Poll : Steamer versus extractor

Steamer vs. Extractor

  • Steamer

    Votes: 52 35.1%

  • Carpet Extractor

    Votes: 96 64.9%
  • Total voters
    148
  • Poll closed .
ScottB

ScottB

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One of our forum member needs your help, please post your preference and consider comments too.
 
Thanks killer for helping me!

After buying my hp60 I don't see much need for my VX5000... Except for leather and windows. I'd say hands down carpet extractor!
 
I would say both come in handy, but if I had to pick one it would definitely be an extractor all the way! Like mentioned, steam cleaners do help with leather seats and door panels. I decided to buy a good extractor and a 100 dollar steam cleaner. Works for me!
 
I agree. I have the VX already so next up would be the extractor for sure.
 
I think a carpet extractor is more versatile and brings more to the game. Having the seats, carpets, and floor matts looking like new is very important to the customer therefore I chose carpet extractor...
 
ShineTimeDetail said:
Thanks killer for helping me!

After buying my hp60 I don't see much need for my VX5000... Except for leather and windows. I'd say hands down carpet extractor!
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Isn't one of the biggest arguments in favor of steamer vs extractor is the steamer uses less water than an extractor, thus the seats and carpets dry quicker?

What do you use for the rest of the interior?

I'm on the fence for buying either a VX5000 or a HP60. Sounds like the HP60 would be the better buy, eh?
 
I may sell you my VX5000? See if you get a good powerful extractor it will leave the seats fairly dry. The extractor I think takes less time because you one, don't have to switch from steam the go get vacuum, 2 you don't have to blot up the dirt because the shop vac isn't enough to get all the dirt out. But the extractor I got is 2x the price of the VX...

I don't use the steamer for anything but the seats and occasionally the door stills. I find too many times it discolors the plastic with steam.
 
Well, as a hobbyist I use our Bissell Little Green Machine. It's cheap and cheerful and works just fine. It's a small steamer that works for cleaning small areas on the seats and the carpet. Is it industrial? Hell no! Does it work for a weekend detailer with only 3 vehicles to keep clean? Heck yea!
 
ShineTimeDetail said:
I may sell you my VX5000? See if you get a good powerful extractor it will leave the seats fairly dry. The extractor I think takes less time because you one, don't have to switch from steam the go get vacuum, 2 you don't have to blot up the dirt because the shop vac isn't enough to get all the dirt out. But the extractor I got is 2x the price of the VX...

I don't use the steamer for anything but the seats and occasionally the door stills. I find too many times it discolors the plastic with steam.
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Have you tried the steamer on egg-crate type grills or under hood cleaning ? I think both the extractor and a steamer have their place in the detailing process. I'm ready to upgrade from my lowley LGM to something like the Mytee Lite but also in the market for a VX5000 like yours.
 
lokerola said:
Well, as a hobbyist I use our Bissell Little Green Machine. It's cheap and cheerful and works just fine. It's a small steamer that works for cleaning small areas on the seats and the carpet. Is it industrial? Hell no! Does it work for a weekend detailer with only 3 vehicles to keep clean? Heck yea!
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:iagree: The new Auto Care is awesome and I had the old one for 12 years and it worked great!
 
I use my vx5000 way more than my extractor. I think the steamer cleans just as well. If something is caked on, the vx5000 can spray hot water. then you can just wipe up with a few towles and a vacuum.

The steamer can be used for alot more, around the house it is great to have.
 
Well I bit the bullet early when I started my business and bought an Extractor! The Aztec Hot Rod Hot Spotter! I really Love the piece of equipment. I also purchased a McCulloh Steamer. With the 2, I can handle most clean ups. If one doesn't get it the other will. I have become fairly proficient with the steamer. With a good apc and a rag over the steamer head cloth seats and panels are cleaned in less than half the time. With the extractor the main concern is to just get the carpet or mats wet enough to pull out the dirt. Over wetting is not recommended. When mats are exceptionally dirty and full of mud & dust after air blowing them they can be pressure washed if you have an extractor. Extract immeadiately so they can dry,while the rest of the of the detail can be completed. I do mats first thing, and lay to them aside. This is my process and not by any means condoning anyone elses routine!
 
Showroom Shine said:
When mats are exceptionally dirty and full of mud & dust after air blowing them they can be pressure washed if you have an extractor. Extract immeadiately so they can dry,while the rest of the of the detail can be completed. I do mats first thing, and lay to them aside. This is my process and not by any means condoning anyone elses routine!
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This ^ is what I find is needed when you have mats or carpets soaked with some sort of liquid. I had to clean cat pee from my home carpet and the only way to fully remove the cat pee was to pour water on them then use the extractor to extact the pee mixed water (as the cat pee had dried). Came up great and now no more cat pee smell.

A steamer would have not suited at all in this situation because the pee had soaked deep into the carpet and required being deep cleaned/ extracted to get it out.
 
