Hot Water Extraction Cleaning: What It Is and Why You Should Consider It
Hot water extraction cleaning, also known as HWE, is a carpet and upholstery cleaning method that is gaining popularity due to its effectiveness in restoring carpets to their original state. This method involves using industry-grade equipment to inject hot water under high pressure into the stained fabric. The warm water, coupled with the sheer force of the stream, dislodges dirt particles, making them easier to clean. In this article, we will discuss the hot water extraction cleaning process, its benefits, and how it compares to other cleaning methods.
What is Hot Water Extraction Cleaning?
Hot water extraction cleaning is a carpet and upholstery cleaning method that involves using hot water and detergents to remove dirt, stains, and odors from carpets and upholstery. This method is also referred to as “steam cleaning” by some companies, which can be misleading since the hot water does the stain removal, not the steam. During the process, water is mixed with gentle detergents and heated in the equipment's water compartment. The liquid is then injected under high pressure directly onto the stained spots in the carpet pile. This dislodges the dirt particles, making them easier to clean. The professional will also apply a chemical that will soften up and degrease the stains even further. The machine is then used again to extract up to 95% of the moisture back along with all the grime contained within the carpet.
The Benefits of Hot Water Extraction Cleaning
The advantages of using the hot water extraction method for carpet cleaning are quite a few. Firstly, water is the only thing used to clean the carpeting, which makes this method suitable for people suffering from allergies or asthma. Secondly, HWE uses little to no detergents, and what's being used is perfectly safe for your children, pets, and the environment. Thirdly, unlike dry cleaning and steam cleaning, HWE is able to refresh your rug's pile from head to toe, leaving it fresh and stain-free for much longer than with other methods. Lastly, the water-detergent ratio is strongly in favor of water, meaning that no chemical residue will be left behind after each treatment.
Why You Should Avoid the DIY Approach
If you're thinking about renting an HWE machine, you need to know a few things first. For instance, some of the rented equipment out there has a much weaker drying power than its professional counterpart. This leaves the rug damp for several days on end, which can promote mold growth and unpleasant damp odors to get rid of. Rented models also have a weaker suction and will not be able to gather surface dirt as efficiently before the heat treatment, which could result in messy carpeting. Certified carpet technicians, on the other hand, have access to truck-mounted hot water extraction gear that will perform the carpet cleaning service more efficiently by removing all accumulated dirt and drying out the carpet significantly faster – within just a day or two.
Hot Water Extraction vs. Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning involves heating up water until it reaches its boiling point. The resulting steam is then used to penetrate the fibers of your rug in order to disinfect it from various bacteria and battle the stale odor that often shrouds carpets which have not been aired out for a long time. The strong suit of the steam method is that it can remove stale odors, efficiently kill bacteria due to the high temperatures, and achieve all of this by using absolutely no detergents whatsoever. However, when compared to HWE, it also suffers from some drawbacks, such as the water needing to reach the boiling point in order to evaporate, which can set in non-removable water stains after the treatment. Unlike hot water extraction, steam cleaning cannot be combined with any detergents, which is why it is unable