Low-moisture cleaning
Also called: very low moisture, VLM, encapsulation cleaning, bonnet cleaning
Cleaning systems using a fraction of the water extraction requires. Encapsulation crystallises soil for later vacuuming; bonnet cleaning transfers it to an absorbent pad.
Low-moisture cleaning covers systems that clean with substantially less water than hot-water extraction, trading some depth for fast drying and much lower moisture risk. Two distinct systems share the label.
Encapsulation. A solution containing crystallising polymers is sprayed on and agitated in with counter-rotating or oscillating brushes. Rather than being rinsed out, it is left to dry. As it dries the polymers crystallise around each soil particle — and around the spent detergent — producing a brittle, non-sticky residue that is removed by ordinary vacuuming. Typical sequence: pre-vacuum, apply, agitate, allow ten to fifteen minutes, vacuum. The job finishes on the follow-up vacuum pass, not when the operator leaves.
Bonnet cleaning. A rotary machine drives an absorbent pad across the surface; solution is applied to pad and surface, and soil transfers into the pad. It is a surface method, works on low-profile carpet and hard floors, and dries quickly. With plain detergent and a loaded pad it removes relatively little soil and can push some deeper; with encapsulation chemistry and clean pads it becomes a genuine cleaning method.
Confusingly, both are often marketed as “dry cleaning”. Neither is water-free, so neither is permitted on an S-coded fabric.
The case for low moisture is stronger on upholstery than on carpet, because a sofa is a closed structure whose interior cannot be dried deliberately.