Carpet extractors are commercial cleaning tools that use hot water, detergent, and a powered scrub brush to clean carpets. Because of their high power and strong suction, carpet extractors are capable of cleaning carpets more thoroughly than a vacuum, and more quickly than scrubbing by hand. While they can be used at home, they are most often used in commercial spaces such as office buildings.

The first step to using a carpet extractor is to clear all furniture and other obstructions off of the carpet that needs to be cleaned. Carpet extractors need to be pushed in long, straight lines to work properly, which means that the fewer obstacles there are in the cleaner’s path, the better the job it will do removing dirt and grime.

Carpet extractors generally have two tanks – one for clean water and cleaning solution, and the other to collect the dirty water that has been pushed through the machine and onto the carpet. Before cleaning, make sure that the dirty water collection tank has been emptied and cleaned thoroughly. Next, fill the other tank with hot water and the appropriate level of cleaning solution.

After making sure that both tanks are securely attached to the machine and sealed properly, plug the extractor into a wall socket to provide it with power. The wall socket should be able to provide 120 volts of output. Start the cleaning at one of the carpet’s corners. Turn on the powered scrub brush and start the flow of water and cleaning solution.

Vacuuming the Water Carpet extractors clean carpets in two ways – by covering the carpet in hot water and cleaning solution, and then by vacuuming up the water. To extract the water from the carpet, press the button that turns on the vacuum function and walk backwards over an area that has been treated with the cleaning solution; this will suck the water and grime it has collected back up into the machine.

When cleaning a large area of carpet, the tank that collects the dirty water will likely have to be changed at least once before the job is complete. Once the tank is near full with dirty water, turn off the machine and empty the dirty water in the proper disposal receptacle. Make sure the tank is firmly reattached before restarting the machine.

After being cleaned with a carpet extractor, the carpet will need to dry for several hours. If you removed any furniture before you started cleaning, wait to put the items back until the carpet is completely dry. If furniture is put back on the carpet too early, the carpet will not dry properly. To speed up the drying process, open the windows to provide maximum ventilation.

• Excess foam can damage a carpet extractor’s vacuum motor. If there is too much foam in the water collection tank, add more water or an anti-foaming agent to the cleaning solution to dilute it.

• Avoid walking on a recently cleaned carpet for 12-24 hours after cleaning. Wet carpet is more likely to pick up grime from the bottom of shoes, which can make the carpet dirty again.

• Many carpets will need more than one pass with the carpet extractor. Overlap your passes to provide the maximum amount of cleaning, and add more hot water and cleaning solution before making a second pass over the whole carpet.

Performance Systems Janitorial Supply is a leading provider of high-quality cleaning and janitorial equipment. For more information about our new and refurbished carpet scrubbers and other cleaning machines, visit www.psjanitorial.com today.

Summary

Carpet extractors are used to scrub carpets in commercial spaces. They clean through the combination of hot water and cleaning solution along with vacuum-powered suction, which removes dirt from carpet fibers and then draws grime back into the machine. After using a carpet extractor, carpets usually need 12-24 hours to dry.