So, you're a fan of truck-mounted systems? Those are as obsolete as a dinosaur. Sure they have advantages, but mostly to the person doing the work, not the person getting their carpet cleaned. First, let's look at what carpet manufacturers have to say on the subject: Nothing. That's right, nothing! They went into the laboratory on their own and examined the subject circa 2000, they're not so picky about what equipment is used, but they DO care that their product (your carpet) gets rinsed with fresh water as the final step. And the equipment I use is the first any carpet manufacturer has recommended and endorsed, but that's because it's economical. If you want to use a true fresh water rinse with a truck-mounted system that's fine, but do you have any idea what that would cost?? 40 cents per square foot, in 2005. And it still wouldn't be quite as good as what I do.

The benefits of a fresh water rinse are pretty obvious. Just think of a washing machine, or washing your hands, or washing your hair; you wouldn't think of shampooing your hair, toweling it off, blow drying it etc. without rinsing it first, would you? That's ridiculous! Yet that's basically what carpet cleaners have gotten away with for decades, and you're still getting that if you choose anyone but me, as no one else in this area offers a fresh water rinse. Not only does a fresh water rinse remove residue from the cleaning process itself, but it gets out more dirt. Under a microscope carpet manufacturers discovered something they weren't expecting: a fresh water rinse ALSO removes more of the irritants that collect in carpet like bacteria, fungus, pollution including cigarette smoke, and pollen. In fact, you can't seriously consider that you're cleaning for health unless you're finishing the cleaning process with a fresh water rinse!

Let's compare my process to what you're used to by shedding some light on some of the problems associated with using a truck as a power plant, bringing hoses in, and leaving a door or window open somewhere 1. The EPA wants to ban it entirely, due to pollution concerns. I use less than 15 amps of clean electric power. The fact that I can accomplish a consistent extraction rate of over 94% is a HUGE feat of engineering!!! Truckmount operators burn millions of barrels of fossil fuels, wasting almost all the power and heat they generate. 2. The amount of suction in a truckmount varies greatly with many factors, including distance from the truck, and especially elevation DOWN FROM THE TRUCK; i.e., into a basement. As an operator this is very tricky, because the air still moves well, so you think you're OK. But the moving air loses the power to pick water UP that far, so you wind up leaving dirt behind. My source of suction stays a constant distance of less than 12 inches from the work surface. 3. Suction is lost as filters get clogged. This happens slowly and imperceptibly to the operator. A conscientious operator who stops working to check filters will usually find everything's fine; but it took 10-15 minutes for THAT!!?? Obviously they won't check that very often. On my equipment this process literally takes no time at all! I can see debris accumulating to the point that it's a problem as I work, and clearing it out is much quicker for me. A side benefit of this is I can also see dirt, stains, residue, etc. as they come up from your carpet, so I KNOW when there's more dirt left behind that would re-appear after drying, so I have an unfair advantage in removing it. I can also see when your carpet is rinsed thoroughly, which helps me prevent over-wetting. No truck-mounted system offers this. 4. Suction is lost as machinery ages. Truck mounted suction devices (called blowers) literally beat themselves to death. A replacement is often in the thousands of dollars, consequently many small, independent, and otherwise cheap operators are using worn-out equipment that they bought inexpensively. They only thought they got a good deal, and they only think they're offering you a good deal. How can you get any value with sub-standard equipment? I can restore my suction to new factory specs by the replacement of one moving part for $200.00. And the engineering is such that the suction is like new right until the vacuum motor dies, and I’ll never use one that long.

So what all this means is if you see a truck-mounted operator advertising an extraction rate comparable to mine, they can't possibly deliver that consistently! Sure, while the operator is fresh and the equipment is new and clean and it's being tested by the manufacturer where everybody has a point to prove, it fares well. But in real life working conditions like YOUR home there's just too much that can go wrong with a truck-mounted system; but don't take it from me, I've worked for plenty of people that've had bad experiences with truck-mount operators, and these are only some of the reasons why. I'll let you talk to them; but be ready to get an earful!

Now let's uncover some myths regarding truck-mounted carpet cleaning: 1. The powerful RX-20' Here's what this phrase and words like it mean; The owner knows that with all the different people he's going to have to hire to do the actual cleaning, he'll never be able to consistently deliver the best possible results. You see, a big part of the advertised extraction rate of truck-mounted carpet cleaning equipment is operator effort and strength, which diminishes as the day wears on. So by using an RX-20 and other power wands like it a smart businessman can avoid disastrous results from even good employees who are just plain exhausted. The power wand does a lot of the physical work, and requires less exertion. Sounds good, right? WRONG! These devices are known to disrupt the critical balance between application of cleaning solution and it's removal, otherwise known as an extraction rate. It's not terrible, but a truck mounted unit that tests at a 94% extraction rate would be reduced to below 90% when used in conjunction with a power wand like an RX-20. Still very good, but it can't compete with me! (How much more are you willing to pay for the lower quality my competition offers?)

