FAQ
What is HOST?
HOST, Fragrance Free, and HOST SJ are soft, natural products consisting of millions of absorbent sponges. These unique engineered “sponges” are moistened with specific amount of water and 100% plant-based ingredients. HOST contains and controls all the necessary liquids to dissolve both water soluble and solvent soluble soil.
The HOST SPONGES do a double duty job. First, they carry the liquid cleaning agents to the fibers in a controlled way. Second, they loosen, absorb and hold the soil in control for extraction by vacuuming. With the HOST Dry Extraction Carpet Cleaning System you are in total control of the cleaning chemicals and soil at all times.
How does it work?
The HOST Machine brushes the moist SPONGES up, down, over and around the carpet fibers so they contact all surfaces of the soiled fibers, breaking the oil bond and wiping the soil away. This action is similar to a moist sponge used to wipe up spills in the kitchen or soil from a wall. Carpet pile is a vertical surface much like a wall. When liquid is applied, gravity pulls any excess moisture down into the carpet toward the backing.
When you use HOST you don’t lose control of the moisture and soil. In addition to absorbing the soil, the HOST SPONGES hold that soil until it is removed by vacuuming.
Carpets do not resoil as quickly as when cleaned with wet methods because there is no sticky residue to grab and hold fresh soil. Because the HOST System does not contribute to resoiling, regular, frequent vacuuming helps to keep the carpet cleaner longer.
Will HOST “deep clean”?
The unique design makes the HOST Machines ideal for deep cleaning carpets. Carpet is manufactured in straight rows of upright carpet yarns. This is similar to millions of individual, vertical surfaces. The brushes of the HOST Machine turn toward each other in a vertical direction, the same direction as the carpet yarns. This makes it possible for the brushes to get into the carpet pile and work the HOST SPONGES in, around and through the carpet yarns, deep cleaning the carpet.
A side benefit is effective pile lifting and restoration. So if the carpet is dirty right to the backing, the HOST Machine can work the HOST SPONGES deep into the carpet. The SPONGES Cleaner then dissolves and absorbs the soil and is removed during the vacuuming procedure.
The HOST eVAC improves on the ability to deep clean because of its superior vacuuming ability. In heavily soiled areas, power vacuum the area before applying HOST and this will help you to achieve better results.
Why will the HOST System take out a spot so it will not come back?
First, it is important to understand why some spots reappear. When liquid is used in an uncontrolled manner to remove spots from the carpet, it can dissolve the spot and cause it to run to the base of the carpet. This is because of the vertical nature of carpeting. Gravity will take the dissolved soil and spots, and pull them toward the bottom of the carpeting. During the evaporation process, the dissolved spot is drawn up the sides of the carpet yarn and eventually reappears on the surface.
HOST cleans in a controlled manner. It contains just the right amount of moisture to dissolve the soil or spot but not enough to cause it to run down the sides of the carpet yarn. As soon as the soil is dissolved, it is absorbed by the HOST SPONGES. Since none of the dissolved spot has the opportunity to run to the base of the carpet, there isn’t anything there to wick back to the surface. That’s why when you clean a spot with the HOST System, it will not come back.
Is HOST safe?
The HOST cleaning products are totally safe to use. We have MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) available on each product.
HOST is not an eye irritant, not a primary skin irritant. It is also nontoxic by oral ingestion or by inhalation. However, some people with unusual skin sensitivity should protect their hands and arms from direct contact with the product. Also some people with respiratory problems should avoid using HOST in unventilated or confined areas. By and large, for the general population, it is a safe product to use.
Can I be allergic to HOST Cleaner?
While HOST is a safe product to use and conforms to the standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there is a possibility that some people may be allergic to an ingredient in the product.
Just as you may know someone who is allergic to milk or strawberries, you may find someone who will have an allergic reaction to a particular ingredient in the HOST product. If this is true, we suggest this person not come into contact with the HOST Cleaner. Most people can use HOST without any reaction.
Why should I buy HOST instead of a wet method?
First, it is important to know the objective of carpet cleaning. The objective is to remove the soil as completely and efficiently as possible.
There are two different principles at work in each method. A wet method must first liquefy and dissolve the soil in and on the carpet in order to begin to retrieve it. As the liquid flows onto the carpet and the liquefaction of the soil occurs, it essentially loses control and the soil and cleaning solution flow throughout the entire carpet. Based on the statistics that manufacturers of extractors use, only 60-85% of the liquid used, can be retrieved.
Consequently, if 10 gallons of liquid is used in a room, 3-4 gallons of liquid will be left in the carpet. When we look in the tank and see dirty water, we must remember the 3-4 gallons left behind in the carpet contain the same dirty residues.
In other words, what is left behind has the same soil and cleaning chemicals as what is in the tank. As the carpet dries out, some of the soil and spots may wick to the surface of the carpet and require recleaning.
HOST works on a different principle. It is millions of small sponges, dampened with the right amount of water, detergents and a safe-to-use solvent. This allows us to keep control of the liquids at all times during the cleaning process so there is no chance of wickback.
HOST is just like a sponge you use in your kitchen to wipe up spills on a table or counter. When you pass the sponge across the surface, it lays out a film of cleaning agents which dissolves the soil and then the sponge absorbs the dissolved soil. Everything that is dissolved is absorbed and trapped in the HOST SPONGES so it can be removed by vacuuming. This is a controlled way of removing soil which meets the objective stated above. This is a very efficient way to remove soil from the carpet.
Can I clean Oriental, Chinese or Persian rugs?
Yes, the HOST System is ideal for cleaning these delicate rugs. HOST has been formulated to be safe for all carpet dyes. You need never fear any color bleeding or color loss when using the HOST. HOST is one of the safest ways to clean rugs of this type.
