While this posting is designed for carpet cleaning technicians, there is a lot here that can benefit facility managers as well as building service contractors. Each of the tools and products we shall discuss below are not only designed to keep carpet clean and healthy, but in so doing, extend its life considerably.

When you consider that floor coverings, hard surface as well as carpet, are some of the costliest investments any building owner or manager can make in a facility, the longer these floor coverings last, the better the investment.

That said, what tools do we need to keep carpet clean, healthy, and long lasting?  The five essential items are the following:

A Commercial Grade Vacuum. 

A vacuum is the most important tool we have for removing dry soil from carpet.  And when you consider that 80 percent of the soil in carpet is dry soil, you see just how important these machines are. Select a vacuum cleaner that has been certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute.  These vacuum cleaners are not only tested to ensure they have a reduced impact on the environment, but how well they perform as well.  A carpet in a commercial facility should be vacuumed daily.  Doing so helps stretch interim and restorative cleaning as it keeps the carpet looking its very best.

Carpet Spotting Solutions

Some chemical manufacturers make a wide-variety of spotting solutions. While these products may prove effective, purchasing so many products can be costly and require considerable training.  An alternative is to select a few spotting solutions designed to address a number of different types of spots. This can be much more cost effective; reduce time and training needs; and lessen storage needs.

Pump Sprayer

At one time, carpet cleaning technicians would mix cleaning solutions with water and then pour the mixture into the tanks of their carpet extractors.  This is still performed and in some cases, is still beneficial.   However, what most carpet cleaning technicians do today is pre-spray carpet with a properly diluted cleaning solution.  There are many advantages to this. For instance, it can reduce the amount of cleaning solution necessary, lowering supply costs.  But a key benefit is that pre-spraying carpet allows the cleaning solution a few minutes to “dwell” on the carpet.  This helps dissolve soils and contaminants so that the extractor can more efficiently remove them.

Carpet Extractor

While there are different ways to clean carpet, invariably experts will indicate that carpet extraction is the most effective method. Most systems today are what are called “self-contained” extractors that combine flow, pressure, agitation, and recovery. This allows water to get deep into the carpet, target soils, agitate the area, and then remove moisture and soils, all in one process.  Select a low-moisture carpet extractor.  These machines use less water so that carpet dries faster.  This also helps prevent the possibility of mold and mildew developing.

Carpet Rake

Bet you did not think of this and its possible many carpet cleaning technicians have never even used a carpet rake.  Once the carpet has been cleaned but is still wet, using a carpet rake over the fibers will help lift fibers so that they dry faster and more consistently.  The lifting process also helps give the carpet a “brand new” appearance when the work has been completed.  For carpet cleaning technicians, especially, your customers will appreciate this.

 

For more information on carpet cleaning products and technologies, contact Charlotte Products at experts@charlotteproducts.com