What machines do professional carpet cleaners use?
The industry standard machines used by Professional carpet cleaners are extraction machines, these machines are also known within the professional cleaning industry as hot water extraction machines, portable extraction machines or incorrectly as steam cleaning machines. Many professionals refer to them as HWE machines.
The majority of professional carpet cleaners use portable extractors as these machines offer a wealth of features and benefits including allowing for easy access to the job and the ability to professionally wet clean carpets, sofas, upholstery & hard floors. Dependant on carpet type, construction and condition they can also be used for both domestic and commercial carpet cleaning. They are not cleaning machines; they are extraction rinsing machines and therefore no cleaning solution should go in them. Their job is to rinse extract the cleaning agent and soil out.
What is the Best Carpet & upholstery Cleaning Method or System?
There, unfortunately, isn’t one best cleaning method or process for cleaning carpets, sofas, upholstery and textiles. Each Method and process has its own place within the industry. When professionally cleaning, the sheer volume and variations in fabrics, carpet types and their construction means that some cleaning methods will work better than others depending on what you’re cleaning or trying to restore. Most professional carpet and upholstery cleaners own multiple cleaning systems in order to be able to adapt to each individual job. The most widely used carpet cleaning method is hot water extraction.
How much is a professional carpet cleaning machine?
The cost of professional carpet cleaning machines in the UK can vary depending on the machine model, brand and the cleaning methods being used. On average high performance portable carpet cleaning machines supplied complete with the hoses, carpet wand, hand tools etc can vary from £3000 - £5000, with base or entry level machines, without hoses and tools ranging from £2000.
Portable extraction machines
The majority of professional portable extraction machines are of a similar design spec and tend to only vary on case design, pump sizes, vacuum power and configuration. These machines allow the professional carpet and upholstery cleaner to clean using one method, this method being hot water extraction. The hot water extraction cleaning method is suitable for cleaning most carpet constructions, sofas, upholstery and other textiles as long as they are not water sensitive.
In order to get the best performance from a carpet extraction machine when undertaking extraction cleaning, your extraction machine needs to be able pull air flow through the carpet backing. In short, this means in order to efficiently and effectively achieve results when undertaking a variation of professional carpet cleaning work including the more lucrative large volume commercial carpet cleaning contracts, you will need more than one carpet cleaning machine or method.
Most professional carpet cleaners end up purchasing multiple carpet cleaning systems in order to adapt to varying carpet types, construction, airflow, water sensitivity and more importantly soil and fibre conditions. Many of these scenarios can impede efficient airflow and, in some cases, block any airflow. For e.g., office carpet tiles are constructed with impervious backings, the most common of these backings used is bitumen which will stop any airflow from being pulled through the backing and up the fibre.
This lack of airflow will dramatically reduce the performance of a hot water extraction machine and create what we in the industry call wand lock down. This is where due to the lack of airflow your carpet wand locks down onto the carpet creating a vacuum whilst reducing airflow recovery return up the wand. In this scenario a low moisture system may be better suited and give superior results.
What is a low moisture carpet cleaning machine or system?
Low moisture carpet cleaning is an industry term that has been coined by carpet cleaners to describe carpet cleaning systems that do not involve the use of hot water extraction. The term can be misleading as it is being used to describe both maintenance systems and cleaning systems.
Texatherm were pioneers in this method of cleaning and launched its patented Texatherm low moisture cleaning process into the UK in 1998. The Texatherm carpet cleaning process uses a combination of solutions that when mixed and applied via the systems process methodology creates a reaction and capillary wicking of soil.
What are the benefits of using this system? The Texatherm system will give a superior clean on carpets that have no air flow over extraction, especially on synthetic carpet tiles. The Texatherm low moisture process can reduce cleaning time by up to 60% when compared to conventional cleaning methods and in the right conditions cleaning 150 – 200 sq metres per hour of carpet can be achieved. Water consumption is cut by up to 80% and therefore also reducing your foul water return to drains by up to 80% reducing your environmental impact. You can achieve a deep wet clean but with all the benefits normally associated with a dry-cleaning system with just 30-minute dry times.
