The Method We Use

At Linton's Carpet Cleaning one of the most common questions we get asked is "what kind of equipment do you use to clean carpets."

This is a question most people ask, even though they really are not sure which method is best to have their carpets cleaned.

Our reply almost every time this question is asked is as follows:

"We use hot water extraction (HWE)."

And, surprisingly, there are still many people that do not know what hot water extraction carpet cleaning is, and why a carpet cleaner would use this method.

So Let's Go Over What Hot Water Extraction Is

Why is Hot Water Extraction So Highly Recommended?

For a number of reasons, but one MAIN reason.

It just provides better overall cleaning when performed properly!

Think about it this way. When you wash your clothes, wash your hair,
wash your dishes - what do you use to wash them?

In almost all cases you use hot water. Right? Why? Because this method
of cleaning removes more soil and rinses what you are cleaning better
than just rubbing a towel on your clothes, hair, or dishes. That should
go without saying.

The same goes for carpet cleaning.

Hot water extraction has the ability to clean deeper and more thorough than any other method currently on the market. Hot water is used to rinse the soil out of the carpet, just like you would rinse any other item you might be cleaning.

The ability of HWE to go deeper into the carpet pile is obvious if you have ever witnessed other cleaning methods.

Methods such as bonnet cleaning do NOT get as deep into the pile as HWE
and, in most cases, it is not even close.

A cotton and/or synthetic pad just basically cleans the top 1/4 of the fiber,
in some cases more than that, and does not have the rinsing ability of
properly performed HWE. The studies have shown this over and over and over again to be true.

This does not mean that pad or bonnet cleaning doesn't have their place.

They do. In fact pad and/or bonnet cleaning have some advantages, in certain situations, over hot water extraction. But these are VERY limited situations, and if you are looking for deep thorough cleaning AND a good appearance - HWE is the way to go.

Different Hot Water Extraction Equipment

Now one thing that has to be made clear is this:

Not all HWE cleaning systems are equal. Not all are actually good systems that clean well.

Let Us Explain This

There are basically two main types of HWE equipment:

1. Truckmount Hot Water Extraction

2. Portable Hot Water Extraction

Both systems can deliver outstanding cleaning results when performed
by well-trained carpet cleaners.

But one system has a clear advantage and that is truck mounted HWE.

What Is Truck Mounted Hot Water Extraction?

Truckmounted hot water extraction is when the machine itself is mounted
in a van or other type of platform. The platform could be a truck or  trailer, but in most cases the machine is mounted in a van.

The machine stays OUTSIDE of your home and the vacuum lines and solution lines are then ran from the machine into any area of your home that has to be cleaned.

What Makes Truck Mounted Hot Water Extraction So Powerful?

Two things.

1. The ability to clean hot. To get good, or even great cleaning results, you do not need to clean hot. But it sure helps.

A high-end truckmount carpet cleaning machine has the ability to clean very hot and this has the following benefits:

A. When cleaning hot the cleaner does NOT have to use as much cleaning agent. This is a good thing.

B. Hot water liquifies oils and greases much better than cold or warm water. This makes getting carpets clean and dry much easier.

C. While no carpet cleaner can claim to sanitize or disinfect your carpet by just cleaning, there is a benefit to using really hot water. It just cleans better.

2. The ability to recover water. A high-end truckmounted hot water extraction system has an amazing ability to recover the water that the system puts down. The vacuum systems are huge and offer the carpet cleaner the ability, if used properly, to recover over 90% of the water he or she uses to clean your carpet.

This leads to two main benefits

A. More soil recovery. The soil and water need to be extracted. The ability for a truckmounted HWE system to recover large amounts of water means the carpet cleaner can use more water to thoroughly rinse the carpet. This is a really important detail for good carpet cleaning.

B. Faster dry times. The more water you recover, the faster the carpet is going to dry - all other things being equal.

Truckmounted hot water extraction offers one other important feature that many do not think about.

The machine stays outside!

Because of the power truckmounted HWE offers, the machine stays outside - even during long hose runs. This means no loud machine in your home.

Another benefit of truckmounted HWE is large recovery tanks.

With truckmounts the recovery tanks hold all of the dirty water that is extracted from your carpet. These tanks are large, usually around 100 gallons or more, and they are outside your home and inside the van, truck, or trailer.

There is no emptying of recovery tanks in your home bathroom - like many portable cleaners do.

We Don't Just Use Hot Water Extraction To Clean Carpets

There are occasions where we use low moisture carpet cleaning methods, but this is not often.

Low moisture methods certainly have their place, but in most cases if a carpet can be cleaned with hot water extraction and you do not need dry times under 30 minutes - then hot water extraction is clearly the best overall way to clean carpets.

And honestly, it's not close no matter what low moisture cleaners tell you.

Again, the most recommended method for deep thorough cleaning - by almost all industry experts and carpet manufacturers - is hot water extraction.