You probably don’t realize it, but in the world of carpet cleaning there is a hot debate: very low humidity (MLV) gold hot water extraction (HWE). It’s hotly debated why old school carpet cleaners, those who have spent years dishing out thousands and thousands of dollars for those vans with expensive steam cleaning equipment, really don’t want to accept that VLM cleaning can even come close to cleaning that well. as your method.
I doubt this little article will convince anyone in or out of the trade, but I just wanted to let you know about the changes that are happening within the industry that could affect you as a consumer.
The Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification or IICRC, the certifying body for the industry, is finally giving a nod in the direction of VLM cleaners as worthy of its blessing for cleaning carpets. They haven’t accepted it yet, but the industry is slowly moving in that direction.
So which method is the best? It’s an old question, right?
How long is a piece of cord? That’s about the size of it. There is no right or wrong answer, if anyone is open-minded about it.
For greasy, nasty carpets, HWE (or steam cleaning, as many outside the industry call it) carpets will get the job done faster and more efficiently. VLM can also do the job, but it will take a little longer and a lot more passes. It could even frustrate the technician due to the amount of time and resources he is using (ie pads he will need to clean later).
However, for lightly soiled carpets, VLM is the way to go. No hoses. Drying time is 1 to 2 hours. Will HWE work on lightly soiled carpet? Absolutely, but it comes at the cost of having hoses running through the building, longer drying times, not to mention the cost of running the equipment. In a side-by-side comparison, both rugs, when dry, probably look good.
The carpet restoration industry has seen a huge explosion of excellent and safe cleaning products. That is actually one of the secrets of VLM cleaning. After fully vacuuming the entire carpet, spray on the chemicals, let them sit for 5-10 minutes depending on the chemical (which, by the way, are the first three steps in the IICRC recommendation for cleaning carpets effectively), and take a rotating or oscillating cotton pad. The pad absorbs dirt and much of the chemical moisture from carpets. After brushing it with a carpet rake so that the carpet fibers stand on end and in about an hour, the carpets are fresh again. Again, technicians will note that this is also the final step in the HWE method.
Obviously, there are uses for both cleaning methods within the industry. The bottom line is what is the best method for clients. Some carpets require steam cleaning mainly because the VLM has not yet been explained to management. Most people, however, just want clean carpets. And in the end, isn’t that what we as carpet cleaners are supposed to give them?