Multi-system carpet cleaning machines
Buying multiple professional carpet cleaning machines can be a very costly exercise and usually happens over time as technicians start experiencing capillary wick back, poor results or excessive physical cleaning time on different carpet constructions due to only having one method that may not be suited for that particular carpet type or carpet condition.
At Texatherm Systems we have designed the worlds most advanced multi system professional carpet cleaning machine. The EMV machine will allow you to clean carpets using multiple cleaning methods all from the one machine, you can adapt immediately whilst on site and switch between cleaning methods & processes in minutes. The methods include:
• Hot water extraction • Texatherm Low moisture cleaning • Texatherm dual combination cleaning • Restorative cleaning • Hard floor cleaning • Upholstery / Sofa cleaning
What is the best commercial carpet cleaning machine?
For the professional cleaning of commercial carpet types, the best machines to use are low moisture carpet cleaning machines or a multi-system cleaning machine.
Low moisture carpet deep cleaning methods do not require airflow through the carpet backing to work effectively so these methods can deliver safer superior cleaning results, very quick dry times and dramatically reduce cleaning time when compared with hot water extraction cleaning. A professional Multi-system carpet cleaning machine gives the professional carpet cleaner the capability to switch between different cleaning methods suited to different carpet types, conditions and constructions within minutes whilst on site, including low moisture carpet cleaning, hot water extraction, combination cleaning and hard floor cleaning.
The cleaning capabilities of hot water extraction, provided by commercial carpet extraction machines, are dramatically hindered on most commercial low profile carpet types with impervious backings and often result in, over wetting, wick back and potential damage including tile tenting. Many experienced professional carpet cleaners prefer to low moisture deep clean commercial carpet tiles. Other maintenance methods used, to name a few, are shampooing, Encap or carpet skimming which can achieve a quick optical surface clean.
How do Professional Carpet cleaning Machines Work?
Professional carpet & upholstery extraction machines are designed to work by rinsing and recovering the suspended pollutants, soil and cleaning agents from the carpet, sofa, upholstery or textiles whilst also stabilising and neutralising the cleaning agents alkaline pH. The physical cleaning and release of soils from the materials takes place prior to rinsing.
Correct cleaning methodology and cleaning chemistry are responsible for the clean and a professional carpet cleaning machine is only responsible for rinsing and extraction recovery of the suspended soil and more importantly the cleaning agent, leaving cleaning agents in the carpet will create rapid re-soiling of the carpet and can also even damage natural fibres over time.
An analogy to help explain this is, we would not put our clothes in a washing machine and then switch it off before the rinse cycle. We would end up with our clothes being full of sticky cleaning detergent residues that will re soil and also damage our natural fibres over time. Cleaning solutions need time to work and alter the surface tension, release and suspend the soil. High pressure injection of carpet cleaning chemicals into a carpet will not release all of the soil immediately and often results in the need for multiple application passes of your wand before the soil totally releases. These multiple passes mean far higher water consumption is used and this can lead to over wetting the carpet and its backings, excessive prolonged dry times and potential damage.
Your solution tank is where your clean water and rinse agent go. Your waste tank is where your dirty water, soil and cleaning agent is recovered and stored for disposal at the end of your job. Rinsing agent is fed using a transfer pump from the cleaning machine’s clean solution tank, through a solution hose that feeds down to the spray jets at the end of a carpet wand. The vacuum motors in the extraction machine draw airflow through a secondary vacuum hose, this creates water lift and recovers the suspended soil and cleaning agents through an opening at the base of your carpet wand pulling it through your vacuum hose and returning it back to the machine’s waste soil recovery tank.
The air flow created from the vacuum motors combined with the water being fed from the machine creates a rinse at the end of the carpet wand. Trying to physically clean carpets by feeding detergents through these hot water extraction machines, rather than applying a stabilising rinse agent is one of the main reasons professional carpet cleaners, especially at the beginning of their careers, run into problems, including excessive dry times. They can also experience poor soil release, poor cleaning results, capillary wick back, over wetting, dye bleed, damaged backings, fibres and fabrics.
