The skill of the operator is more important than the method of cleaning. A properly trained professional technician will return a better result regardless of the method of cleaning used. All NUCCA members clean carpets to the requirements of Australian Standard AS/NZ 3733:1995 and clean upholstery as per the requirements of AS/NZ 4849.1:2003.
IICRC:
Various methods of cleaning have different functions, both in interim maintenance and restorative cleaning.
According to a survey conducted by Cleanfax, a cleaning industry magazine, some 88.6% of the professional carpet cleaners are using hot water extraction as their primary cleaning method. Dry foam cleaning was used by 1.5% of the professionals surveyed.
Second, both Shaw Industries and Mohawk, who together manufacture over two thirds of the world’s carpet, recommend hot water extraction cleaning.
Whatever method you choose, it is important to use an IICRC-Certified Professional for your cleaning work.
There are two basic cleaning methods
– Dry Cleaning: Bonnet Cleaning/Dry Powder Cleaning/Encapsulation
– Steam Cleaning: Warm water/Hot water extraction/Steam Cleaning
Dry Cleaning: Carpet is pre-sprayed with solvent, the wet bonnet machine spins on carpet to transfer soil to the pad.
This method dries more quickly, on average between 2 – 8 hours and is best used for lightly soiled carpets. It is a maintenance system rather than a deep cleaning method.
Steam Cleaning:The temperature of the water relates to the cleaning power. Steam cleaning is above 100 degrees celsius and gives the most effective deep cleaning and a healthier carpet. Warm water & Hot water extraction methods work at lower temperatures but also provide deep cleaning.
Steam cleaning is used for carpet restoration work when carpets have been flooded and for upholstery cleaning.
The carpet can take between 4 – 24 hours to dry, dependent upon the length of the pile and the weather conditions – humid or cold conditions will lengthen drying time.
Steam Cleaning can be done using portable or truck mounted equipment. Truck mounted machinery uses its own power supply and can dispose of the used water off site whereas portable equipment uses the customer’s power supply and the used water is generally disposed of down the sewer or on a grassed area. It must not be emptied into storm water outlets.