If you're about to call a professional carpet cleaner for the first time, you may want to obtain more information about the process before you make a decision about the cleaning method you want for your carpet. So to help you out, here are the answers to some common questions first timers ask about professional carpet cleaning.

What Are the Most Common Methods of Cleaning? -- The two most common methods to clean carpet are steam cleaning, also known as hot-water extraction, and Chem Dry. Steam cleaning is a process in which water is heated to an extremely high temperature, which creates steam. As the water heats up, it mixes with an industrial strength cleaning solution that penetrates deeply into the fibers of your carpet to remove dirt, debris, pollen and dust. The Chem Dry method uses a carbonated solution that requires far less water than is required with steam cleaning. The carbonating solution bonds to the dirt in your carpet and is spread throughout your home with the use of a bonnet.

Both methods can be effective, though one advantage of steam cleaning is that the high heat kills bacteria, which isn't the case with Chem Dry. However, Chem Dry's advantage is that it takes just a few hours for your carpet to dry, whereas it can take eight hours or more for a steam cleaned carpet to dry. Steam cleaning also leaves your carpet vulnerable to mold, because of the amount of water that is used and the length of time it takes to dry.

Can One Have Their Area Rugs Cleaned As Well? -- Yes, cleaning area rugs is typically a service that professional carpet cleaners perform. However, if the manufacturer's label on your rugs indicates that dry clean is the only method you can use, you will have to choose Chem Dry to get those rugs cleaned, as the steam method will likely damage the rug.

Will Tough Stains on the Carpet Come Out? -- Professional carpet cleaners typically don't guarantee that every stain in your carpet will come out, because stains such as those from inks and oil are very difficult to remove from your carpet fibers. In many instances, pet-based stains respond well to either steam cleaning or Chem Dry, and standard household stains from mud and dirt are easy to extract from your carpet. If you have a large stain that just won't come out, and is marring the appearance of your carpet, a professional carpet cleaner may be able to offer you carpet dyeing service, in which your entire carpet is dyed a different colour, which neutralises the stain and makes your house look as if you installed new carpet.

Keep these questions and answers in mind when contacting carpet cleaning companies, and make sure to contact them or check out websites, like http://www.phjservices.com.au, for more information.