We must remember these are professional Hot water extraction machines and their primary role during professional carpet cleaning is to rinse and extract. Leaving cleaning agents in the carpet can cause rapid re soiling and even damage natural fibres over a period of time. When rinsing, you not only remove the soil but more importantly you also neutralise the cleaning agent’s pH whilst removing the cleaning agent and eliminating the risk of resoling or potential damage.
Understanding PSI & the pumps inside portable carpet cleaning machines. What size water pump will I need?
The pumps that are fitted into professional carpet & upholstery cleaning machines deliver water flow from the machine’s clean rinse solution tank, through the solution hose line and to the jets at the end of the carpet wand.
The purpose of this water flow process is to create an efficient rinse at the end of the wand. Combined with the air flow being delivered from the vacuum motors inside the cleaning machine allows professional carpet & upholstery cleaners to rinse the fibres efficiently and recover the suspended soil and cleaning agents from the carpet or textile back to the professional carpet cleaning machine. PSI is the abbreviation used for the amount of pressure, which is measured in pounds, being applied to a square inch. In our case the pressure being delivered is water pressure.
Water pressure and water flow are often confused within the industry, in order to rinse fabrics and textiles we need to deliver efficient water flow over pressure. In order to create higher water pressure, you have to restrict water flow which is the opposite of what we want when professionally rinsing carpets, upholstery fabrics & textiles. This is how pressure washer’s work; they are fitted with high psi pumps and then flow is restricted to create a high back pressure jet. Excessive high pressure can lead to the carpet backings becoming wet and potential damage.
Water pressure is used in order to deliver the water quickly from the pump to the tool so the carpet cleaning technician does not experience lift issues or drops in pressure. In the past to combat lift issues and a drop in performance over long distances, some manufacturers have been constantly increasing the pump size and back pressure to try and deal with the issue but at the same time have no control over the pump speed or pressure.
Some manufacturers try and control flow and pressure with a valve which restricts or increases flow but still this does not balance flow, pressure and control the speed of the pump, putting the pump under constant excessive back pressures will eventually shorten the pumps life span. We don’t want to pressure wash a carpet by injecting high pressure fluid in, we want to efficiently rinse the carpet fibres whilst leaving the backings dry and therefore ensure no damage i.e. potential split seams, shrinkage, delimitation of backings etc.
At Texatherm Systems we have designed and developed a sophisticated digital pump flow control system that pressurises your solution line to whichever pressure you programme into the EMV machine. If the pressure drops by as little as 1PSI the digital system automatically adapts.
The Texatherm digital flow control system coupled with a 250psi pump has allowed us to balance flow with pressure achieving total automatic variable speed and adaptive control, delivering exact pressures and flow at the tool end instead of working with excessive back pressures like other machines on the market. This also means we can run multiple extension hoses and work several floors above the machine without any flow, lift issues, drops in pressure or performance drops.
Because of our innovative digital flow control system, we have no need to fit excessive high-pressure pumps in order to get over these lift issues and drops in pressure when cleaning carpets and upholstery, meaning we can work at low pressure, whilst delivering constant stable rinse flow and enhanced fluid recovery which delivers a far superior rinse. More importantly, less back pressure and wand passes, reduced water consumption, quicker cleaning and dry times and long-term pump reliability.
Understanding vacuum motors & air flow on portable carpet cleaning machines.
The vacuum motors inside your portable carpet extraction machines create suction, airflow and water lift. Once your cleaning agent has been applied to the carpet or upholstery and agitated to release the soil, it’s now time to rinse out and recover the suspended soils, cleaning agents and neutralise and stabilise the pH in the carpet.
The airflow is drawn through your carpet wand or hand tool which lifts the rinsed-out cleaning agent and suspended soils that have been released from the carpet or upholstery. Rinse agent is applied via the end of your carpet wand through its spray jets and recovered through the vacuum intake slots in front of the spray. The solution and soil are then drawn back up the wand, through the vacuum hose and back to the machine’s soil recovery tank.
There are many factors to consider when it comes to vacuum motors and motor performance with professional carpet cleaning machines. Also, the machines design, wiring configuration, air intake paths and exhaust paths play a critical role in enhancing the vacuum’s performance and its ability to compensate and enhance air flow when under load or wand lock down.
