It is a fairly new concept starting to take off in the last five years or so. Saving water is a big reason why it has become so popular.

It’s a method that uses up to 90% less water than hot water extraction.

Hot water extraction works well in certain situations, especially situations like flooding where there is a need to extract a lot of water.

Low moisture cleaning has also seen a spike in popularity because of the money you can save paired with its proven results. The operation and overhead costs to use low moisture are much lower than hot water extraction methods.

The Process of Low Moisture Cleaning

Low moisture cleaning often uses an encapsulation cleaning agent and/or an organic compound. It is then paired with other spotters that do not leave residue. The encapsulation chemical normally comes in a concentrated form and needs to be diluted before being applied to the carpet. Spotters are ready to use.

This encapsulates the microscopic crystals via polymers.

The cleaning agents encapsulate the dirt and soil and once it dries, suction is used to remove it. The compound starts out as a yellow color and turns to black when it has absorbed the dirt. This is how you know it is cleaning correctly.

Low moisture cleaning can be used for interim maintenance or deep cleaning/restoration jobs. The 3 keys to getting results using the CRB machine for almost any instance are:

Right brushes for right carpet (white, grey, blue, green or yellow)

Right cleaning solution(s), at the right dilution rate

Proper agitation with CRB machine (all cardinal directions)

3 Types of Encapsulation:

Crystal Former: This breaks down small crystals and tends to be the best encapsulation for cleaning. The vacuum then removes it without leaving a residue.

Powder Former: This dries to a white powder, but can be harder to recover than a crystallizer as it leaves a bit of residue.

Film Former: A film former dries like candle wax building up over time and creating layers of residue. It cleans well, but if the layers are not peeled correctly or are vacuumed out it can create a problem. It can build up in the carpet.

Hot Water Extraction

Cleaners in the past have used the hot water extraction cleaning method, which can use a large amount of water. Cleaners generally use a pre-spray and CRB, rotary or OP machine to agitate the pre-spray before they extract with their truck mount. 

This is the most commonly used method and has been the preferred method in the past. It also is a good method to get a deep clean that digs deep into the carpet.

However, this causes problems by using large amounts of water, it also can take up to 48 hours to dry completely.

The increased moisture levels can make it more likely for mold, bacteria and wick backs to happen. The carpets need to not be left wet, or have too much water.

It is honestly personal preference when choosing between Low Moisture and Hot Water Extraction.

At Enviro USA we have technicians that are trained in both types of deep carpet cleaning.

Call us today at 866-564-1414 or visit our website at www.envirousa.com to set up a zoom or call meeting to speak about what type carpet cleaning is best for your site.

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