Our customers often use the terms “steam cleaning” and “hot water extraction” interchangeably, but the two processes are quite different. COIT uses the hot water extraction method to get carpets super clean. So how does hot water extraction cleaning work? 

What is Hot Water Extraction?

Hot water extraction carpet cleaning is easy to understand. First, a powerful machine heats water in the cleaning truck. Trained carpet cleaning experts use a professional hot water extraction cleaning machine to inject water and a cleaning solution into the carpet and remove dirt.  The machine then extracts the solution and the hot water back out of the carpet so that it can dry quickly.  While there is visible steam from the hot water, it is the water doing the cleaning, not the steam.

How is Hot Water Extraction Different from Steam Cleaning?

First of all, steam is hotter then hot water.  Obviously, to get steam, the water must boil and evaporate into steam.  Steam can actually set some stains in.  If a cleaning agent like detergent is being used, steam cannot provide as thorough a rinse as using hot water provides. Hot water thoroughly flushes the carpet fibers and removes dirt.

How is Renting a “Steam Machine” Different from Getting a Professional Service?

1. Dirt Removal. The most important step of a professional carpet cleaning is not the hot water extraction, but vacuuming the carpet before the hot water cleaning. It is absolutely necessary to thoroughly vacuum the carpet and remove as much dirt as possible from the carpet before any wet cleaning. A professional carpet cleaner like COIT has powerful truck mounted vacuums that remove much more dirt from carpets then home vacuums.
2. Drying Power. Rental machines are just not as powerful and effective as professional, truck-mounted machines. One area where this is apparent is in drying the carpet. To prevent mold, stains, damage and overall discomfort, it is important to get carpets as dry as possible after cleaning. With professional cleaning, carpets may be damp for a day or two afterward, while steam machines can leave carpets damp for much longer. Rental machines simply do not have the power to get carpets as dry as professional machines.

Hot water extraction is the best way to get carpets clean. A yearly professional hot water extraction cleaning will remove the dirt and grime that commonly builds up in carpet and causes unnecessary wear and tear.