Series or Parallel? What are vacuums In Series? What are vacuums in Parallel?
In series is when one vacuum motor feeds its air discharge into the intake of the second vacuum motor. In series vacuum motors can Increase vacuum suction (water lift) by 50-60 %. This is our preferred choice at Texatherm and we fit 2 x Tangential By-Pass Motors in series. With the increased water lift this design can create higher air temperatures around the vacuums but we have negated this with good design. We have achieved this by creating efficient cooling intakes and exhaust paths into the machine coupled with fitting an automatic high volumetric flow performance discharge cooling fan.
Parallel is when each vacuum motor is mounted separately and both draw their air individually from one chamber. This has the effect of nearly doubling the airflow (CFM) of the system while the vacuum (inches of water lift) level remains comparable to if a single motor was used. When fitting motors in this manner it is important to design your machine to accommodate the increased airflow. If you are using restrictive tools or hoses less than 2” in diameter the potential air flow advantages gained by the parallel arrangement will be negligible.
Do I need 3 stage vacuum motors or 2 stage vacuum motors? Do I need 6.6 or 5.7 bypass vacuum motors? Do I need a single vacuum motor or dual / twin vacuum motors?
Professional carpet cleaning machines require two vacuum motors and these are usually 2 x 3 stage 5.7 bypass vacuum motors. A 1 x 3 stage bypass vacuum motor would be more suited to a spotting machine.
Should I have 6.6” bypass vacuums or 5.7” bypass vacuums?
It’s not as simple as the size of the bypass. A 3 stage 5.7 bypass vacuum motor can outperform a 6.6 two stage bypass vacuum motor. It is totally down to each machine’s individual design. A slightly larger bypass does not necessarily mean you will get more or better airflow performance.
Some vacuum motors will deliver more air flow than others when free flowing, but when put under load can drop airflow performance substantially and can be outperformed by a slightly smaller bypass which has 3 stages rather than 2 stages and a better-quality winding that can compensate and handle the increased amp draw when under load. Correct configuration and machine design of air intakes and exhaust outlets also play a critical part in optimising vacuum performance.
The EMV runs bespoke 5.7 triple 3 stage bypass motors and its vacuum motors have been especially wound to take into account these potential load conditions and can compensate to maximise and increase air flow performance. These bespoke vacuum motors coupled with the EMVs class leading unique design means the EMV can run comfortably 150 foot of hose with minimal performance loss. Here’s an informational video on the subject as well as a demonstration of the vacuum performance we achieve with the EMV carpet cleaning machine.
Should you get a Heated Carpet Cleaning Machine? Do carpet cleaning machines need a water heater?
Running a Professional Carpet Cleaning Machine with heat is a must for any serious professional technician. Heat plays an important fundamental part in professional carpet & upholstery cleaning. Heat dramatically improves dry times, helps in altering surface tension to release soil and assists in opening up fibres to aid the release of soil.
Is Heat Important when Professionally cleaning Carpets & Upholstery? How Heat Alters surface tension to help with the Release of Soil when Professionally Cleaning Carpets, Sofas, Upholstery & Textiles.
To help release soil from fibres when Professionally Cleaning Carpets, Upholstery & Textiles, we need to alter the water’s surface tension in order to allow our cleaning solutions to wet in and release the soil from the fibre, heat does a great job at altering surface tension. When water temperature is below room temperature the water surface tension is greater, when the water is above room temperature the water surface tension is lower.
When we increase thermal molecular activity (heat), we decrease the cohesive forces of surface tension allowing cleaning solutions to efficiently wet in and release the trapped soil from the fibres. Cold water has more surface tension that hot water, so when we introduce cold water, we’re increasing the surface tension.
How does heat alter Carpet and Fabric fibres to help with the Release of Soil when professionally cleaning?
The chemical solutions and agitation methods used when cleaning carpets & upholstery play a big part in releasing soil from fibres and so does heat. Soil can become trapped in fibres and between fibres in different ways depending on the fibre type, pile construction and condition. When heat is introduced to carpets, upholstery & other fabrics it helps briefly alter the tensile strength of the fibres and pile constructions making them slightly softer & looser which helps with the penetration of cleaning agents and release of trapped soil. You can really see what we're talking about with heavy wool carpets, rinse a wool carpet with hot water and you’ll see the fibres open up or ‘bloom’.
