Is Your Carpet Cleaner a Hottie?

This may not turn out the way you thought. The question more accurately stated might be, "Does the equipment used by your carpet cleaner produce really hot water?" Many clients are looking for "steam cleaning". In fact, the best the industry can produce is hot water extraction and not actual steam cleaning since as soon as the "steam" hits the jet it mostly turns back to very hot water and some vapor.
To put it bluntly, equipment matters. Many prospects are confused to think that all carpet cleaning and cleaners are the same. However, carpet cleaners can be separated not only by who is doing the cleaning but what equipment is being operated. Lots of carpet cleaners get into business with portable or under powered equipment based on what they can afford. They don't yet realize that the equipment itself has a great deal to do with how well they are able to perform their service. Their business, especially repeat business, is actually held back by the limitations of their equipment. Better equipment, more expensive and higher powered equipment can deliver both hotter water and more vacuum. Why is that important? It is important because carpet that is initially cleaner and drier will stay clean longer.
Why is heat so important? Well, there are four variables known to certified cleaners that affect the effectiveness of the cleaning process. These variables are time, agitation, chemical and temperature. Each of these works in conjunction with the other and lack in one variable can be compensated for by the abundance of another. For instance, let’s say, the cleaner is in a hurry and is not agitating the carpet aggressively. What is lacking in time and agitation can be overcome by using either a little more chemical or a slightly stronger chemical. More “slack” is taken up by scrubbing a little longer and harder. But the risk of applying too much chemical and leaving a residue behind becomes greater, if care is not taken. Heat is the most important variable in getting carpets clean. The heat can breakdown the sugars in food and beverage spills, as well as greasy, oily spots faster. With really hot water, held above boiling temperature under pressure (13psi), the cleaner with superior equipment can eliminate the need to rely on large amounts of high Ph detergents and can take just a small amount of additional time to do a much better job. He can also eliminate the probability of leaving behind a residue that causes rapid re-soiling. If his business model is to provide the best possible result utilizing all available options and not just a 'get in and get out' mentality he will invest in the level of equipment that best meets his clients’ needs.