Hot-water extraction
Inject solution, recover it immediately. The recovery is the method — what is left behind is what causes the next problem.
What not to do
Hot-water extraction should be avoided for Upholstery fabric
Best avoided
The available guidance advises against this.
For the WS code, the most permissive of the three that allow liquid at all. If steam is not recommended where both water and solvent are allowed, it is not a default for upholstery.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Woven & Knit Residential Upholstery Fabric Standards & Guidelines
Joint Industry Fabric Standards and Guidelines Committee, via the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) · Standards body
Relied on for: That under the WS code, hot water extraction or steam cleaning is not a recommended cleaning method. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
- Consider professional help
In detail
Hot-water extraction sprays a heated detergent solution into a carpet or upholstered surface and vacuums it straight back out. It is the carpet trade's standard periodic deep clean, and it is routinely called steam cleaning although no steam is involved. The method's whole value sits in the recovery stroke, and so does its whole risk. Solution not recovered leaves residue, and the institute treats residue as a problem in its own right: many solutions leave residues that attract soil, so the instruction is to rinse several times and never to exceed the stated concentrations. A carpet cleaned without adequate rinsing and recovery resoils faster than one left alone. Water not recovered is the second failure. It sits in the backing, dries slowly, and produces musty odour and brown wicking marks a day after the job looked finished — which is why assisted drying belongs to the method rather than being optional. The surface decides before the machine does: wool, natural-fibre rugs, viscose and anything with an unidentified backing are damaged by the wetting itself, and viscose in particular loses strength when wet.
What works
Hot-water extraction is effective against Grease Supported
Why
- Hot-water extraction is explained by Residue and resoiling
- Hot-water extraction is explained by Natural drying symbols
- Hot-water extraction is explained by The four variables
Aftercare and prevention
- Hot-water extraction requires the aftercare Carpet
Sources for this page
Sources
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That the trade's maintenance programme includes periodic deep cleaning with recovery of the solution and that inadequate rinsing causes accelerated resoiling. (states this directly)
Spot Solver: spot and spill removal procedures
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That residues left behind attract soil, that the area should be rinsed several times with a mist sprayer to prevent overwetting, and that stated concentrations must never be exceeded. (states this directly)