The carpet looks bright and fluffy and dry’s back looking even better. Here’s an analogy to help. If you were to accidentally cut your hand and then were to run that cut under cold water, the skin around the cut would start tightening. If you were to run the same cut under hot water the skin around the cut would become (softer, loose) and open the wound up. Of course, there are some occasions where you will have to rinse with cold water in order not to set a stain.
If you have a heated carpet cleaning machine and you need to rinse with cold water, just leave your heat off, giving you the option of both hot-water rinsing and cold-water rinsing. All EMV professional Carpet Cleaning Machines come with built a bespoke 316 stainless steel, duo twin circuit, 3000-watt, submersible heaters as standard and large bore specialist delivery hoses ensuring quick digitally delivery flow and constant heat transfer at the tool end.
How Heat Improves Carpet Cleaning Dry Times
Hot water molecules have a lot more energy than cold water molecules which means hot water evaporates faster than cold water. The carpet fibre or fabric retains the heat of the water whilst the carpet or fabric is cooling to meet the room temperature.
While this cooling is taking place, the hot water is simultaneously evaporating very quickly compared to cold water which is evaporating a lot slower. Once the carpet or fabric has reached the room temperature the hot water is already a lot further along in the drying process than the cold water will be.
How long do professional carpet cleaning machines take to heat?
This will vary and be dependent on what type and size of heater is fitted to your carpet hot water extraction machine. The maximum size heating element or heat exchanger that can be fitted to your machine in the UK is 3000W (3kw) as this is governed by the wall sockets which are rated at 13amps. It also depends on your machines design and if anything, else is drawing power on the same cable.
Professional carpet cleaners using portable carpet cleaning machines will normally fill their machines first on arrival before they unload their tools, hoses, vacuum and prepare the area to be cleaned. In the majority of cases, they will be filling their machine from a hot water tap and their machines will be ready and at the correct temperature to clean within 10 minutes.
In the event that no hot water is available, filling your machine with 30 litres of cold water at 10°C and using a 3000w element to heat to 70°C will take approximately 35mins. This can be speeded up quite considerably, heat transfer exponentially increases as the water becomes hotter. A good tip is to set up and half fill your tank on arrival and then top up when at temperature. Your machine will still be hot enough to start the clean immediately and take less than 10 minutes to recover its heat. This will save time and your machine will be ready by the time you have vacuumed and prepared the area you are about to clean.
Choosing the correct Heating system for your professional carpet cleaning machine
After years of research and development we have found that the ideal and most reliable heating system for a professional carpet cleaning machine is a built-in submersible heater. Unlike most of the bolt on heating systems that you can buy for cleaning machines, that not only cost extra but make the machine clunky and heavy, submersible heating systems used in carpet cleaning machines are compact, out of the way and are usually built-in at no extra cost. They also have minimal impact on machine weight.
Bolt on inline heating systems for carpet cleaning machines can also be unreliable when keeping the heat consistent. Inline heating systems are designed to deliver a static temperature through a controlled constant flow, for e.g., set the temperature of your electric shower and it stays constant as long as the flow of water going through the heat exchanger also stays constant. Reduction or increase in water flow can cause the temperature to fluctuate either cooling or rising in temperature. When using an extraction machine wand, we are constantly on and off the wand trigger which disrupts flow and creates the perfect conditions to create lack of constant heat or excessive heat spikes.
The EMV runs a bespoke duo twin circuit, 3000-watt, submersible heating elements designed by us here at Texatherm Systems. Our elements are made of 316 marine grade stainless steel with two built in heating circuits and temperature controls. The duo Element heats water at a fast rate, combined with the flow technology built into your EMV professional carpet cleaning machine, the EMV will cycle the heat on and off to hold whichever temperature you’ve set your EMV machine at, ensuring your rinse temperature is consistent throughout the clean at the end of the hose run and tool delivery end.
How loud are professional carpet cleaning machines? Can I use a professional extraction machine in a working environment during operating hours?
