Residential and commercial carpet cleaning methodology and efficiency have come a long way over the past few decades. In the not too distant past, it was consuming, energy guzzling, and toxic fume releasing process. Small to mid-sized professional carpet cleaning companies, unable to afford the sizeable investment required to purchase powerful steam cleaners and mount them permanently on trucks for truly effective cleaning, were forced to rely on dry cleaning and shampooing to get the job done.
The results were acceptable, but the process was not without its drawbacks, including those mentioned above, as well the inability to fully extract chemicals and water used during these processes. Today, however, technology breakthroughs have provided the unprecedented cross-over of powerful, industrial-grade cleaning units for home cleaning through the use of truck mounted cleaning systems.
Truck mounts, as the name implies, are cleaning units that are permanently* installed on vans or trucks so that they can be easily transported from location to location. (*There are some models, commonly known as "slide-in" because, though heavy, they can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle if necessary.) They are used by professional carpet cleaners like us to, in effect, wash any carpet by first flushing out dirt and debris by forcing extremely hot water (and cleaning solution) deep down below the carpet's surface, and then reversing the force to suck out and extract every last drop of water, every last speck of dirt. The process is commonly referred to as either "steam cleaning" or "water extraction" for obvious reasons. The self contained units include a large tank to act as a receptacle for the waste that has been removed and hoses and "wands" to carry the water to and from the unit.
It is important to recognize the major difference between truck mounted equipment and portable equipment: Power. Truck mounted equipment relies on fuel - gas, diesel or even LPG (liquid petroleum gas) in order to bring water to the required temperatures (200+ degrees F) and to provide a steady rate of water flow, as well as the force needed to operate blowers and vacuums. Portable units, even if they are operated while located inside a van or truck, rely on costly electricity, often from self-contained generators. This type of unit is generally required for locations not accessible to hoses attached to units inside a van or a truck. While these generators cannot deliver the same power that a fuel-powered generator can, the main draw backs are slightly lower water temperatures and a somewhat longer drying time.
Steam cleaning is the best way to get carpets, rugs, upholstery and tapestry really clean. Most manufacturers recommend it. And contrary to a once popularly held belief, hot water does not harm your carpet's fibers in any way. In fact, when the process is complete, you are left with a sanitized and deodorized carpet that is fresh and looks newer than before.
