Whats the best way to care for your carpets
August 1st 2004

John Gotts, managing director at HydraMaster, has been involved in the carpet cleaning industry since 1984. John started out as a carpet cleaner himself, before moving on to start the successful company he runs today. He has tried and tested most, if not all, of the different methods of carpet cleaning, so he is well equipped to advise on the issue of carpet care. John comments on what he believes are the best methods of carpet care and what makes these methods so effective The most basic and essential step in caring for any carpet has to be regular vacuuming. Vacuuming on a daily basis dramatically reduces soil build up, with particular attention given to frequently used areas, such as walkways. In addition to vacuuming, bonnet buffing and dry cleaning are good ways to ensure that the appearance of the carpet is maintained. There are a number of different systems available, with innovators entering the market all the time. However, despite regular maintenance, dirty residue will build up on the carpet. To remove this I would recommend that carpets have a restoration clean every twelve months. The most effective method for this is hot water extraction, which is achieved using either a portable or a truckmounted system. Professional cleaners work in a world where they need machines that are extremely reliable and offer enhanced performance and deep cleaning, but want machines that actually reduce the time they spend on the job. Unfortunately, all too often the cleaner finds that the machine they have purchased is very complex to use, is not very reliable, and does not perform as well as promised. In my experience I would always choose a truckmount over a portable and there are a number of reasons why: Vacuum power The power of a truckmount is much better compared to a portable. Truckmounts use positive displacement vacuum pumps that enable them to clean several hundred feet from the machine with minimal loss of power. Portable, electric-powered extraction equipment, on the other hand, typically loses too much power to operate in the same manner. The cubic feet per minute (CFM) and vacuum lift figures can sometimes sound sufficient on larger portables, but the centrifugal vacuum systems used in these machines cannot perform as well at long hose lengths. Water temperature A key feature of a truckmount is its ability to retain high water temperatures. As we all know, water cleans better as temperature is increased, as long as the temperature does not exceed a level safe for the fabric. With heat, the activity of cleaning solutions is dramatically increased, which improves both the speed of cleaning and the effectiveness of soil removal. Some soils, especially greasy soils, become particularly easy to remove with elevated temperatures. A well-built truckmount machine, supplied with cold water, is capable of producing a constant, reliable water temperature of 190-240Fthe temperature before the water experiences the normal heat losses of the system. The most substantial heat reduction is at the jet tip where the water is atomised and sprayed into the airwhere it can loose as much as 30F instantly. As a result of the system heat losses, the temperature of the water will end up at about 150-180F, which is safe for any carpet. Portable extraction equipment does not have the same cleaning advantage of heat. This is because it starts at about 100-120F, then the same heat losses occur, so the cleaning temperature drops to about 100F or less. Costs Another important element for any professional cleaner is costs. For anyone with sufficient amounts of carpet to clean, a truckmount will not cost money, it will save money. Cleaning carpets is a very labour intensive job, so a powerful machine, which only requires fresh, cold water, and delivers fast, powerful cleaning at two-to-three times the speed of portable systems, will justify its own existence and more. The savings that you can make, in terms of labour, exceed the costs of the equipment, resulting in positive cash flow. HydraMaster has been supplying high performance carpet cleaning machines and chemicals to businesses for ten years. It is Europes sole distributor of the HydraMaster range of productsa trusted name in manufacturing for over thirty years. Truckmounted machines are installed on HydraMasters premises by highly skilled workshop staff, who can customise the package with specially designed water tanks, hose reels, shelving and extra fuel tanks, if required. For more information see us at Carpex stand B18, or use the enquiry number.

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