Why you can't clean carpets at a car wash

The house should have an atmosphere of cleanliness and freshness; regular cleaning helps get rid of accumulated dust and bad energy. Carpets should be cleaned especially carefully, as they accumulate dirt in the pile and can become a source of allergies. The car wash has become a new way to quickly and easily clean your favorite rug. At first glance, it’s cheap and cheerful, but could there be pitfalls hiding there?

How to properly clean carpets

The variety of composition implies an individual approach to each product. Knowledge about the characteristics of a carpet will help us maintain its attractive appearance for a long time.

1. Wool, fur. Expensive materials make beautiful and high-quality carpets, which are difficult to maintain. They cannot be washed, you can only use wet cleaning followed by quick drying.
2. Linen and cotton. They tolerate dry cleaning only.
3. Adhesive-based synthetics. Can't be washed! The base peels off under the influence of water.
4. Knitwear. Afraid of water, it is better to take it to dry cleaning.
5. Handmade. Can only be cleaned using special hydrocarbon solvents.

That’s why it’s so important to read the manufacturer’s recommendations, otherwise the chances of hopelessly ruining the item are high!

Pros of going to a car wash

Let's start with the advantages:

1. Cheaper than taking it to the dry cleaner.It was this point that became key in popularizing the service.
2. It is quite acceptable to hand over old carpets, which will then go to the country.
3. They do it quickly, which saves time.
4. Some entrepreneurs offer to bring and take away the carpet. Agree, this is very convenient for those who don’t have cars!
5. If you find good employees, you will get a truly high-quality service.
6. Car washes have powerful extractors that help remove all the old stains from the pile.

It is better to choose car washes based on their distance from highways. The further you are from the main road, the less likely it is that toxic dust will settle on the carpet during drying.

Disadvantages of the method

Now let’s look at the disadvantages of this method of saving money and time.

1. Unprofessionalism! The workers are trained to wash cars, not carpets. Of course, conscientious people study the information in order to carry out quality cleaning, look at the labels, and study the manufacturer’s recommendations. But, judging by the reviews, this is done infrequently, and those who have applied for the service more often share negative experiences.
2. No one guarantees the availability of carpet cleaning products. Often the procedure is carried out using auto chemicals, which leads to damage to the pile and base.
3. Carpets are most often dried simply on a fence next to the road.
4. They can wash the carpet on the floor where the car recently stood.
5. High-pressure devices, knocking out all the dirt, are also capable of unwinding the pile threads.

I can assume that a lot of bad reviews are a consequence of the fact that the car wash employees do not know how or do not want to test detergents in inconspicuous areas of the product. Agree, if we don’t know whether a new product is suitable for cleaning our carpet, then first we try to apply it somewhere in the corner?

Before going to a car wash, you need to make sure that the workers are sufficiently qualified and ask if they provide a guarantee of providing quality service.

What can we see after a car wash?

The list, unfortunately, does not speak in their favor:

1. Due to excessive waterlogging, the adhesive base becomes soggy and the colors lose their richness.
2. High water pressure unwinds the threads.
3. Incorrect “chemistry” makes the pile hard, sticky, and can leave stains.
4. Improper drying on a fence near the road will lead to loss of shape, rot and collect toxic dust!

Don't chase dubious savings. You should study the manufacturer’s recommendations and, if possible, wash the carpet yourself or take it to a professional. They use the right preparations and dry them on racks in a horizontal position. It is possible that the trip to the car wash will end happily, but I do not recommend playing such a lottery; it is better to collect information in advance and check the conditions.