Carpet extractor?

[MichaelM]

But Dave has a very valid point.. No detailer should ever have to have a machine to effectively clean a carpet.

I'm gonna echo what Greg N. has already said.



IMO there is a difference in clean looking carpets and actually clean carpets. I think it is relatively easy to get a carpet to "look" clean but I'd be willing to bet that most all clean looking carpets would still produce dirty rinse water if extracted.



I also don't think you can effectively use towels to blot all the dirt out of upholstery, especially deep pile carpets and seat cushion foam.



Steam is a nice option to replace chemicals and scrubbing but it does not replace extraction.

 

[Accumulator]

twinscroll- I'm pretty awful in the way I seldom do formal reviews I tell myself I spend enough time posting here as it is but that's of no help to you.



I have a Century 4000/Ninja. I got it at Top of the Line Auto Detailing Supplies

and if you go to their webisite you'll find it easily enough. Centuries are commonly serviceable nation-wide and it's a good pro-grade unit that can be rebuilt as needed.



Somebody here found one in broken condition, bought it dirt-cheap and fixed it easily and inexpensively, so it can pay to keep your eyes open for used ones.

Accum, you have a $1000 plus extractor, one of the better units. I much prefer a top notch extractor to a shop vac but most detailers will not spend the money necessary to get a good one.

Yeah, I failed to qualify my resonse with a disclaimer about the cost (but see above) and how I *do* indulge myself when it comes to buying equipment. But I can honestly say the thing is worth it to me; I probably spent nearly that much on the various Bissell units I've had over the years and the good one woulda been a one-time purchase. Still, I guess that's not consolation if somebody can't afford it.

 

[Cleaning Fool]

I'm gonna echo what Greg N. has already said.



IMO there is a difference in clean looking carpets and actually clean carpets. I think it is relatively easy to get a carpet to "look" clean but I'd be willing to bet that most all clean looking carpets would still produce dirty rinse water if extracted.



I also don't think you can effectively use towels to blot all the dirt out of upholstery, especially deep pile carpets and seat cushion foam.



Steam is a nice option to replace chemicals and scrubbing but it does not replace extraction.

Agree................

 

[Greg Nichols]

I so want to do a test where I have carpets cleaned using steam that are deemed "clean" time how long that took. Then after the carpets are dried extract them and see how much crap is removed, also timing this process. Since time is money and cars that are returned to be cleaned are money, this should help get a better idea. Again this is for carpets. A steamer has no equal for cleaning tight places on dashes, door jambs or consoles.



Will someone do this test and post the results?

Cheers,

GREG

 

[Accumulator]

Hmm..when I use the steamer on carpets, it's *in conjunction with* the extractor or blotting. The steamer can emulsify certain messes and can blast [stuff] around within (and hopefully out of) the carpet's nap, but it can be tricky to steam carpets without just driving the [stuff] down closer to the padding (in which case it'd be hard to see and thus the carpets might look cleaner than they really are).



So once the steamer has done its job, I still need to extract, or at least do a thorough blotting, to get everything *removed* from the carpet.

 

[Garry Dean]

Ok, stay tuned for the write up from todays detail. I detailed a 96 4runner today and had to extract for 3 hours. It was probably in the top 3 nastiest Ive ever done.

 

[gbackus]

Hmm..when I use the steamer on carpets, it's *in conjunction with* the extractor or blotting. The steamer can emulsify certain messes and can blast [stuff] around within (and hopefully out of) the carpet's nap, but it can be tricky to steam carpets without just driving the [stuff] down closer to the padding (in which case it'd be hard to see and thus the carpets might look cleaner than they really are).



So once the steamer has done its job, I still need to extract, or at least do a thorough blotting, to get everything *removed* from the carpet.

steaming followed by extraction is the finest way to clean carpets, IMO, especially if you are using heat activated stain removers.

 

[David Fermani]

I'd also like to see what happens after a a heavy soiled carpet that appears clean looking by way of an extractor is allowed to dry and gets extracted again. I'd like to see someone take a drink of extracted water that gets pulled out of that!