An e-mail last month asked: Why do you still use that ugly old aluminum wand when stainless steel is much more durable and better looking, too?
Good question! Most of us have seen the vacuum cleaner hucksters on TV suspending a bowling ball at the end of a vacuum cleaner hose. The smooth ball seals against the hose and no air passes. It's an impressive demonstration but meaningless in the real world of carpet cleaning.
Vacuum does not move water. Air velocity created by vacuum moves the recovered water from the carpet to the holding tank in the truck. The more LFPM* of air, the better the recovery. The material a cleaning head (wand) is made of plays an important part in successful extraction cleaning.
The irregular contour and porosity of aluminum in a cleaning head is a bonus that allows more air to pass than one constructed of a very smooth metal. Porous aluminum also provides a gentle, natural agitation and this scrubbing effect helps release dirt particles from fibers into the air stream.
*Lineal feet per minute
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