kills bacteria too emerged from the infamous Covid-19. Now more people want to buy carpet cleaners that kill certain viruses from their residential carpets.
In this case, the Oxi Fresh carpet cleaning is not your ideal purchase. As it uses an encapsulation method that does not emit enough heat to kill viruses and bacteria.
According to WHO, “Germs, bacteria, and viruses can be killed through heat at 140º F or higher.”
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Using Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaner?
Here are some pros and cons you should consider before going for Oxi Fresh carpet cleaning.
Pros:
1. Eco-Friendly- Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning uses an encapsulation method that allows it to use 95% less water than traditional carpet cleaning machines.
2. Time- Normally, traditional carpet cleaning machines can take up to 12-24 hours to dry your carpet. But as the encapsulation method uses less water, your carpet can be dried in only 1 hour.
3. Mild stains and dirt- Oxi fresh carpet cleaning is very effective when you have to clean a moderate amount of dirt and stains.
Cons:
1. Harmful- Oxi fresh carpet cleaning method uses a substance known as crystallizing acrylic polymer, which is a strong irritant to eyes, skin, and mucous membranes in humans.
2. Does not kill germs and bacteria- As we discussed earlier, the encapsulation method does not radiate high heat that kills harmful bacteria and viruses.
3. Tedious- Using the Oxi fresh carpet cleaning method can be a tedious task as it involves multiple steps to clean.
What Is A Steam Carpet Cleaner?
As the name suggests, steam cleaning is cleaning your carpet using steam. Steam cleaning is best suited to clean hard surfaces, countertops, bathroom tiles, flooring, mattresses, and curtains too.
It can also be used for industrial purposes, like cleaning grease. This method is known for its deep cleaning and environmentally friendly method, as it does not use any chemicals in its cleaning process and is the perfect alternative to using Lysol on the carpet.
How Does Steam Cleaning Work?
Steam cleaning machine uses water as its primary component. This water is then heated beyond the boiling point and forced out of a nozzle, brush, or other attachment in the machine.
This highly pressurized water vapor loosens dirt, mold, and allergens, and kills dust mites and other harmful bacteria.
How Often Should You Steam Clean Your Carpet?
Using a steam cleaner is an environment-friendly method, but using it too much can cause severe damage to your carpet because of the heat it emits. This method can also be used to clean your old carpet effectively and prevent your old carpet from making you sick.
Generally, getting your carpet professionally cleaned once a year is enough to keep things clean, but if you have a lot of dirt and mold build-up on your carpet, consider getting it professionally cleaned twice a year.
How often should you steam clean your carpet depends on the following factors:
1. If you have pets
Your furry pets often drop their hair which you can find in your food sometimes, and that’s even more annoying when you have guests over. So when you are a pet parent, consider vacuuming more often, say twice or thrice a week.
And for professional steam cleaning, twice or thrice a year will do the job.
You can also use carpet powder before vacuuming your carpet.
But what if your dog urinates or vomits on your carpet, then how often should you clean it?
2. If you have a high-traffic in your home
When you have kids, carpet cleaning becomes an essential chore. Vacuum your carpet twice or thrice a week, and get a professional steam cleaner twice or thrice times a year.
Using a steam cleaner also helps in reviving your carpet, which has high foot traffic. This will save you money from replacing the carpet. Here’s how you can make your high-traffic carpet look like a new one.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Steam Cleaning Your Carpet?
Let’s look at the pros and cons of using a steam cleaning method.
Pros:
1. Go Green- A greener option as compared to Oxi fresh carpet cleaner as it doesn’t involve using chemicals.
2. Sanitization– Steam cleaning emits enough heat that can be helpful to kill germs and bacteria living in your carpet. A steam carpet cleaner hits up to 386 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Clean thoroughly- When you have to clean those deeply ingrained stains and dirt that’s impossible to clean, then using a steam carpet cleaner is your best option.
Cons:
1. Not for daily use- Despite being a single-easy process to clean your carpets, you cannot use this process regularly as the high heat emitted during the process can damage your carpet.
2. Requires too much water- Steam cleaner uses too much water, which means you have to refill the tank frequently.
3. Time- The point that this process requires too much water leads us to another point that it will require a lot of time for your carpet to dry. After a steam cleaning your carpet will require 8 to 24 hours to dry.
Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning Vs. Steam Cleaning- Which Is Better?
The best cleaning method depends on your requirements requirements. If you need to deep clean your carpet without using any chemicals then you can go for steam cleaning.
If you want your carpet to dry quickly and don’t mind chemical treatment on your carpet then you should opt for Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning.
Conclusion
It is difficult to determine who is the winner in the war- Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning Vs. Steam Cleaning as each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, you should decide on the basis of what type of cleaning you require.
FAQs
What is the difference between carpet shampooing and steam cleaning?
Steam cleaning uses warm to hot water to deep clean your carpet. On the other hand, the carpet shampooing method requires using cleaning shampoo or solution.
It is noteworthy that your carpet requires more time to dry when you use cleaning shampoo.
Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning Vs. Steam Cleaning- which is more effective in cleaning?
Both methods are effective in cleaning, but it depends on what type of cleaning you need.
You can use Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning to clean a small amount of dirt and debris, and to thoroughly clean your carpet, use a steam cleaning method.
What shouldn’t be steam cleaned?
The moisture of steam cleaner can damage your painted walls, unsealed floors, and unglazed tiles. It can also damage your cold window glass.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!