Hot Water Extractor

[detailthis]

The detailing buisness is really picking up, and I am debating on purchasing a hot water extractor.

What are some units you Pro's are using and how help full are they? Does it help you produce a better product and cut down on time spent cleaning the carpet?

Thanks!

[RDVT4ME]

I would love to see some pro's reply here also, as I am looking for one of these too.

[scrub]

How bout what an almost semi pro is using. Try this Aztec extractor.



Cost was $595 plus shipping and I did get the stainless steel wand, 16 ft hose, and 50 ft cord. It's a good machine for mobile work and has better power than the Lil Green Machine.

There are some cons to the machine.
1. Noise
2. Can't vac and heat at same time (reduces amps which is good for mobile)
3. Almost too small solution tank for full interior plus floor mats
4. Heater interlock. Tank has to be full for heater to work.

[detailthis]

Thanks for the reply.

I was thinking of picking up the new Durrmaid it is very similar to the Aztec.

http://www.topoftheline.com/carpet-extractor-steamer.html

[Jimmy Buffit]

I'm very happy with our Century 400 Sensei. Almost 3 years old now...

We do 18-20 carpets per week, which means the machine is in frequent, if not constant use,

Yes, it does a MUCH better job than any shopvac, and, yes, it is much more efficient.

I'd be stumped if it went out of commission!

Jim

[Hot Spot]

Hi detailthis,
I will agree with you on your thoughts about the Durrmaid. When we set up a new detailing business with Meguiar's products and training we promote the Durrmaid extractor as it has proven to be an industry work horse. We have sold about 40 machines in the last year or so and have had outstanding customer feedback. Hot water will give you results you could never achieve by hand or with a cold water extractor. My personal favorite is how well a hot water extractor cleans heavily soiled nylon seat belts.

[buda]

Extractors

Don't know if I am a pro, but we have been engineering and selling extractors for more than 20 years to the detailing and carwash industries.

Here is what I would recommend you consider when looking at buying an extractor:

1. Budget - what can you afford, not what you would like, but in reality what can you afford. Don't trip over dollars to save dimes either.

2. Capacity - that is, how many cars do you have to detail. You want a unit that will get you thru your daily work without constantly having to fill it. If you are mobile and work on one car at a time then a 2 gallon unit is OK.

3. Vacuum Motor - basically you have two choices: a 2 stage motor and a 3 stage motor. The 3 stage is what you want, it will give more lift and suction.

4. Heater - you can have an inline heater or a tank heater. I would stay away from a tank heater other than in a 2 gallon, one car at a time unit. If the solution runs out you have to refill and wait 15 minutes for it to heat. The inline heater only has to heat up once in the morning, as long as you do not shut the heater off, and it will instantly heat the solution all day.

5. Pump - that is not critical, most has a 100psi pump and that is about all you need. The Aztec or Durr Maid or our Tuffy has a 60 psi pump which is fine for those size units.

6. Extractor Nozzle - you can get plastic, but they break and are affected by heat. Or, you can get the better choice, stainless steel. These are of different configurations. The best is one with a view window to see what you are extracting and also one with a closed shield around the spray nozzle to keep the solution from getting all over. Alittle more expensive, but worth it.

7. Solution Line - most units have the solution line Zip-tied to the vacuum hose. A big problema, fighting two different hoses plus getting burned by the hot solution line. The best alternative is the "hide-a-hose" which is an entire assembly that comes with a ss extractor nozzle with a view window. The solution line is inside the vacuum hose keeping it out of the way.

These are the important considerations you should look at when making an investment in an extractor.

If I can be of more help please contact me directly.

Regards
Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS SYSTEMS

[everglo]

Any tips on getting deep down dirt? I've tried various methods(with a hot water extractor) and have failed(or at least not to my satisfaction). This usually occurs on carpets that have been neglected or dirt has been left and ground in due to not being extracted in a timely manner. As a matter of fact, my extractor is from buda's company, detail plus. It is a tank heated extractor. It has good lift but I need some tips on pre-extraction soil removal. I do pre-treat it and scrub it but sometimes do not get the results that I would like. Any help is appreciated.

[buda]

Deep Dirt

As the detail industry continues to become more professional detailers are learning more and more about what they have to do to properly clean interiors and restore paint finishes.

As for ground in dirt in carpet fibers I am afraid to tell you that an extractor is not the answer.

An extractor is really designed to clean surface soil on slightly dirty carpets or to rinse out soil and shampoo residue from the friction shampoo process.

But when you have ground in dirt there is but one alternative and this must be recognized by the detailer and explained to the customer who must make the decision as to whether they wish to pay the additional cost.

What is the additional cost? That is, to remove the seats and carpet shell. To pressure wash the carpet shell until the ground in dirt is all gone and then to replace the shell and the seats.

Could be an extra 2 to 3 hours to do this and the customer needs to understand without doing this the dirt in the carpets will "wick" up when it dries.

Wicking is what dirt does that is left in carpet fibers when it dries. That is, "it wicks to the top." That is why a vehicle might leave your shop or you might leave the location and it looks great but when the carpet dries, the dirt rises to the top.

That is the only way to get ground in dirt completely out of carpet fibers.

Glad to help.

Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS SYSTEMS

[detailthis]

Thanks buda for the great insight.

[buda]

Proper Carpet Cleaning Techniques

Thanks for your nice words. For the record, let me share some thoughts on carpet cleaning:

1. 85% of the soil in carpets is dry soil so a thorough vacuuming is an absolute necessity.

2. 15% is oily soil so you need to use a pre-spray shampoo to emulsify (breakdown) the oily soil on the fibers.

The process would be as follows:

1. Thoroughly vacuum the carpets
2. Spot any stains and remove them with appropriate stain removers.
3. Pre-Spray and let dwell
4. Friction shampoo with a hand brush or a high speed rotary shampooer, preferably an air tool.
5. Extract out the shampoo and dirt residue (non-foaming shampoo for extractors)
6. Final vacuum
7. Dry with interior dryer, if available, other wise crack windows and let air dry.

Hope that helps.

Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS SYSTEMS

[Nightwalker]

I have a duramaid that I do not use anymore. For no real reason really we just stick to the outsides of cars now and skiped interiors. I would be willing to let it go for a good price. Email me at pdt447@gmail.com if you are interested with your offer. I paid $600 for it. Minus a few scratches its in perfect working order and has only been used about 20 times.