Beyond appearances: Keeping carpets clean in aged care facilities.
The unseen challenge lurking beneath the surface.
In this article, we discuss why proper carpet cleaning is essential for the health, hygiene and comfort of residents, staff and visitors.
While carpeted areas in aged care facilities create a warm and homely environment for residents, they also present a significant cleaning challenge.
Accidents can happen at any time, often involving urine, faeces, blood or vomit. When not cleaned promptly and thoroughly, these spills can seep into the carpet and underlay, causing persistent odours, visible staining and harmful bacteria that compromise hygiene and resident comfort.
Many aged care managers are familiar with that unmistakable “aged care smell” — a combination of stale odours and chemical deodorisers. Masking the problem with air fresheners or carpet sprays does not address the cause. These smells often indicate deep contamination within the carpet fibres and underlay. Once absorbed, bacteria multiply rapidly, releasing unpleasant odours that no amount of fragrance can disguise.
The reality is that masking odours or using low-performance equipment only hides the problem. It does not solve it. Investing in the right equipment saves time, money and reputation by removing contamination completely, restoring carpets to a clean and hygienic condition, keeping them looking their best for longer and avoiding costly, disruptive replacements.
The solution? Hako’s Carpet Care and Extraction Equipment.
Carpet cleaning solutions engineered for aged care environments
Hako’s commercial carpet cleaners and extractors deliver fast, deep and hygienic cleaning for facilities that cannot afford downtime or odour complaints.
With models to suit facilities of every size, our equipment ensures cleaning teams (including after-hours nursing staff) can respond quickly, efficiently and safely to any incident.
Manufactured under Hako’s trusted Minuteman brand and made in the USA, these machines are built for performance and durability. They are relied on across healthcare, hospitality and institutional facilities worldwide for their strength, reliability and superior cleaning results.
Hako X17 Self-Contained Carpet Extractor
Compact yet powerful, the Hako X17 is ideal for aged care facilities that need reliable deep cleaning performance in a portable, easy-to-use machine.
Efficient one-pass cleaning
The rotating brush agitates carpet fibres while two spray jets inject water and vacuum it away, removing soiling, odours and bacteria in a single pass.
Cold water cleaning advantage
The X17 uses cold water to neutralise odours and prevent the reactivation of organic residues from bodily fluids such as urine, vomit, blood and faeces. This method reduces unpleasant smells more effectively than traditional hot-water systems and helps protect carpet fibres from damage.
Lightweight and mobile
With large 34L solution and 28L recovery tanks, it’s built for spot cleaning or small area restoration.
Hako X Ride 28 Ride-On Carpet Cleaning Extractor
For large-scale facilities or common areas, the Hako X Ride 28 offers unmatched productivity and hygiene performance.
High-performance cleaning for large areas
Cleaning up to 842 square metres per hour with a wide 71-centimetre cleaning path, the X Ride 28’s dual counter-rotating brushes scrub both sides of the carpet fibres for a deep, restorative clean. Its 102-litre solution tank and 93-litre recovery tank help minimise downtime, allowing for longer cleaning cycles and improved efficiency.
Quiet and comfortable operation
With ultra-quiet operation at just 70 dBa or less, cleaning can be carried out at any time with minimal disturbance to residents, staff and visitors. The ergonomic ride-on design and intuitive controls reduce operator fatigue and make cleaning large carpeted areas easier, faster and more comfortable.
Managing all types of bodily fluids (the right way).
Urine: Stopping the smell before it starts
Urine can quickly penetrate carpet fibres and underlays, leaving strong ammonia odours if not extracted immediately. The X17 or X Ride 28’s cold-water extraction and agitation system removes residues before they crystallise, helping eliminate odours at the source rather than spreading them.
Faeces: Sanitising and lifting the stain
Faecal matter contains bacteria that cause both stains and odours. For quick response, remove solids, then extract the area using a Hako carpet extractor. The agitating brush lifts soiling and revives the pile, while ozone technology sanitises the carpet surface without the need for harsh chemicals.
Vomit: Quick action prevents odour, staining and the spread of germs
Vomit’s acidity and protein content can leave permanent stains if not treated immediately. The X17’s two-jet spray system penetrates deep into the carpet fibres, while the vacuum and brush combination removes residue and restores freshness. The optional ozone system helps neutralise odours almost instantly while sanitising the area, effectively eliminating bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that can cause illness or unpleasant smells.
By responding quickly and using the right equipment, facilities can prevent the spread of disease, remove harmful contaminants and maintain a cleaner, safer environment for residents and staff.
Blood: Preventing stains through cold-water extraction
Hot water can set blood stains permanently. Hako’s carpet extractors are engineered to use cold water, gently breaking down and removing the proteins in blood without setting them into the fibres, while also preventing bacterial growth. This process not only delivers a more hygienic and effective clean but also saves staff from the physical effort of trying to remove stubborn stains manually.
Why Hako products deliver superior results when others fail
Traditional “wand” carpet cleaning and extraction machines inject hot water at high pressure and rely on suction to remove it. This process often reactivates odours and forces contaminants deeper into the carpet pile and underlay, where they remain unseen but continue to breed bacteria and create unpleasant smells.
Over time, these hidden contaminants can infest the carpet, leading to ongoing hygiene issues and the spread of bacteria throughout the facility.
Carpets are also left wet for extended periods, delaying access and creating an uncomfortable environment for residents, staff and visitors.
Hako’s carpet extractors are purpose-built to overcome these challenges, delivering a faster, deeper and more hygienic clean:
- Using lower pressure for deeper yet gentler cleaning.
- Employing rotating brushes to agitate and lift dirt more effectively.
- Requiring less water, resulting in faster drying times.
- Offering chemical-free sanitising with ozone technology.
- Delivering consistent, professional results with minimal operator effort.
For aged care environments where accidents can happen at any time, Hako equipment is designed for continuous use around the clock. Easy to operate and ready when needed, it allows staff to restore hygiene quickly and efficiently at any hour, without relying on external contractors.
Stop masking the problem. Eliminate it at the source.
Using air fresheners or automatic spray atomisers every few minutes might seem like a quick fix, but it only hides deeper contamination. Left untreated, these odours can affect resident wellbeing, visitor perception, and even facility reputation. Replacing carpet is expensive and disruptive, especially when residents must be relocated during renovations.
Hako’s commercial carpet cleaning solutions will protect your investment, maintain a healthier environment, and present a cleaner, fresher space for everyone.
Not just restricted to aged care, our carpet extractors are suitable for hotels and hospitality venues, function and conference centres, hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Questions? Talk to one of our floor cleaning experts.
Unsure which machine is best suited to your facility’s size and flooring type? Speak with the team at Hako Australia for tailored advice and to arrange a free onsite demonstration. We’ll help you choose the most efficient and cost-effective cleaning system for your facility.
For Australia-wide sales and support, get in touch with our expert team.