Also called "hot water extraction", steam cleaning is recommended and used by nearly all carpet manufacturers. This is the only cleaning method classified as "deep cleaning". All other types of carpet cleaning are considered "light surface cleaning" because they are not capable of removing soil from deep in the pile. Also, all other methods can leave a large amount of cleaning agent in the carpet after the cleaning process.

Steam cleaners apply cleaning products into the carpet by way of a pressurized tool while the tool's vacuum sucks all of the dirt, shampoo, and freed particles away from the carpet and into its tank. Extracting the maximum amount of water allows for a quick drying time.