My results are 100% consistent with no variables, and fatigue isn't even a factor. 2. Super-heated water cleans better. There's actually some truth to this, but only some. First of all, different truck-mounted systems heat water to different temperatures. More modern equipment heats it to about 190 degrees, but some heats it to temperatures above 250 degrees! Sounds very impressive, but why are they spending the money to do this? The fact is that without a fresh water rinse most of the cleaning agents they're using are left behind in your carpet! Stop and think about this important point - - is your carpet 100% dry as soon as they get done? Of course not. That means that whatever was coming out of the cleaning wand is in your carpet, and that's usually most (if not all) of the cleaner that's being used. So the water is super-heated to reduce the amount of chemical mixed in to as little as possible, trying to emulate the benefits of a fresh water rinse, even though they can't give you that. You see, the super heated water cleans as well with less chemical used, but NOT BETTER! The overall result is better only because their cleaning solution is diluted more, leaving less residue. Translated, this means a truck-mounted operator is trying to clean your carpet by using as little cleaner as he can possibly get away with. Are you satisfied with that???

On the other hand, I custom blend a solution for your particular situation, and I'm not afraid to use as much cleaner as it takes since I know I'm going to flush the residue out with fresh water. Obviously you'll see me give superior results in tougher situations. Regular tap water is fine, out of a well or whatever you've got; I just mix my cleaner accordingly. 3. Then there's the myth that a two- man crew is somehow ‘better.' Don't be fooled. Truck mounted companies use this because it's cheaper than the extra equipment running time it would take for one person to do it all. Another way of saying the same thing is that the company values the employee less and the equipment more. This has a way of producing people working in your home that don't feel appreciated and aren't very motivated to do their best. I can move anything in your home, and a ‘helper' would just be in my way and slow me down. (I've been doing this a long time and I have a few tricks) The only time I need your help is per insurance regulations with precarious things like TVs, stereos, computers, etc. With your hand on the expensive item as I move it, you're in a position to prevent any damage before it occurs. The second man in a two-man crew really is in no position to do that, since he isn't familiar with the piece and he doesn't own it. So why have I heard truck-mounts are best? (and what about the IICRC?) Chances are that if you're fond of truck-mounts, you've either worked as a carpet cleaner, known someone who has, or at least have heard of the IICRC. This stands for the institute of (carpet) inspection, cleaning, and restoration certification. It is an extremely big and powerful organization that has bullied the industry around for a very long time. Carpet manufacturers simply took their word for whatever they claimed! Can you imagine taking your car to the dealer with a problem and having them tell you - gee I don't know how to fix it, why don't you ask Craftsman, they make the tools to work on cars? That's exactly how irresponsible carpet manufacturers were, until Shaw Industries started buying up every carpet mill they could. The controlling interest behind the IICRC is the same as the controlling interest behind Great Lakes Steamway, a very large, very profitable manufacturer of carpet cleaning equipment and chemicals. We're right in the heart of their territory, and the best equipment they make is truck-mounted. Don't get me wrong, they've made considerable contributions to the industry over the years, but because they have a vested interest nothing they say can be considered as an unbiased opinion.

While they like to act as if their certificates are some sort of license necessary to clean carpet, they're not. Their classes are taught by individual instructors, and of course some are better than others. One of the best is Buzz Cohen, widely respected and well liked for his practical approach. He was approached by the inventor of the equipment I use to try it out and see what he thought. Please understand that Mr. Cohen is a very busy man constantly pulled in different directions, so when I say he tried to dismiss it, that was to be expected.

Here's what Mr. Cohen did: He tried the equipment I use on a flood job, specifically as a harsh test of the extraction rate, since all you can do to water-damaged carpet is extract as much water as possible out of it. You can't clean it until it's dry. Please understand that with truck-mounted equipment you'd use a 100 pound roller to boost the extraction rate, squeezing more water out of the pad, but Mr. Cohen didn't use one. He used it the same way I do. He intended to show the ineffectiveness of this machine, expecting that since it's not truck-mounted it couldn't possibly have the power to remove much water. He really has better things to do than waste his time with yet another newfangled contraption, expecting it to be inferior, so the plan was to come back and clean the carpet once it was dry with a Butler truck-mount, long held as the ‘gold standard.' If you know anything at all about carpet cleaning, you'd expect the carpet to dry quicker after cleaning, since it only gets wet on the surface, whereas a flood soaks everything from the bottom up. This test was designed to make the equipment I use fail, and make truck-mounted systems in general look (artificially) better. Do you want to know what this highly acclaimed IICRC instructor found? It was the Butler truck-mount that failed the test! The carpet actually dried quicker after the flood was extracted with my equipment than after cleaning with the Butler truck-mount! Laboratory results are one thing, but real-life experience is much more important. So Mr. Cohen also tried a variety of ‘normal' cleaning situations, comparing my equipment to the vast array of systems he was using at the time. His conclusion was that this equipment makes other systems obsolete. (That's the word he used!) What I use cleans better, and my extraction rate is actually better than a truck-mount. It's this one factor of the extraction rate that turned the industry towards truck-mounted equipment in the first place. The limitation of a power source inside your home WAS a problem only solved by an outside source - namely a gasoline powered internal combustion engine. And the industry stayed that way for a very long time, but technology caught up by the turn of the century. Isn't it time you stepped into the new millennium in carpet cleaning? Would it make you feel better if I charged twice as much, like new technology usually does? I'd rather charge as little as I can and still make a decent living. I'm not afraid of hard work and I didn't go into business for myself to get rich. Call me old-fashioned, but I'd rather have job stability; and I think the way to get that is by providing the best quality money can buy for less money than you'd pay elsewhere. So give me a call, join the ranks of my satisfied customers, and be sure to participate in my referral program and my maintenance plan to get the most out of your investment in carpet - (262) 993-0203.

A-1 Carpet Cleaning