An In Depth Look: The 3 Cleaning Types
- Deepest clean
- Disinfects
- Washes fibers
- Longer dry time
Hot water extraction (HWE) is the industry standard for deep cleaning carpets and is recognized by the manufacturers as the best way to clean.
Pretreatment in Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction, also known as steam cleaning, begins with a pretreatment of the carpet with a cleaner to break down the soil. The carpet is then rinsed with hot pressurized water to disinfect and remove the product along with the soil. Some companies will also agitate the carpet. After pretreatment, ideally using a counter rotating brush (CRB), the product is worked deep into the fibers to help break down the soil before the rinse.
Hot Water Extraction Rinse
To rinse the fibers, there is the traditional wand, which can vary in quality, size, and effectiveness. These utilize water jets and vacuum suction to lift everything away. A rotary extraction machine, can also be used for additional cleaning power instead of a wand. A rotary machine uses a motor to spin a cleaning head with water jets and multiple vacuum ports. Some cleaners will also add a product in the rinse to further clean and balance the PH during extraction. This will also leave your carpet softer and should help it stay clean longer.
Preferred Method is Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction is the manufacturer preferred cleaning method. It has been proven to provide the deepest cleaning, there are also opportunities for letdown if poor equipment or technique is used. Additionally, the products chosen will have a great impact as well.
Do you use soap to wash your hands, and laundry soap when washing your clothes? Of course, and ideally you would use a green plant-based product that doesn’t damage your skin or clothing. With HWE it’s up to the company to decide what chemistry or products they use, and their quality. Or if they even use a product and not just hot tap water or a specialized water. So, while HWE will deliver the deepest and best overall cleaning, the customer still needs to be aware of the products and process being used.
- Fast dry times
- Can be more gentle
- Not a deep clean
- May void warranty
Subtypes
This type of cleaning includes multiple techniques used today, including: encapsulation (encap), bonnet, pad capping, and dry compound cleaning. These should also be considered and reviewed as they have their place, and work well in some circumstances. These were originally developed for commercial cleaning for several reasons. Some include, saving time on large jobs, for in between deep cleanings, or on jobs that couldn’t provide dry time. However, some of these processes have increasingly found their way into the home environment.
Equipment Used
Several of these processes, including: encap, pad capping, and bonnet, typically use a spinning bonnet/cloth pad. These are found on several machines like the: 175 rotary machine, oscillation pad (OP), and Cimex planetary. These machines can damage the pile, and are not an approved cleaning technique by carpet manufactures. Additionally, the pad has limited ability to remove soils as this only absorbs from the surface. With no real extraction, much of the detergent is left in the pile, often resulting in rapid re-soiling of the carpet.
Dry Compound cleaning uses a counter rotating brush (CRB) to work a dry powder into the carpet. To remove the soil a dry vacuum is done after the compound has had time to draw in or trap the soil. Encap, while the encapsulation solution is applied wet, can also be done with a CRB. The solution is then dry vacuumed as well, once the product has dried and the soil has been trapped.
Benefits & Downsides vs Hot Water Extraction
There are several benefits of these methods. With the primary one being there is little or no moisture used in the process. The speed at which cleaning is done is also an important benefit to the company. Additionally, some specialty fibers, sometimes found in rugs and upholstery, can be damaged from hot water extraction cleaning if not careful.
The major downside with VLM is they are not deep cleaning methods. While also lacking direct disinfecting, they rely on a chemical disinfectant if used. Furthermore, soil and or product can be left behind in the carpet. Smaller standard vacuums are used, as opposed to a powerful vacuum, with hot water to further clean and rinse. The final problem is if the process uses a rotary bonnet type machine, the carpet warranty will likely be void and damage can be done as well.
- No rinse
- Not a deep clean
- May void warranty
- Less common now
Somewhat Outdated
A more outdated technique, often used in large commercial, or with the early home shampooers, this process works a shampoo product into the carpet fibers with one or more rotary brush heads. The product is then vacuumed out of the carpet, but due to the lack of a rinse carpets can be left full of product and not very clean. The machines used in the method may void a manufactures warranty like those used in VLM.
Home Machines
In this group we will add modern home shampooing machines. Even though most today have a rinse setting, and the style of brush won’t damage the fibers, the quality of clean and extraction isn’t going to match what can be achieved with strong commercial equipment and products like those used in hot water extraction.