By Stephen E. Ludeke,
Co-Founder & President – Integrity Facility Services
All commercially accepted carpet cleaning methods work, but which method is best?
Most commercial cleaning specialists agree hot water shampoo with extraction is the best way to clean both residential & commercial carpets. This tried-but-true method is acceptable for synthetic fiber (i.e. nylon) & wool carpeting and the pile is lifted during the process. The result – cleaner carpets as the dirt is liquefied and lifted out of the carpeting.
The drawback to this method is both the cost & drying time required immediately after the service (4 – 12 hrs). Equipment utilized by your professional carpet cleaning company is large and generally requires two or more people to complete the service. A large dual-purpose wand is used for the shampoo process – both to inject the hot-water/shampoo carpet solution – as well as to extract the soiled solution – which is then stored in a separate recovery tank.
An alternate option for shampooing your carpet is the rotary brush method – a machine which utilizes a rotating carpet brush in the front and an extraction vacuum with recovery tank built-in. An advantage to this machine is the brush uses less water/shampoo than the extraction method, and the agitation from the brush helps to loosen surface dirt & stains. In addition, this process is generally quicker than the extraction method and requires only one service person to operate the machine. The result – a clean carpet surface at a lower price point than extraction cleaning and shorter drying time (2 – 4 hrs). The drawback to this method is that it is generally a surface cleaning rather than a full carpet cleaning, and the pile only receives a moderate lifting.
A third method is the dry cleaning method. There are a variety of commercial carpet cleaning products which allow for dry cleaning. Integrity Facility Services recommends using the Whittaker Dry Extra Carpet Cleaning System as this is safe for all carpets types, including oriental carpets, wool, and cotton fibers. This Green Seal Certified method utilizes the encapsulation (Encap) method, which bond with dirt in the carpet after being agitated with the Whittaker Counter Rotating Brush (CRB) machine. After about an hour, the carpet is vacuumed with a commercial HEPA vacuum & the carpet cleaning process is complete. An advantage of the Whittaker Cleaning System nice pile lift - Plus, your carpets can be walked on immediately after cleaning. A disadvantage of this method is the product-cost & time requirement to complete large areas of carpeting.
Integrity Facility Services is a Janitorial & Commercial Building Services Company.Founded & headquartered in Bronxville, NY and
Offices & warehouse located in Ossining, NY. We serve customers in Westchester, Fairfield and Rockland Counties.
