Identifying Alternate Carpet Extractor Functions

This is the first part of a four-part article about the multiple uses of carpet care equipment.

In a cleaner’s ongoing quest to do more with less, carpet care equipment is no longer tied to just one function — cleaning carpets. With the right machine and attachments, carpet extractors can be transformed into effective tools for cleaning upholstery, cubicle walls, hard flooring and more.

These multitasking machines can benefit building service contractors and facility managers alike, but it’s often left up to distributors to educate customers about the alternate uses of carpet extractors and justify the expense of a multifunctional piece of equipment.

“Most of our customers don’t know the alternative benefits of using a carpet machine,” says Norman Chudy, sales support manager for Chudy Paper Company in Cheektowaga, New York. “If they’re coming to us for a carpet extractor, they’re only looking at it as a carpet extractor. But selling with alternative uses opens their minds and justifies the price and the purchase of the machine.”

Being able to offer additional services to clients is a plus for end users — and a selling point for distributors. Customers prefer working with just one cleaner instead of hiring someone to clean the upholstery and someone else to clean the tile, says Bill Yeadon, carpet care expert and learning facilitator for Jon-Don Inc., Roselle, Illinois.

Facility executives benefit even more when BSCs or in-house cleaners can perform multiple tasks with just one machine, since the cleaner can address problems that may arise on the spot.

“If a BSC has a carpet machine, and their customer happens to notice spills on the upholstery,” says Chudy, “they have the tools they need to get the job done right away instead of coming back with a specific machine.”