Commercial carpet is not domestic carpet. It is usually a low pile fibre bonded or tufted tile laid over a large area with heavy traffic, and the cleaning method that suits it is not the one that suits a lounge. The choice between methods is mostly a choice about how long the floor is out of use, which in an occupied office is the only cost anybody actually feels.
Two methods, two trade offs
Hot water extraction injects solution and recovers it, lifts the most soil and takes the longest to dry, commonly several hours and sometimes overnight. Encapsulation applies a polymer that crystallises around soil and is then vacuumed out, dries in under an hour and suits frequent maintenance rather than deep restoration. Most contract carpets are best served by encapsulation on a cycle with extraction once or twice a year.
Drying time decides the schedule
A floor that is wet at nine in the morning is a slip risk and an occupancy problem, so extraction is normally a Friday evening job with air movers running over the weekend. Encapsulation can run overnight midweek. Ask the contractor for the expected drying time in writing and for how many air movers they bring, because that answer is the difference between a clean carpet on Monday and a closed floor.
What a comparable quote states
Area in square metres by floor, carpet type, the method, the expected drying time, whether furniture is moved and replaced, whether spot and stain treatment is included, and whether protective treatment is applied afterwards. Two quotes that differ on method are not comparable on price, and a quote that does not name the method is not a quote you can accept.
Hard floors in the same visit
Commercial floor cleaning services normally cover the hard floors in the same visit: scrubbing, stripping and resealing vinyl, burnishing where the finish allows, and pH neutral treatment of stone and terrazzo. Bundling them saves a mobilisation and keeps one contractor accountable for the whole floor area, which is easier to audit than two specialists blaming each other's residue.
Questions people ask about commercial carpet cleaning
How often should commercial carpet be cleaned?
Maintenance cleaning quarterly or monthly on heavy traffic routes, with a deeper extraction once or twice a year. Entrances need far more than open plan areas.
Which is better, extraction or encapsulation?
Neither in the abstract. Extraction lifts more soil and takes longer to dry; encapsulation is faster and suits regular maintenance. Most contracts use both on different cycles.
How long does commercial carpet take to dry?
Extraction commonly several hours with air movers, sometimes overnight. Encapsulation is usually under an hour. Get the expected time in writing before booking the slot.
Does the price include moving furniture?
Only if it says so. Moving and replacing desks and pedestals is a real part of the labour, and it is the most common reason a quoted price rises on the night.