What is Carpet Shampoo?

Carpet shampoo is a specially-formulated liquid detergent compound used to clean carpets and rugs. Carpet shampoo is often used in conjunction with a rotary-style carpet cleaning machine or a cylindrical model which uses compressed air to generate foam before agitation. The general idea of using carpet shampoo is to create a thick foam which will attract and suspend dirt particles scrubbed out of the carpet pile. Once this dirty foam has dried, the residue can be vacuumed away. A good carpet shampoo must be able to generate a considerable amount of long-lasting foam to be most effective. This means the use of ingredients similar to those found in hair shampoos. A chemical called sodium lauryl sulfate gives carpet shampoo its foamy quality, while dirt removers called anionic detergents provide cleaning power. Because dirt particles actually form an electrostatic bond with carpet fibers, anionic agents are used to break that bond and provide a more 'attractive' alternative. Because the ...  more