Carpets are fabrics and just like any other fabrics are prone to shrinkage and damage when not cleaned properly. There are many carpets cleaning techniques out there in the professional world, but not all professional carpet cleaners use them with many sticking to just one system. Not only could this mean disaster for your carpet and cost to you, it can also mean cleaning is not effective as it should be. So lets take a look at the different systems out there.
The hot water extraction system.
This system is usually used within -although is not unique to- what you may recognize as a truck mounted system. Carpet cleaners using the hot water extraction method will often have a unit within a van providing the power to clean carpets. The process of hot water extraction uses a wand that sprays heated water – sometimes with added cleaning solutions onto a carpet and then vacuums it straight back up along with dirt and soils. Although a very effective system it isn’t suitable for a short pile carpet such as carpet tile as air flow is required to ensure flow of water and air through the carpet.
Steam Cleaning.
A bit of a red herring. Steam is actually damaging to carpets and upholstery and this is another term used simply to describe the above hot water extraction system.
Portable vacuum wet washing.
You’ll recognize these machines as similar to ones possibly used by yourself at home. A unit can be bought or hired and a soapy solution added with water to wash dirt and soils out. Industry names include Rug Doctor and Vax.
These units are probably the most in-effective way to clean. Sadly they do not have the power to force enough water into a carpet to effectively remove the amount of soap they put in. The soap left behind will then leave the carpet sticky and therefore attracting more dirt. Many households or offices using these machines find their carpets become dirtier very quickly.
Dry Cleaning.
This process involves the application of treatments and conditioners that break down the soils in the carpet resulting in removal from vacuuming. Although effective, chemical residues can be difficult to remove and can sometimes be solvent like providing risk to the life of your carpet and allergy risk to you.
The Texatherm System.
The Texatherm system has revolutionized the industry. An alkaline solution is sprayed onto a carpet to agitate oils and dirt and bring them to the surface when a second solution is then applied via a wet cloth and rotary machine to produce a chemical reaction that safely removes dirt and stains. The system uses a highly effective mobile machine that provides all the benefits of hot water extraction with the power you’d expect from a truck mounted system and with drying times usually associated with dry cleaning.
After a full consultation to assess the type of fabric, backing and soils within your carpet Floor Blimey! will adopt either the hot water extraction or Texatherm system as both are extremely effective and give very high quality results.
To ensure you always get the best possible care and high quality results from your carpet cleaner always ask him to explain and justify the system he will use and remember- just like carpets not all carpet cleaning systems are the same.