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

A method of removing soil from a surface intended to be cleaned using a movable machine, said method comprising:

• moving the movable machine across the surface while repeatedly:
• spraying a portion of a revolving cylindrical cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid;
• after said spraying, revolving said wetted portion of the cleaning medium into contact with a vacuum extractor, said vacuum extractor having an elongated slot opening having a slot width which is substantially narrower than a diameter of said cleaning medium and a diameter of a vacuum conduit connected to an end of said vacuum extractor, with ends of said vacuum extractor engaging fibers of said wetted portion of said cylindrical cleaning medium;
• with said vacuum extractor, extracting via vacuum-action soil and cleaning liquid from said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium through said elongated slot opening prior to said wetted portion revolving into contact with the surface to be cleaned;
• after said extracting, revolving said wetted portion of the cleaning medium out of contact with said vacuum extractor and toward contact with said surface to be cleaned, said revolving moving the engaged fibers of the wetted portion of the cylindrical cleaning medium away from contact with the vacuum extractor;
• wiping the surface with said wetted portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the surface intended to be cleaned to the cleaning medium, wherein the cleaning medium includes a pair of elongated cylindrical shaped elements which are counter-rotated relative to each other and wherein portions of said pair of elements contact each other as the cleaning medium revolves;
• and
• sequentially repeating said steps of spraying, rotating, extracting, rotating and wiping as said movable machine is moved across the surface.

A method of cleaning a carpeted surface, said method being performed by a surface maintenance machine and comprising:

• spraying a portion of a revolving cleaning medium with a cleaning liquid;
• after said spraying, with a vacuum extractor, removing some soil and some of the cleaning liquid from the previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium, with fibers of said previously wetted portion of the cleaning medium being rotated into contact with a perimeter of an elongated slot opening of said vacuum extractor, with said slot opening being narrower than a diameter of said revolving cleaning medium and a diameter of a vacuum conduit connected to said vacuum extractor, said removing drawing soil and cleaning liquid on said fibers through said elongated slot opening of said vacuum extractor;
• after said removing, revolving said fibers away from contact with the vacuum extractor and into contact with the carpeted surface;
• wiping the carpeted surface with the fibers of said portion of the revolving cleaning medium so as to transfer soil from the carpeted surface to the cleaning medium;
• and
• sequentially repeating said spraying, removing, contacting and wiping the carpeted surface during a carpet cleaning procedure.