Apparatus for cleaning fabrics, floor coverings, and bare floor surfaces utilizing a soil transfer cleaning medium

The surface maintenance device for performing a surface cleaning process, said device being capable of moving across a surface intended to be cleaned, said surface maintenance device comprising:

• a pair of cleaning mediums, said cleaning mediums being counter-rotated relative to each other and contact with the surface;
• a cleaning liquid dispenser which wets a portion of at least one of the cleaning mediums with a cleaning liquid;
• and
• an extractor in operative engagement with the cleaning mediums which removes some of a dispensed cleaning liquid from said portion prior to said portion being wiped against the surface intended to be cleaned, wherein soil from the surface is fared to said portion as said portion is wiped against the surface, said portion being subsequently rewetted and extracted so as to remove soil from the cleaning medium.

A surface maintenance machine performing a surface cleaning process, said machine comprising:

• a chassis;
• a revolving cleaning medium connected to the chassis;
• a cleaning liquid dispenser which wets a portion of the revolving cleaning medium;
• and
• a vacuum extractor in operative engagement with the revolving cleaning medium for removing some of a dispensed cleaning liquid from said portion prior in said portion being wiped against the surface intended to be cleaned, wherein soil is transferred to the revolving cleaning medium as the cleaning medium is wiped against the surface intended to be cleaned.

A machine for performing a surface cleaning process, said machine comprising:

• a cleaning medium and means for resolving the cleaning medium;
• a cleaning liquid dispensing means for wetting a portion of the cleaning medium;
• and
• a vacuum means in operative engagement with the revolving cleaning medium for removing some of a dispensed cleaning liquid from said portion prior to said portion being wiped against the surface intended to be cleaned, wherein soil is transferred to the cleaning medium as the cleaning medium is wiped against the surface intended to be cleaned.

A surface maintenance machine performing a surface cleaning process, comprising:

• a cleaning medium means for revolving the cleaning medium relative to a floor surface;
• means for dispensing a cleaning liquid to wet a portion of the cleaning medium;
• and
• means for extracting cleaning liquid and soil from the portion of the cleaning medium prior to said portion being wiped against the floor surface, wherein soil from the floor surface is transferred to the cleaning medium.

A surface cleaning machine comprising:

• a chassis;
• a cleaning medium connected to th chassis;
• a drive assembly operatively coupled to the cleaning medium;
• a cleaning liquid reservoir;
• and
• an extractor, said machine capable of revolving the cleaning medium via the drive assembly, wetting a portion of the cleaning medium with cleaning liquid from the reservoir, extracting soil and at least some of the cleaning liquid from the portion of the cleaning medium via the extractor, and wiping a floor surface with the portion of the cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the floor surface to the cleaning medium.