Carpet cleaning machines with enough power and a twin vacuum system preferred by the professional technician are inherently very noisy with most outputting over 90 decibels. These machines will be too noisy to use in an operational office environment without some form of baffling so most technicians undertake this type of work out of hours or during the weekends.
Will I need a baffling system to reduce my carpet cleaning machines noise output?
Some manufacturers offer a bolt on baffling system as an extra to help you reduce your machines noise levels but these units will also increase your machines weight.
Texatherm has designed and incorporated a vacuum baffling system into the EMV extraction machine making the EMV the quietest professional carpet cleaning machine in class available today at just 73Db noise output. This unique system comes as standard on all EMV machines.
What size water tanks do you need?
The solution tank is where the rinsing agent goes. The waste tank is where the dirty waste water and cleaning solution is collected.
With correct cleaning chemistry, cleaning methodology, pre soil release and controlled flow delivery, a solution tank around 30 litres is a good size for the majority of professional carpet cleaning technicians and will allow you to clean large areas without constant filling. Larger tanks will make the machine heavier and larger making it cumbersome to manoeuvre and stow in your van.
If you are using higher pressure pumps coupled with larger jets in your wand and trying to incorrectly clean by feeding detergents through the machine, your water consumption will increase substantially and you will be filling your solution tank continually on the larger jobs.
Do I need a professional carpet cleaning machine with remote control?
Owning a professional carpet cleaning machine that offers a full transceiver remote for operating all its functions is not necessary in order to undertake carpet & upholstery cleaning work but there are many benefits to having a full remote-control system.
In 2007 Texatherm developed and introduced the first carpet cleaning machine fitted with a full remote-control system that controls all the functions on your machine. We do not use off the shelf, standard mains remote switches that remotely switch mains power inlets on and today the EMV is still the only professional carpet extraction machine available with a bespoke twin transceiver remote control system.
The EMVs remote key fob will allow you to switch the machines main control panel from standby mode to on and also off back to standby mode, you will also be able to control your pump, heater, vacuum one and vacuum two. When working upstairs or inside whilst your machine is downstairs or outside you will not have to go to the machine to switch pumps or vacuums off whilst changing tools.
What are the benefits of having a remote control for your portable carpet extraction machine?
If you are a self-employed owner operator you may need to switch your carpet cleaning machine off quickly to answer a phone enquiry or if your client wants to speak with you. Rather than leaving your cleaning machine running In-between applying your cleaning solutions and making preparations, you can also shut down you vacuums and pump extending their life whilst at the same time reducing the noise impact on your clients.
What tools will I need with my professional carpet cleaning machine?
To take full advantage of a hot water extraction machines capabilities you will need a carpet wand and a hand detail tool. A twin jet wand is a must to ensure even and enough rinsing flow over the width of the wand suction head. A 2-jet s-bend wand fitted with 11002 jets is the most widely used and the preferred choice by most professionals.
You will also require a hand tool and we recommend a 4” closed detail tool with a spray guard. These are used by many professionals for both upholstery and carpet cleaning, for e.g., cleaning stair treads and small spaces where a wand can’t access. There are other upholstery and stair tools available but if you have both of these tools you will not have any problems or be restricted in any way in the use of your machine.
You can also purchase a wand specifically for cleaning hard floors, these wands are different to carpet extraction wands and are fitted with a single jet and a twin rubber squeeze to rinse and recover the soiling off hard floors. As you already have the equipment to clean hard floors, why turn work away this can be a great way to increase job values why already on site.
What length of hose do you need?
Industry standard hose lengths initially supplied with extraction machines tend to be 7.5 metres (25 feet) and then most manufacturers apply extra costs for supplying increased lengths or extension hoses. At Texatherm we supply a longer 10-metre hose (33 feet) as standard.
Will you need extension hoses with your carpet cleaning machine?
Yes, most professional carpet cleaners will carry one or two extension hoses for their carpet cleaning machine. To ensure you never need to take the machine upstairs you will definitely need a further extension hose. We supply these in 10 metre (33 feet) or 15 metres (50 feet) lengths. 10mtr plus a 10mtr extension hose. will give you 66 feet which is sufficient for the majority of professional carpet cleaners or you can have a 10mtr and a 15mtr extension hose. which will give you 83 feet. The EMV can comfortably run 150 foot of hose.
