Public library setting - hot water extractor???

Hi everyone. I spent yesterday afternoon reading this and other cleaning forums about carpet cleaning. I was hoping forum members would be kind enough to advise us on the best approach to take. I've been asked to research commercial carpet cleaning equipment for us to use between visits from our normal carpet cleaning company. We're not trying to eliminate the professionals from the job, but rather trying to keep it looking acceptable between visits.

I'm a librarian at a medium sized public library in suburban Chicago. We have commercial carpet tiles for most of the public spaces, and we've been swapping them out like crazy because of spilled liquids (coffee, soda, etc) and soiling. During the winter, salt tracked in from the sidewalks is also problematic.

Our square footage is 31,800, but some of that (maybe 30% to 40%) is hard flooring in staff areas. Plus, obviously a lot of it is covered by book stacks and furniture. The carpet is 100% nylon. Synthesis IV, 4square modular & 3square broadloom are products listed on the warranty, so maybe that will mean something to you guys.

My maintenance guy suggests that we get some sort of portable hot water extractor unit. I think our budget is under $1500. Since we're a public library, funds are tight, so we don't want to overbuy. On the other hand, we want to get something designed for commercial applications so that it won't fall apart after 2 years of weekly use. On the consumer end of things, I've personally owned a Bissell Spot Bot and a Hoover "Stem Vac" actually a hot water extractor unit, which gives me an inkling of what the consumer stuff can do.

I guess I'm asking the following questions

1) Is purchasing some sort of hot water extraction unit the way to go for us?

2) If an extractor is a good idea, which one should we shoot for, and how much should we expect to spend? I'd much prefer specific brands/models rather than lists of specifications. Also what chemical systems would work best for our scenario?

3) If I'm barking up the wrong tree with an extractor, do you have any specific recommendations for equipment and/or chemicals to buy? For example, I was getting pretty interested in encapsulation cleaning and the Cimex machines yesterday until I picked my jaw up off the floor when i saw the price of entry. Is there any way to do encapsulation cleaning on a $1000 budget?

4) Are there any carpet cleaning equipement/chemicals dealers in the Chicago area that you recommend?

5) training seems to be key - are there any recommended training courses that our building maintenance guy could attend in the Chicago area?

I know this is a lot to ask, so let me express my gratitude at the start. Thanks very much for your attention! If you need any additional info, I'd be happy to provide it.

All the best,
Mike
 

I wouldn't recommend a HWE with all the extra humidity it throws into the air and all those books UNLESS you use de-humidifiers to keep precious books from molding which I have seen happen and is not pretty.  

Thanks for the replies and advice.

What if we were to focus on making the spot removal chore as efficient as possible? Would that change our equipment needs regarding the power of the suction?

As far as humidity - I'm pretty sure the carpet cleaning crew came in and did one of our floors this past weekend with an HWE unit. The next day it was still damp, but after another day I think the AC pulled out any excess moisture from the air. We'll keep an eye on things for mold, because you're right, that is nasty stuff.

Thanks again. I look forward to hearing any and all suggestions!

Mike

Mike