As the name suggests, steam cleaning uses hot water and steam at a high temperature and pressure to deep clean carpets. A pump and vacuum work together to dislodge dirt, oil, and stains from your carpet so that they can be removed. Carpet shampooing uses detergents and other soaps to clean a carpet. This will leave you carpet wet for a considerable amount of time. Steam cleaning is better for the environment and requires less drying time. However, shampooing can sometimes be a better solution for really challenging stains.