Can I upgrade my carpet cleaning machine?
We believe that your machine should be supplied fitted with the best quality and optimised parts to ensure maximum performance as standard. At Texatherm we do not make base entry machines and all EMV machines are fitted with top specification and the latest performance parts as standard.
You also receive many further features as standard not available from other manufacturers where others charge these out as upgrades. All EMVs come with full remote control of all systems as standard.
A noise baffling system has also been built into the machine as standard. The EMV is also the only professional carpet cleaning machine available with a pump freeze protection circuit, in the event that you accidentally freeze your pump with water in it, this system will ensure you don’t blow your pump winding and once defrosted you can carry on working.
As the EMV has been designed with a plug and play system any future developments or enhancements can be easily upgraded into older models.
Can you take professional carpet cleaning machines upstairs?
Being able to safely take professional carpet cleaning machines up and down stairs will depend on the brand & model of the cleaning machine. Professional portable extraction machines can weigh up to 60 kilos plus before the add on of an external heating system of baffling system which will increase the weight of the machine.
As long as the machine is powerful enough, e.g., they are fitted with dual / twin stage 3 vacuum motors and have a good rinse flow, most professional carpet cleaners will leave their cleaning machines downstairs and run hoses plus extension hoses upstairs.
Most professional large capacity and high performing portable carpet cleaning machines are not suited for safely lifting upstirs and downstairs in houses. The majority of professional carpet cleaners leave their cleaning machines either in the hallway on a drop sheet or outside and run hoses into the property.
The Texatherm EMV machine can be safely taken up steps without the risk of colliding with risers due to its unique design. The EMV has bespoke 10” rear lift wheels and when tilted back at 35° there is no risk of collision with the stair risers. At 35° the machines centre of gravity is over the rear axle and will not pull you back or forward.
How easy are professional carpet cleaning machines to load into a van? Can you move the machine on your own?
Some professional carpet cleaning machines are very heavy and difficult to load in to vans and you may have to purchase an aluminium ramp to unload and load them onto your vehicle. Some machines have wheels fitted on to their handles or at the top of the machine which enables you to tilt them back and slide them into the van onto their backs, a good idea in principle but you have to be careful of any liquids left in the tanks. If you wanted to save the fluids in your hot water extraction solution feed tank for your next job, you would have to empty and decant the fluids into a bottle before tilting the machine on to its back.
At Texatherm we have designed the EMV to be one of the lightest in class professional hot water extraction machines on the market and it has a large base clearance. The EMV is also fitted with large offset bespoke 10” stair lift rear wheels so that when tilted back at 35 degrees the machines centre of gravity is directly over the rear wheel axles.
Just tilt the machine back and place its front wheels directly onto the van floor before tilting forward and rolling in. You can save the remaining fluid in your solution tank for your next job as the EMV extraction machine solution tank has a lid that seals and will stop fluid loss. Once in your vehicle and in a confined space the EMV can be turned easily on its own axis and is fitted with quad locking directional front wheels.
Which size van is best for professional carpet cleaning machines?
Although you will see some professionals using a small van, the ideal van size is a mid-range van with a large side loading door. For e.g., Vauxhall Vivaro, Mercedes Vito, Renault Traffic, VW Transporter or Ford Transit etc.
With a mid-sized van, you should be able to access your machines, accessories, sprayers, tools and chemicals without having to completely empty the rest of your van to access them. Whilst setting up and stowing away this will save you hours in the day when travelling from job to job. More time = more work and higher earnings.
Training in the proper use of professional carpet & upholstery cleaning machines & equipment.
Having the proper equipment to allow you to undertake professional carpet and upholstery cleaning, as well as being able to adapt to the varying carpet constructions, is equally as important as the training required to identify and use the correct chemical solutions, techniques and methodologies.
At Texatherm Systems we include a full day’s handover carpet cleaning training course with purchases, our practical carpet cleaning course covers all of the essential theory needed but we feel it is more important that you practically use the machines and methods on the day and have total confidence in using all these methods before you leave us. The Texatherm carpet cleaning training course will have you setting up the equipment, mixing chemical solutions and undertaking all the different carpet cleaning methods.
