Am I missing something?

[george8585]

If HWE is done properly, I can't see how its less time than VLM. Unless you're talking about the van that pulls in, plugs up, sucks up, and takes off.

I've done both, and when both are done properly, time difference is negligible from my experience.

I pre vac and pre spot. Prespray and dwell. (which is the time it takes me to get my Orbot out and running.) With the microbeasts, I'm padcapping in one step. I cover much more sq. ft. If needed I follow up with a microfiber pad for more extraction.

My time is spent chit chatting with the homeowner. Of course I'm just trying to make a living, not trying to make a fortune.

At the end of the day, all that matters is if the carpet is clean or not.

If your only using one pad and you don't post-vac , I agree it would be about the same amount of time.

In most cases, LM cleaning of residential carpet has more steps than HWE, that's why it takes longer.

I agree, at the end of the day, all that matters is if the carpet is clean.