When our client's call us to purchase a truck mount, typical questions that are asked include:

#1 - What temperature can it reach and maintain?

#2 - What is the maximum psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure that the pump can produce?

#3 - How many feet of hose can I run without performance loss?

#4 - What type of engine does it use? (Air cooled, liquid cooled, van engine powered?)

#5 - How large is the recovery tank?

All of these questions are very important and relevant. However, we are rarely asked one of the most, if not the MOST important question of all: "What is the extraction/drying capability of the equipment?"

The reason for the importance of this question is many fold. One might think that the importance of thorough extraction and fast drying relates to customer convenience. It is true that your customers' number one complaint and/or concern is: "How long will it take my carpet to dry?" But the benefits of thorough extraction and fast drying go far, far deeper than the convenience of your customer being able to walk on their carpet sooner.

To understand the benefits of maximum extraction and drying, lets examine what happens when a carpet is cleaned:

After dry vacuuming (a critical and too often overlooked step), preconditioning agents are applied to loosen soluble materials from the carpet yarns and hold them in suspension. Cleaning or rinsing agents are mixed into heated water and sprayed into the carpet through the cleaning tool, and extracted by the vacuum system.

So far, so good.

The question that needs to be answered is this: What happens once the carpet "looks clean" after initial "spray and vacuum" passes of the cleaning tool? Conscientious cleaners take an extra "drying pass" or two to speed drying. Good idea, but not for the most important reason! The most important reason to make "dry passes" is to continue to extract DIRTY WATER!

Think: Is the remaining moisture in the carpet clean or dirty? Even though the carpet looks clean initially, the nature of soil, water, and the cleaning or rinsing agents that you use is to continue to suspend soil in the water/extraction compound mixture. Add to this fact that any remaining particulates left after your prevacuuming step will also be suspended in what is now dirty water.

Put this picture in your mind. Fill a water pitcher with dirty water. Next to the pitcher, take a very small drinking glass and fill it with water. If the pitcher represents an "under extracted carpet" and the small drinking glass a "thoroughly extracted carpet", which carpet is cleaner? Which carpet is more likely to allow soil to wick to the surface after evaporative drying? The answer is obvious.

How can you be sure to perform maximum extraction for maximum cleaning?

1. Thoroughly dry vacuum carpet before preconditioning and extraction. Have you ever thought that dry vacuuming is extraction? Industry studies state that 74-79% of soil in carpet is insoluble, particulate matter. Thorough dry vacuuming with professional grade, properly maintained vacuuming equipment "pre-cleans" and removes most of the soil before you start up your hot water extractor. Skipping this step leads to excess cleaning agent and water usage, and likely will contribute to wicking problems later.
    
2. Use extraction equipment that has the highest water lift and airflow that you can put into your budget. Clients of ours who move up to equipment with larger vacuum pumps often call in amazement of how much CLEANER carpets are after cleaning. Wicking is minimized because more dirty water is removed from the carpet.
    
3. Regardless of cleaning equipment power, use extra drying strokes to remove as much moisture as possible. Use a clear "sight tube" and observe how many "dry strokes" are needed to remove excess moisture. Remember, remaining water is DIRTY WATER!
    
4. Make sure you maximize your equipment's vacuum and airflow potential. Try to eliminate or minimize the use of "convenience items", such as live reels and 1-1/2" lead hoses. The larger your vacuum pump, the less that these items create concerns. Conversely, truck mounts with smaller vacuum pumps have their extraction potential greatly reduced by these items. The best answer remains to have the most extraction potential with the least restriction.

The next time you are planning to purchase equipment, be sure to add this question:

What is the extraction and drying potential of this equipment?

Cleaner carpets and happier customers depend on you having equipment that leaves carpet deep clean and dry.

Jim Pemberton 2/5/05