What other types of carpet cleaning systems are there on the market?

There are four other methods available for cleaning carpets. However, none of them can compare to the benefits of using Host.

Hot Water Extraction (Steam) Method:

This method is occasionally called steam cleaning. Areas of heavy use are pre-conditioned with a strong alkaline chemical spray to help remove ground-in soil then a heated pressurised cleaning solution is injected into the carpet pile. The soil and chemical solution is then extracted and the carpet is left to dry. If the carpet becomes too wet, hot air blowers are installed to help speed up the drying time. The main disadvantage of this system is over-wetting and carpets are often left wet for several hours. Shrinkage and dye bleed are common factors with hot water extraction, even when the system is paced in the hands of a professional cleaner.

Rotary Pad (Bonnet Cleaning) Method:

The rotary bonnet method uses a machine similar to a floor buffer with an absorbent spin pad attached to the base of the machine. The carpet is sprayed with cleaning detergent and the spin pad absorbs soil as it rotates. When the pad is full of dirt, the pad is removed from the buffer and a fresh pad is put on the machine or the pad is rinsed in a bucket of water, drained then put back on the machine. The disadvantage of this system is pile distortion and transferring soil from one part of the carpet to another. Another disadvantage is the operator has virtually no control over the amount of cleaning detergent being used, rapid re-soiling often occurs directly after cleaning.

Dry Foam Method:

The dry foam method uses a high alkalinity detergent solution which is whipped into foam and applied to the carpet. The foam is then aggressively worked into the carpet with a scrubbing machine fitted with reel-type brushes. Some machines have inbuilt extraction capabilities whilst others need thorough vacuuming after the carpet is dry. The disadvantage of this system is over wetting, long drying times and the possibilities of pile distortion and shrinkage. Rapid resoling is a common problem as there is no proper means of extracting the detergent from the carpet.

Rotary Brush Method:

Cleaning detergent is injected into the carpet pile then a machine with rotating brushes is used to scrub the carpet fibres, the wet soil from the carpet is brushed out and collected into a small tray attached to the bottom of the machine, the carpet is then left to dry. This machine is predominately designed for cleaning hard floor coverings, when used on carpet it can cause pile distortion or untwisting of fibre. With no proper means of vacuum extraction over wetting and long drying periods are common which can lead to shrinkage and rapid resoling.