As we mentioned earlier, no one system will clean everything and at Texatherm our course will prepare you for those difficult jobs. Because the EMV is not just an extraction machine we will teach you how to adapt, combine and change your methods on site within minutes to always achieve the desired results.
Our handover course has been written and designed to give you the practical skills on the day, allowing you to go out the very next day and clean to the highest of standards that are normally achieved by the top 5% of the UK professional carpet cleaning technicians.
Machine maintenance, servicing & repair
Having a professional carpet cleaning machine offline and repaired can be very frustrating, and is a common problem shared by most professional carpet & upholstery cleaners. Nearly all carpet cleaning machines on the market require specialist manufacturers or service centres to strip wires, remove parts and work with the mains wiring loom electrics. This means if a working part goes down, professional technicians find they are not able to work and have to cancel jobs, whilst waiting for their machines to be repaired.
At Texatherm Systems we have designed & developed a plug & play interface fitted inside the EMV machine for all of your working parts. You can legally, easily and safely unplug and remove both vacuum motors, pump, monitoring cooling fan and pressure transducer for maintenance or in the case of a part becoming damaged or reaching end of life. You can replace parts on site in a matter of minutes, simply unplug the part and plug a new one in.
We have engineered outstanding reliability into the EMV Machine using high quality parts and compensating working tolerances, the EMV is so reliable that we offer an industry leading 2-year parts & labour warranty. Like all carpet cleaning machines maintenance & servicing is vital to the life and performance of your machine, full maintenance guides are provided with equipment purchases.
Can I clean hard floors with my carpet cleaning machine or do I need a separate hard floor cleaning machine?
Yes, you can clean hard floors with you EMV machine as long as you have a specialist hard floor cleaning wand. It’s as simple as disconnecting your carpet wand and then attaching a hard floor squeeze wand. The hard floor wand is fitted with a single rinse jet and two rubber vacuum intake squeeze blades.
Unlike carpets hard floors will not absorb water so a single jet is optimum as you are only rinsing off the soil. Because you are not rinsing an absorbent fibre Multiple jets used on hard floors can apply too much water and overspray away from the wand head. This over wetting may result in you having to make unnecessary multiple passes to try and recovery all the water. Swapping between carpet cleaning and hard floor cleaning will take just minutes as you are already set up and using the same machine.
The industry standard and most common method used to clean hard floors is to use a single disk rotary floor machine. This machine is used to scrub the hard floor and release the soil. Just spray apply your cleaning chemical to the hard floor and scrub in with a rotary floor machine also known as a rotary floor scrubber. You will need to fit your rotary scrubber with a hard floor cleaning pad or stripping pad, you then follow up by rinsing off and recovering the cleaning chemical and soil with you hard floor wand in the same manner you would if you were using a carpet wand to rinse and recover when cleaning carpets.
Can I clean mattresses with my professional carpet cleaning machine?
Yes, the methodology and chemistry associated with the professional cleaning of mattresses does not differ much from carpet & upholstery & textile cleaning. The same carpet cleaning machine, tools, agitation, cleaning methods and chemical solutions are used to clean mattresses. Due to the nature and type of soiling on mattresses, usually professionals would use specialist chemicals to clean mattresses, for example, specialist enzyme digesters to break down proteins and also cleaning solutions which will sanitise/disinfect while they clean.
Can I clean rugs with my professional carpet cleaning machine? Or do I need a specialist rug cleaning machine?
Yes, rug constructions, fibre types and conditions do not often vary much from carpet constructions, fibre types and conditions. The cleaning methodology & chemistry associated with professional rug cleaning generally remain the same for both carpet & rug cleaning. Specialist chemical solutions may be used or lower PH chemical solutions depending on dyesite stability and bleed potential.
Some specialist rugs may not be colour fast or suitable for wet washing. They may contain silk, viscose or a sensitive mix with wool content. It is important to test first before proceeding. We would highly recommend a course to help you understand how to test and identify these rugs and then how to clean these rugs safely.
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