Rav777 said:
I would say both come in handy, but if I had to pick one it would definitely be an extractor all the way! Like mentioned, steam cleaners do help with leather seats and door panels. I decided to buy a good extractor and a 100 dollar steam cleaner. Works for me!
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Sorry, but a 100$ steam cleaner is a toy, unless you used a real steam cleaner which costs $800-$1000, you cannot really compare. I have used a $300 steam cleaner and it was garbage compared to a $1000 machine, I tried both.

Matt said:
A steamer would have not suited at all in this situation because the pee had soaked deep into the carpet and required being deep cleaned/ extracted to get it out.
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Have you ever used a REAL steam cleaner? Those cheap $100 machines are useless.

Steam is thinner than water, so it would definitely penetrate deeper into the carpet. I have used an industrial steam cleaner worth $1000 and trust me, the smell would have been gone with that unit from your car.

The unit I tried is the Dupray Tosca.

Tosca Commercial Strength Vapor Steam Cleaner from Dupray

Please don't make these statements if you have not actually tried a real steam cleaner.
 
I will go for extractor too.... though I don't have this yet but I'm planning to have buy a carpet extractor...also some of my friends suggest it to me...
 
96Lude said:
Sorry, but a 100$ steam cleaner is a toy, unless you used a real steam cleaner which costs $800-$1000, you cannot really compare. I have used a $300 steam cleaner and it was garbage compared to a $1000 machine, I tried both.



Have you ever used a REAL steam cleaner? Those cheap $100 machines are useless.

Steam is thinner than water, so it would definitely penetrate deeper into the carpet. I have used an industrial steam cleaner worth $1000 and trust me, the smell would have been gone with that unit from your car.

The unit I tried is the Dupray Tosca.

Tosca Commercial Strength Vapor Steam Cleaner from Dupray

Please don't make these statements if you have not actually tried a real steam cleaner.
Click to expand...

So your steamer would have removed the copious amounts of pee in the carpet? We're not talking about just a smell, we're talking about a lot of urine soaked well into the carpet which needed to be removed. All good that your steamer can get deep within and yes I know steamers can kill odors, but if we're talking about removing a large amount of organic liquid soaked well into the carpet, it's going to take a good volume of water and cleaner to remove it all. The steamer wil make a nice finishing touch but WON'T remove the initial large amount of pee unless you use it to inject hot water first. Then you have the issue of removing the water again.

If all I needed was odor removal or stain removal, then a steamer would have been a more efficient choice, but that wasn't all I needed.
 
Matt said:
So your steamer would have removed the copious amounts of pee in the carpet? We're not talking about just a smell, we're talking about a lot of urine soaked well into the carpet which needed to be removed. All good that your steamer can get deep within and yes I know steamers can kill odors, but if we're talking about removing a large amount of organic liquid soaked well into the carpet, it's going to take a good volume of water and cleaner to remove it all. The steamer wil make a nice finishing touch but WON'T remove the initial large amount of pee unless you use it to inject hot water first. Then you have the issue of removing the water again.

If all I needed was odor removal or stain removal, then a steamer would have been a more efficient choice, but that wasn't all I needed.
Click to expand...

If it would be a large amount of liquid still in the carpet, I would vacuum first with a wet/dry vac, so that it removes the actual liquid still in the carpet, followed by the steamer with a terry towel wrapped around the brush attachment. The towel will absorb any little amount of liquid remaining and odour as well.

Nothing wrong with using a carpet extractor, I just wanted to clarify a $100 steamer is not a real steamer and the results are not the same as using a commercial grade unit.
:xyxthumbs:
 
Definitely a steamer. I own a VX5000 and can not see working without it now. For grimey interiors it is a must. If you find a car that is really trashed inside (plastic / vinyl / leather / cracks & crevices) APC and a MF is not gonna cut it. you need the steam

on fabric / carpets i find i get damn good results with the steamer & upholestry cleaner. As good as a HW extractor? maybe not. but still pretty impressive in a short amount of time, with less saturation of the fabric. There is also the HW injection option with the VX as mentioned earlier. for bad stains you can inject hot water and follow with a shop vac. so it takes more time but is capable of sorta replicating what a HW extractor can do for those tough spots

I'd like to have both an extractor and steamer. but if i had to choose one, i definitely am going with the VX. It has so many uses around the house as well.
 
I detailed my sisters 1999 Plymouth Voyager van today (I'll post pictures later) concentrating on the interior (even though she's my sister, I still have to contend with "girl-stuff") using Folex as the cleaning agent and my Wagner 905 steamer.

Two hours later, I concluded it would have gone much faster with a "real" extractor. The steam is nice but I think the extractor will be quicker.

Even though I voted in favor of the steamer in this poll, I'll probably get the HP60 first, and get the VX5000 at a later date.
 
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