Encapsulation carpet cleaning has been around for many years.  But new, much more advanced encapsulation technologies have been introduced recently that make this type of carpet cleaning much more effective and efficient as well as healthier and safer for the indoor environment,

But before we discuss the reasons why carpets should be cleaned using the encapsulation method, let’s get a bit more familiar with the process.  The encapsulation method involves either sprinkling encapsulates onto a carpet. Or, it involves pre-spraying a specially formulated liquid cleaning solution over the carpet, just as carpet cleaning technicians typically do when extracting carpet.

But here’s the difference.

With the extraction carpet cleaning process, the cleaning solution dissolves soils so they can be extracted out of the carpet.  This method requires the use of large amounts of water plus, if using a portable extractor, the machine must be dumped and refilled frequently.

With encapsulation, the chemical ingredients suspend and dislodge soil from carpet fibers. Little water is necessary. The solution is worked into the carpet using a rotary or cylindrical machine. As the solution dries, soils along with the now-dry cleaning solution are vacuumed out of the carpet.  Further, each time the carpet is vacuumed, more of the soils in the carpet are removed.

Now that we understand the difference and how this form of carpet cleaning works, why should carpet cleaning technicians clean carpets using the encapsulation methods?

Here are five reasons:

  1. The carpet dry very fast. Whereas carpet cleaned using the extraction method can take 8 to 24 hours to dry, the encapsulation method is fast drying. In most cases, carpet can be open to foot traffic in 30 minutes or less.
  2. Encapsulation is a low moisture form of carpet cleaning. The faster carpet dries after cleaning, the less chance there is that mold, mildew, or malodors can develop. This can be a problem when extracting carpet but is not an issue with the encapsulation method.
  3. There is no wicking. This can happen with the extraction carpet cleaning method. When wicking occurs, deeply embedded soils in carpet fibers drift up to the top of the carpet, making the carpet look soiled.
  4. Re-soiling is no longer an issue. Re-soiling occurs when not all the cleaning solution is extracted from the carpet. This leaves a residue that can attract soils to the carpet.
  5. Encapsulation carpet cleaning is less expensive. The extraction method tends to be the most costly form of carpet cleaning. It typically is slower, more labor intensive, and requires the use of expensive machines and tools. The encapsulation method is faster – technicians can often clean 3,000 to 5,000 square feet per hour – is far less labor-intensive and requires less costly cleaning equipment. Because of this, what many facilities do is clean their carpet using the encapsulation method two or three times and then clean the carpet using the extraction method.  This can produce significant cost savings.

However, we should add that the effectiveness of the encapsulation method is very dependent on the type of encapsulation cleaning solution used.  Higher-quality products produce higher-quality results.

For more information on encapsulation carpet cleaning, contact an expert at Charlotte Products by calling toll free, 1-877-745-2880 or emailing experts@charlotteproducts.com