Kirby shampooer vs rainbow/extraction.

[tekjunkie28]

I currently only have 2 carpet cleaners. A rainbow and a Kirby avalir shampooer. I have regular everyday tan carpet. I’m reluctant to use the rainbow shampoo in the rainbow as I can’t guarantee I can get it all out and I feel that it causes the carpets to get dirty faster. Should I pick one and stick with it? I used the rainbow shampooer the other day but got back a lot of sudsy water which I assume was the Kirby cleaner left in the carpets from the last cleaning? I like both systems but which one is the best to use? Which ones to y’all turn to if you had the choice?

 

[electroluxxxx]

What will cause the carpets to get dirty faster is using the Kirby method, the soap doesn’t come out of the carpet and it leaves an oily/sticky/filmy residue that will cause dirt to stick to it. I’d go with the rainbow because you are using an extraction method which does suck the dirt and solution out of the carpet and depending on the model rainbow and aquamate you are using the newer aquamates have a rinse feature that will allow you to rinse any and all solution out of the carpet as to where the Kirby does not extract nor rinse. You also basically just said in your post that the rainbow shampooer just pulled back in a lot of suds that the Kirby left behind. One tidbit of advice I can offer is to put a little liquid fabric softener in the basin when extracting to reduce the foaming from what’s left behind by the Kirby. Stick with the rainbow or buy an actual carpet extractor.

 

[tekjunkie28]

What carpet extractor do you recommend. Is the aqua mate that good?

 

[beagledad]

Mix up the cleaning solution in a garden sprayer and the spray the carpets evenly with it. Brush it in. Then use the Rainbow with just clean water in the solution tank to extract it. This will ensure no soap is left in your carpet and is the way professional carpet cleaners do the job.

 

[electroluxxxx]

I would recommend a hoover steam vac, rug doctor, Bissell Big green either 90's tub version or the new "Commercial" version... There's so much out there just explore the options and see what suits you.

 

[blackheart]

Extraction

Definitely extraction! It just does a better job. I like to use Lindhaus Extractaire as it's a non residue formula.

 

[rivstg1]

I have both shampooer's too as the OP. I haven't noticed any extra 'sudsing' in my aqua-mate when I had previously used my Kirby shampooer, I"ll watch more closely next time. I like them both....but with really soiled areas/spills, I pretreat, but I'd use the aqua-mate (extraction). Kirby's dry foaming method is intended for normal periodic surface cleaning

 

[kirby519]

tekjunkie28

The garden sprayer is a good idea and is used in commercial extraction.

I respectfully ask you carefully consider the possible short comings of that procedure with the Rainbow extractor.

1. It is possible to over wet the carpet between manually applying solution
then rinsing the area adding more water. The Rainbow isn't at the performance level of commercial or even home rental units.

2 Possible graying of the carpet due to insufficient rinsing of the carpet
because the Rainbow again will not be able to recover the water that has soaked down in to the carpet. As the carpet dries that moisture is going to wick back to the surface and or wick stains back to the surface and or dark streaks if all areas aren't sufficiently rinsed and dried.

These are the very challenges professional carpet cleaners face even with the equipment available to us. I have seen the same results after people I know had someone with a truck mount extractor clean carpets. Mostly due to the equipment wasn't set up properly or maintained to properly recover the water used to do the cleaning.

At the very least if do want to try this procedure do a 3x3 or 4x4 test area in a corner and see what the results are in water recover and or over all appearance. before going any further.

You could possibly void warranties as well as be disappointed with the end result after all that work.

You want to recover any where from 80% to 90% of an water applied for proper drying. Monitor how much you apply verses how much you recover.