A lot of people ask about using steam cleaning for carpets or using carpet shampoo. These are actually more harmful for carpets for a number of reasons. First is that using water on carpets introduces the possibility that mold and bacteria will take root in your carpets because of the water. And using water means that even if you are drying them as best as you can, it will still take at least a day or longer to fully dry. You also need to be careful not to use too much water, otherwise it will soak through the carpeting into the subfloor and cause damage. And until things dry, which takes a much longer time, you can’t use the room or area the carpet is in.