Our Super Fast Drying method
(Encapsulation carpet cleaning)
Read on to find out if our Dry Cleaning method is suitable for your carpets…
Our main method of cleaning carpets is the HOT WATER EXTRACTION SYSTEM. However Rapid Dry also offers a second method of cleaning carpets. Semi Dry/Encapsulation cleaning is NOT our preferred way to clean residential carpets, but does have some advantages in certain situations. The method was developed overseas as a ‘maintenance method’ to clean glued down polypropylene commercial carpets that have a tendency to “wick” dirt and spills back up to the top of the carpet after being cleaned with the hot water extraction method. We use this method on many commercial accounts (together with hot water extraction), and also on problem residential carpets that have ‘wick back’ issues.
We also use this method often to clean high rise apartments that we have difficulty accessing with our van mounted equipment.
Unlike some other ‘Dry Cleaning’ methods used in the past (and are still being used today), this method leaves absolutely no sticky residue on the carpet, and won’t cause your carpets to re soil rapidly. In fact the product we use contains a small amount of carpet protector to actually help repel dirt, long after the carpet has been cleaned.
What is it?
This method is known as ENCAPSULATION CLEANING, and is used widely outside New Zealand as not only a commercial carpet cleaning option, but also a way to clean lightly soiled residential carpets. Some Australian carpet cleaners use it exclusively in the residential market, especially in areas where water is scarce.
The product used is an advanced formulation containing high tech polymers that break up and ‘encapsulate’ the soil particles as it dries. The microscopic particles are then vacuumed out during subsequent vacuuming by the home or business owner.
What are the advantages?
1. This method dries very quickly. It could be a great option in a situation where new tenants or homeowners need to move in immediately after the outgoing occupants have left.
2. It’s great for high rise apartments – no more issues with hoses running across stairs, corridors and through fire stop doors.
3. This method is very good for ‘problem’ carpets that have a history of returning spots and spills.
What are the disadvantages?
1. This method doesn’t truly deliver a deep down clean like hot water extraction does. Contaminants like dirt and spills are not flushed deeply with high water flow, and any detergents in the carpet from previous cleans or stain removal attempts will not be removed either.
2. A thorough and SLOW vacuuming process before cleaning is VITAL. This is the only way dry soil can be removed with this process. Encapsulation cleaning deals only with the oily type soils attached to the carpet fibre.
How does it work?
Firstly, as in the hot water extraction method, we vacuum to remove as much of the dry soil as we can, leaving only the ‘oily type’ soils that are stuck to the carpet fibre. The detergent product is then scrubbed gently onto the carpet. This provides enough agitation to remove the oily soils from the carpet fibre, leaving the carpet looking instantly clean and bright.
If necessary the carpet is then groomed to stand the pile up, and left to dry. In a normal residential setting we would expect the carpet to be dry within an hour or so – even sooner during summer. With polypropylene commercial carpets it will often be touch dry in as little half an hour.
Can we use this method on your carpet?
As we have said above, the process is definitely suitable for residential carpets as well as commercial, although it does have it’s limitations.
This method is great for lightly soiled carpets – of almost any kind. However if you have a carpet that has had “a bit of a hammering” with lots of deep spills, then this method won’t remove all the deep down contaminants. If we’re dealing with nasty type contaminants such as vomit or faeces, then we wouldn’t recommend this process at all, and strongly suggest staying with the Hot Water Extraction method of cleaning as described here.