When it comes to your carpets, steam cleaning is a lie. Well, it's really more of a misnomer.
The proper term for the process recommended most by carpet manufacturers is Hot Water Extraction, not steam cleaning. Not an important distinction for our customers as much as it is for a technician to truly understand the process being performed.
When someone is using high temperature producing hot water extraction equipment, what is mistakenly interpreted as steam is actually water in liquid form. While some gaseous water is generated, this amount is very little. Water used in Hot Water Extraction is pressurized and pressurizing any substance increases its boiling point.
A common operating pressure for a hot water extraction method is about 400 PSI. At 400 PSI the boiling point of water is 444.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to generate steam the water in our equipment would need to be heated to 444.3 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, which is way above a safe operating temperature. Actual operating temperatures are adjusted between a range from 150-250 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the material being worked on and its tolerance for heat.
The mist that is often seen flowing from carpet cleaning wands in videos everywhere is in all reality heat loss and inefficiency in the process. This mist also saturates the surrounding air with moisture hindering drying conditions after cleaning.
At Look’N Good Cleaning Service we have a deep understanding of the science involved in our cleaning products and equipment. We employ cleaning equipment that minimizes this heat loss, maintaining that energy and utilizing it where it needs to be, rinsing soil and residues away from your carpet. Minimizing this mist production also allows carpet to dry more easily which means you get to make use of your carpeted spaces faster.