Preventive maintenance on carpet or portable extractors

July 22, 2023

If there's one piece of equipment that's poorly maintained by housekeeping teams, it's the carpet extractor. Yet, these are pieces of equipment that are easy to maintain each time they're used, taking only a few minutes each time. So, let's take a look at a work procedure that can make your preventative maintenance easier. At the bottom of the page, we've created a downloadable PDF so you can view the procedure if you wish.

Let's identify the parts of a carpet extractor and the critical points

The electric wire

Never pull the thread from a distance.
And make sure to keep the cord away from any heat source. Keep your hands dry when using the device.
After each use, make sure the wire is still in good condition. If not, have it repaired before next use.

The brush

You should vacuum the carpet before washing. This will prevent many problems.
After use, check and remove any threads that may have remained stuck after the brush.
By the way, turn off your equipment if you see that a carpet thread has gotten caught in the brush during washing.

The vats

Take the time to check the proper dosage of your products. Overdosing could damage your equipment. Where can you find this information? On the label affixed to the gallon of product. Or, ask your cleaning product representative for the carpet care product's technical data sheet.
You will also find an article about the dilution of household cleaning products here.
You will have 2 tanks: One containing the clean solution and one for collecting the dirty water.
When the work is complete, you must empty both tanks. Also, leave the lid open whenever possible to prevent mold from growing.

The guts and sleeves

After emptying both tanks, rinse both tanks thoroughly, particularly the one used to collect dirty water, until the water becomes completely clear.
Wipe the handle and rinse the inside so that no dirt remains.
Sometimes, water may no longer come out of the mouthpiece. This is usually due to dirt blocking it. In this case, unscrew the head to remove any dirt.
Allow everything to dry in a ventilated area after cleaning the exterior of the equipment.

PLEASE NOTE: Consult your equipment operator's manual for more details on maintaining your equipment. The points above are those that apply to most extractors.

Preventive maintenance on portable extractors

The same points as above apply.
Be careful to wind the wire correctly and use the equipment as the manufacturer intended if you want the equipment warranty to apply correctly.

As a complement to this text, we suggest you follow the spring cleaning training in which you will learn how to properly handle a carpet extractor and the portable extractor. During this training, you will be asked to use the different equipment yourself and the trainer will ensure that your technique is perfect!