Steam Carpet Cleaning vs Dry Cleaning

The honest difference between hot water extraction and dry carpet cleaning.

Steam cleaning (properly, hot water extraction) flushes soil out with hot water and vacuum; dry cleaning uses absorbent compounds or very low moisture. Extraction cleans deeper and is what most professionals use; dry methods dry in under an hour and suit moisture-sensitive carpets. This guide compares results, drying times, cost and carpet suitability — with no sales bias either way.

See also: typical UK prices and the cleaner checklist.