The rapid growth and popularity of truck mount carpet cleaning equipment has created this inevitable question: "If I can clean upholstery with my portable carpet cleaning equipment, why can't I use a truck mount carpet cleaning unit for upholstery cleaning?" 

The answer was finally satisfactorily provided by manufacturer's who have helped to develop tools that were able to adjust the truck units powerful vacuum and water pressure so that most upholstery fabrics could be cleaned safely with truck mounted equipment. 

The primary drawback in using a truck mount upholstery cleaning attachment is also its greatest advantage: Convenience!

A cleaning technician who might hesitate to suggest the "add on" of some upholstered furniture cleaning while on a carpet cleaning job is not as likely to hesitate when he just has to connect an upholstery cleaning tool and "go to work".

Unfortunately, this ease of quickly switching tools also makes it easy to overlook such important steps as:

• Testing,

• Inspection

• Dry soil removal

• Preconditioning

• The use of a properly designed upholstery tool

• The use of proper cleaning chemicals

Regardless of the cleaning equipment or system used, the neglect of these important considerations will result in unsatisfactory results, displeased customers, as well as the probability of expensive damage claims.

The most important considerations in using truck mount equipment to safely clean upholstered furniture areas follows:

Make sure that you follow industry standards as you would in any upholstery cleaning situation. In addition to these steps, following is a list of specific concerns that apply when using a truck mount unit to clean upholstered furniture:

1. The Upholstery Cleaning Tool: Use only a tool specifically designed for cleaning upholstery fabrics. The tool should bypass the majority of the water pressure, have an adjustment to reduce vacuum, and allow the machine to work at a safe and consistent water temperature. I recommend the specialty upholstery cleaning tools called the "dry tools", such as the Upholstery Pro Manufactured by Sapphire Scientific*.
    
   

2. Cleaning Chemicals: Best results are always achieved when you use products designed for the fabric that you are cleaning. If you can not easily change your extraction detergent to something appropriate for use on upholstery, you are facing unacceptable risks.
   
   Sapphire Scientific* has created a unique upholstery preconditioner called Natural Fiber Cleaner that does not require an acidic rinse, as it has a pH of 3. Using this product you can simply turn off your cleaning solution metering system and safely rinse with water only.
   
   There is NO GOOD EXCUSE for using carpet cleaning detergents in your extraction solution!
   
   Never use traffic lane cleaner as a prespray for upholstery fabrics. Some fabrics may be colorfast to standard upholstery cleaning products, yet may easily bleed when subjected to extremely high pH products such as carpet traffic lane presprays.
    

3. Delicate Textures:  Even with vacuum reduction adjustments, some units may still have too much vacuum for some fabrics, such as some velvet constructions. Also be careful on very old fabrics, which may tear easily.
    

4. Over wetting: Never use a stair tool! Truck mount upholstery cleaning tools bypass most of the excess water pressure, but it is still possible to over wet fabrics, which may contribute to bleeding, browning or shrinkage. On some delicate natural fibers, consider dry foam cleaning and use the truck mount for vacuuming only.

When  used  properly, and with safe and responsible cleaning techniques, the truck mount upholstery tool can be a great labor saver! 

Dual wand units can allow for simultaneous carpet and upholstery cleaning, and large upholstery cleaning jobs can be cleaned more quickly with two operators working at the same time. Technicians  (and  many owner/operators) are more apt to offer additional upholstery cleaning services if they don't face the prospect of a complete wrap up of the carpet cleaning system and then the set up of a separate upholstery system. 

You can enjoy all of these advantages as long as you remember that attaching an upholstery cleaning tool to your truck mount does not change the rules of professional upholstery cleaning.

 * Sapphire Scientific is the division of Legends Brands that produces the most innovative yet easy to use carpet, upholstery, and area rug cleaning chemicals and equipment we have ever worked with. Legends Brands also owns Dri-Eaz Products, and ProRestore ("Unsmoke") Products.