With Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners using the spray-extraction system, a solution of water and chemical is sprayed into the carpet’s fibres and immediately sucked out. The solution and the dirt removed are recovered directly into the dirty water tank of the machine. With the drying time of the carpet after cleaning greatly depends on the vacuum strength. A specially designed high waterlift vacuum system has been developed for Santoemma machines, which allows them to get up to 50% higher waterlift than standard Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners. It is possible to recover up to 95% of the sprayed solution.
This results in an extremely shorter drying time than with normal carpet extractors. Not only is the drying time reduced, but also a better cleaning result is obtained. This is due to the extra solution extracted from the carpet fibres, containing extra dirt that was in the carpet. The same residual dirty solution, if left evaporating in the carpet as it usually happens, would leave the carpet not as clean as with Santoemma machines. The cleaning result is improved with the mechanical action of a rotating cylindrical brush. This allows complete cleaning of each fibre by removing dirt from the base of the carpet fibres, which otherwise resurfaces a few days after cleaning. The mechanical action of the brush is therefore essential to obtain a professional result.
A pre-spray of a concentrated chemical solution is usually recommended before starting cleaning. The extended contact time of the chemical assists the removal of dirt from the fibres, therefore achieving better cleaning results and reducing the time spent on the subsequent cleaning operations. Sometimes the pre-spray is done using manual or electrical pre-treatment devices, which are separate and extra machines.