Double Stroke Technique in Carpet Cleaning

Some equipment makers put a device on a cleaning head to lock the solution valve in the “ON” position so the application is constant during the forward and reverse strokes. Salesmen tout the ease of operation and claim their equipment is so powerful it will allow the double stroking technique and the operator does not need to be constantly turning the valve off and on.

The truth is that this technique causes blotching as a result of over wetting. Solution soaks deeper into the carpet at the end of the back stroke as the direction of the cleaning head is reversed. The excess moisture is not picked up immediately by the vacuum head and is allowed to settle to the base of the carpet fibers causing uneven wetting.

When moisture wicks to the surface seeking air to dry, it evaporates and leaves a trace of any mineral or chemical content. The wet spots dry slower and leave more trace deposits than lightly moistened areas. Discoloration may not occur for weeks or even months after the carpet is cleaned and most times it is blamed on the carpet.

The single stroke technique taught at Bane-Clene Institute ensures that the carpet cleaning solution is applied only on the back stroke. It is essential to learn the cutoff point at the end of the solution application stroke and pass the vacuum head beyond that point. Even wetting and thorough extraction leaves a carpet looking like new.