Yes, in everyday speech. What Bethesda homeowners call steam cleaning is hot-water extraction: heated water and cleaning solution are worked into the fabric and then pulled back out, carrying the loosened soil with them.
The difference that matters is the extraction step. Water that goes into a cushion has to come back out, or the fabric stays damp for hours longer. Each Bethesda job runs the same way:
- A fabric check first: fiber content, dye stability and areas of wear.
- Barriers and guards to keep floors and walls dry around the piece.
- Controlled agitation to break soil away from the fibers.
- Extraction to rinse the fabric and recover the water.
- Air movers to finish the drying.
The method suits polyester, microfiber, olefin (polypropylene), nylon and most synthetic blends. The W, S, W/S and X codes on a furniture tag tell you how its maker says the fabric can be cleaned; our guide to upholstery cleaning codes explains each one.
Not cleaned: leather and faux leather, wool, linen, silk, velvet, viscose and rayon, acetate and triacetate.