carpet extractor or steamer

M

MI2

New member
Which is the machine of choice for deep cleaning a vehicle......a carpet extractor or a real steam machine?
 
I have used both. They both have there pros and cons. I personally like the steam machine because it is much more versatile. I use it for the entire inside and some on the less dirty engines. As for carpet cleaning, you will still have to scrub a little then go over it with a wet/dry vac. The extractor is easier for larger and much dirtier carpets. Below is a link that might help. Also is the link for the steamer I use. Since using the steamer on the entire inside, I have greatly cut back on cleaning chemicals. Good luck, hope this helped.



Detailing Vapor Steamers | Using Vapor Steamers For Auto Detailing Compared To Carpet Extractors

Steam cleaner, steam cleaners, steam cleaning, steam vapor cleaners



I have the TR-5
 
driving impress said:
I have used both. They both have there pros and cons. I personally like the steam machine because it is much more versatile. I use it for the entire inside and some on the less dirty engines. As for carpet cleaning, you will still have to scrub a little then go over it with a wet/dry vac. The extractor is easier for larger and much dirtier carpets. Below is a link that might help. Also is the link for the steamer I use. Since using the steamer on the entire inside, I have greatly cut back on cleaning chemicals. Good luck, hope this helped.



Detailing Vapor Steamers | Using Vapor Steamers For Auto Detailing Compared To Carpet Extractors

Steam cleaner, steam cleaners, steam cleaning, steam vapor cleaners



I have the TR-5
Click to expand...



Does the TR-5 vacuum up the debris from the steam?
 
No, you have to vacuum before you steam. There is a couple of options on that website that do have steam/vacuum. The Gaia is about $850 and the Desiderio is about $1300 and well worth it from all I've researched and read about it.
 
I too am curious. The steam cleaner does make sense to use because like you said, you can use it to clean the rest of the inside. With the carpet ext. is it easier to clean the carpets?
 
driving impress said:
No, you have to vacuum before you steam. There is a couple of options on that website that do have steam/vacuum. The Gaia is about $850 and the Desiderio is about $1300 and well worth it from all I've researched and read about it.
Click to expand...



I own a desiderio, so i can tell you right off the bat if you are a weekend warrior,

this will do you right. If on the other hand, you plan to or are doing production

work (min. 4-5 per week), then this may not meet your needs. In that case, you'll

want a dedicated steamer, and a dedicateed extractor.
 
As far as convenience and economy of size are concerned, yes, it is worth it...

As far as effectiveness for my current needs, yes it is worth it...

But all that said, I would have gotten me a seperate steamer and seperate

extractor if space were not an issue.
 
I sell these machines in Canada & have been in the biz for 24 years(industrial only...sorry).Steam cleaners have a built in heater. They preheat the water to near the boiling point so that you use less product plus what you do use works better. They also have a built in Vacume to pick up the product. A hot water extracter uses what ever temperature water you put in the tank to do the cleaning & most of them have built in Vac capabilities. For proper carper & upholstery cleaning you want to firstly vacume the area. You then want to remove or pretreat any stains with a prespray. Then use your extractor to lay down more chemical. down be scared to let the chemical do the work & give it some contact time. After 10-15 minutes pick up the chemical. Be very careful using the hot water extractor. Too hot can melt the carpet/upholstery & set any stains permanantly. A steam cleaner does not use steam!!! It just heats the water close to the boiling point to make the chemical more efficient. actual steam would damage the fibres. Using too much product will leave a residue which attracts more soil so it would not hurt to use a clean water rinse cus most guys use too much product. I have 24+ years in the cleaning industry.
 
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