The hotel wants the third-floor corridor cleaned at 2 pm, with guests in the rooms and the carpet open again by dinner. The NaceCare AVB 9X pull-back carpet extractor runs at only 60 dB(A), about the level of a normal conversation, and its 135 inches of water lift pulls back so much water that, in most cases, carpets dry in less than an hour.

It's a self-contained machine: spray, brush and vacuum happen in one pull, across a 16-inch path, from 9-gallon tanks. NaceCare rates it at 2,000 square feet an hour.

The AVB 9X isn't the cheapest 9-gallon pull-back you can buy, so here's where the money goes. It runs at 60 dB(A) so you can clean while the building is open, the three-stage vacuum with 135 inches of lift leaves the carpet drier, and the pump is a 130 psi diaphragm with a flow knob that goes from 0 to 1.2 gallons a minute. Turn it down for low-moisture interim cleaning, open it up for restoration.

Two honest notes. It weighs 110 pounds and ships by freight on a pallet, so it's a machine that lives in one building or rides a van with a ramp, not one you carry up stairs. And if you clean large open areas every week, the AV 12QX walk-behind is just as quiet and cleans about twice as fast, because it cleans going forward instead of pulling back and pushing again.

• 60 dB(A). Quiet enough for hotels, hospitals, libraries and offices during the day.

• Fast drying. A 1.8 hp three-stage vacuum with 135 inches of lift and 95 cfm.

• Adjustable brush pressure. A lever sets deep or light brushing for the carpet in front of you, with a 600 rpm brush.

• Five-jet spray bar. An even spray pattern that doesn't leave streaks.

• Float shut-off. Water never reaches the vacuum motor when the recovery tank fills.

• 50-foot cord. Fewer outlet changes down long corridors.

• Works as a box extractor too. Connect a hose and hand tool for stairs, edges and upholstery.

Machine only. The AVB 9X with its built-in brush, spray bar, vacuum head and 50-foot cord. NaceCare doesn't include a hose or hand tool, so this is for open carpet only.

With the 17-foot hose and hand tool. Adds NaceCare's 17-foot solution and vacuum hose (13016PE) and the 4-inch aluminum hand tool (1110APE) for stairs, edges, upholstery and car seats. It adds $498, the same as buying both parts separately.

Most buildings have at least one staircase or a row of upholstered chairs. If yours does, get the package now so the hand tool is there when you need it.

Vacuum the carpet first. Fill the lower tank with warm water and a low-foam chemical, set the selector to maintenance or deep cleaning and set the brush pressure. Then turn the right handle to spray and walk backwards: the machine sprays, brushes and vacuums the stripe in one pass.

At the end of a stripe, let go of the spray and pull back a few more inches to pick up the last of the water. Tip the machine back to lift the head, push it to the start of the next stripe and overlap slightly. Pre-spray heavy traffic lanes and let the chemical dwell for a few minutes before you extract.

Plan on 1,000 to 1,500 square feet an hour in real rooms with furniture. After the job, rinse the pump with clean water and store the machine with the recovery dome off.

The AVB 9X costs $4,295.

Smaller rooms. The NaceCare AVB 4X has an 11-inch path and 4-gallon tanks, weighs 52 pounds and also cleans hard floors, for $2,000 less.

Tighter budget. The Tornado Marathon SE 900 has 9-gallon tanks and a wider 18-inch path for $1,496 less. Its pump runs at 100 psi, and if you clean after hours, noise matters less, so it's a sensible way to save.

Big areas. The NaceCare AV 12QX is just as quiet, cleans a 20-inch path going forward and covers about 4,000 square feet an hour, for $1,055 more.

See every option in our commercial carpet extractors collection, or call (855) 601-5678.