| The Truck/Van mounted form of Carpet Steam | | | | the amount of water used by other carpet cleaning |
| Cleaning - Hot Water Extraction or HWE is | | | | methods, |
| recommended by most carpet manufacturers, but | | | | Very Low Moisture VLM or Oscillating Pad OP. This |
| does it have the recommendation of the | | | | issue is only half of the water pollution problem, as |
| Environment. The main reasons for concern regarding | | | | the injection and extraction cycle continues. The |
| Truck Mounts are their contribution toward air | | | | waste water is being accumulated in the waste |
| pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. | | | | water tank, at the power unit. This waste product is |
| The Basics The basic design of a Truck Mount | | | | a hazard if not disposed of properly. In short, to |
| Carpet Cleaning System is a presser sprayer, a | | | | dump this waste water into a storm drain is a major |
| vacuum extraction unit, a fresh water tank and a | | | | violation and will warrant a fine from various |
| waste water tank. The concept is to spray a mixture | | | | governmental entities. This is illegal in most cities and |
| of detergent and water into to the carpet fibers | | | | irresponsible, however it occurs often. The additional |
| under high pressure, to flush out the dirt. The water, | | | | effort of finding or paying for the appropriate waste |
| detergent and dirt are then vacuumed or extracted | | | | water filtration is enough in many cases to encourage |
| immediately. This is accomplished by using a wand, a | | | | this type of behavior. |
| device that combines both procedures. The | | | | There will be very few Carpet Cleaning Companies to |
| extraction is continuous and the high flow sprayer is | | | | admit acting in this way and will refer you to their |
| controlled by a trigger on the wand and that flow is | | | | strict company policy. The official policies are not in |
| metered by the Carpet Cleaning technician. | | | | question, the question is, does every Technician do it |
| Air Pollution The Carpet Cleaning components of the | | | | the right way every time? The answer based on |
| Truck Mount are powered by the trucks engine or | | | | human nature is, NO! Truck Mounts use more water, |
| by a separate slide-in engine, as with all combustible | | | | waste more water and that waste water is |
| engines, these units emit poisonous gases a by | | | | potentially being introduced into lakes, steams and |
| product of use. The emission of fuses is continuous | | | | other drink water sources. |
| throughout the carpet cleaning process. An average | | | | Noise Pollution The final environmental impact of |
| sized room will take 15 to 20 minutes to clean, so | | | | Truck Mounts is less pronounced, but significant to |
| then a three bedroom home with two living areas, | | | | many, the issue of noise pollution. Whether you can |
| will take approximately one hour total cleaning time. | | | | see it or not, it will soon become quite obvious when |
| When one considers the millions of rooms of | | | | a neighbor is having their carpet cleaned by a Truck |
| carpeting in office buildings, apartment complexes, | | | | Mount. A modest Unit with a 20HP engine is the |
| schools and residential housing, the potential amount | | | | equivalent of 5 to 6 lawn mowers all blaring at the |
| of air pollution from Truck Mounted cleaning is | | | | same time. This noise is constant throughout the |
| enormous. | | | | cleaning process, the inconvenience of many for the |
| Water Pollution HWE cleaning uses a combination of | | | | benefit of one. Truck Mount Carpet Cleaning is not a |
| heated water and detergent under pressure to flush | | | | Green procedure and as it relates to other cleaning |
| out dirt. It is a constant cycle of injection of the | | | | methods, it consumes 20 times more natural |
| pressured solution and then the extraction of the | | | | resources. |
| solution and the loosened dirt. This process requires | | | | |
| several gallons of fresh water. A moderately | | | | 1. For every second of the cleaning process |
| powered Truck Mount can dispense 3 GPM - Gallon | | | | poisonous fumes are released into the atmosphere. |
| per Minute - using a 1 by 2 stoke pattern (One wet | | | | 2. 20 times the amount of water is used compared |
| injection stroke and two dry extraction only strokes), | | | | to other carpet cleaning methods |
| one third of the cleaning time would be with trigger | | | | 3. Waste water is many times disposed of improperly |
| on and solutions flowing. Using a 15 to 20 minute | | | | and allowed to potentially enter drinking water |
| average cleaning time per room, this equals | | | | sources |
| approximately seven minutes. Seven minutes of flow | | | | 4. |
| at 3 GPM yields 21 gallons of water. This is 20 times | | | | |