There is a myth that is totally false, which states that cleaning the carpet before it is necessary will get it dirtier faster. The carpet with the typical household should be cleaned every 12 - 18 months depending on the number of people living there and the amount of traffic that walks on the carpet. First, spot removal isn't the only necessary carpet cleaning that you need to do, nor is the vacuuming. Even home carpet cleaning machines won't do as good of a job as a pro can do. When you use these types of carpet cleaners, you can help to preserve your carpeting for years and years to come. Last, professional cleaning can help many people who have allergies to feel better once they have clean carpet. To achieve success, you must make sure that the bubbles being produced are of uniformed size so the foam can complete the cleaning process before it is dispersed. Once it has dried, the carpet is then thoroughly vacuumed to remove the dried crystals of dirt that have been left behind. Below, are the steps to the dry foam procedure: 1. Natural Fiber Carpet Natural fibers used with carpet are produced either by insects, animals, or even plants. The fibers that are produced by insects or animals are known as protein fibers. Those that are made by plants are known as vegetable fibers. Vegetable and protein fibers share the common disadvantage that they are both very absorbent and will have extended drying times when wet cleaned - which can lead to mildew, shrinkage, and even dry rot. This is actually considered new carpet, as samples aren't considered to be used. You can buy samples of carpet for .25 cents a piece at closeout sales or at your local hardware or carpet store. Depending on the size of the room you are looking to carpet, how many samples you'll need will vary. You'll also need staples as well, which cost around a dollar or so. Tip An easy way to test fiber for the presence of a fluorochemical is to cut a couple of fibers from a non traffic area and apply a few drops of oil and water mixture. If it beads up, then there is an active fluorochemical present. Whenever testing for the presence of the acid dye blocker, you should again cut a couple of fibers from a non traffic area, then immerse the fibers in a red kool-aid mixture and wait for 5 minutes or so.