Importance

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Abstract

One aspect of the invention is directed to a portable liquid-recycling liquid-reusing cleaning apparatus for use in cleaning hard surface flooring may have a cleaning-liquid-dispensing-and-vacuum-recovery tank, a spigot fluidly connected to the tank, and a vacuum motor assembly fluidly connected to the tank. The tank may define an interior space operable to hold cleaning liquid and soil. The tank may have a liquid dispensing outlet fluidly connected to the tank interior space, and a vacuum recovery inlet fluidly connected to the tank interior space. The spigot may be fluidly connected to the tank interior space via the liquid dispensing outlet. The spigot also may be manually adjustable through a range between a fully open position and a fully closed position, whereby when the tank contains cleaning liquid, a user may dispense and regulate the flow of cleaning liquid from the tank through the spigot onto hard surface flooring by manually adjusting the spigot. The vacuum motor assembly may be fluidly connected to the tank interior space, whereby a user may vacuum soil and dispensed cleaning liquid from hard surface flooring into the tank interior space via the vacuum recovery inlet. Another aspect of the invention is directed to a method of cleaning hard surface flooring with a portable liquid-recycling liquid-reusing cleaning apparatus in which cleaning liquid is dispensed from, vacuumed into, and re-dispensed from a single tank of the cleaning apparatus onto hard surface flooring. The method may include: filling at least a portion of the tank interior space with a cleaning liquid; dispensing at least a portion of the cleaning liquid from the tank interior space onto a first area of hard surface flooring via the liquid dispensing outlet and the spigot by manually adjusting the spigot; vacuuming soil and at least some of the portion of the dispensed cleaning liquid from the first area of hard surface flooring into the tank interior space via the vacuum recovery inlet, thereby removing soil and recovering cleaning liquid from the first area of hard surface flooring; and dispensing at least a portion of the recovered cleaning liquid from the tank interior space onto a second area of hard surface flooring via the liquid dispensing outlet and the spigot by manually adjusting the spigot. If desired, the method may include vacuuming soil and at least some of the portion of the dispensed cleaning liquid from the second area of hard surface flooring into the tank interior space via the vacuum recovery inlet, thereby removing soil and recovering cleaning liquid from the second area of hard surface flooring. If desired, the method may include manually spreading or agitating cleaning liquid on at least one of the first or second areas of hard surface flooring during or following the dispensing step for the at least one of the first or second areas. A further aspect of the invention is directed to another method of cleaning hard surface flooring with a portable liquid-recycling liquid-reusing cleaning apparatus in which cleaning liquid is dispensed from, vacuumed into, and re-dispensed from a single tank of the cleaning apparatus onto hard surface flooring. The method may include: filling at least a portion of the tank interior space with a cleaning liquid; dispensing at least a portion of the cleaning liquid from the tank interior space onto a first area of hard surface flooring via the liquid dispensing outlet and the spigot by manually adjusting the spigot; dispensing at least a portion of the cleaning liquid from the tank interior space onto a second area of hard surface flooring via the liquid dispensing outlet and the spigot by manually adjusting the spigot; vacuuming soil and at least some of the portion of the dispensed cleaning liquid from at least one of the first and second areas of hard surface flooring into the tank interior space via the vacuum recovery inlet, thereby removing soil and recovering cleaning liquid from the at least one of the first and second areas of hard surface flooring; and dispensing at least a portion of the recovered cleaning liquid from the tank interior space onto a third area of hard surface flooring via the liquid dispensing outlet and the spigot by manually adjusting the spigot. If desired, the method may include vacuuming soil and at least some of the portion of the recovered cleaning liquid from the third area of hard surface flooring into the tank interior space via the vacuum recovery suction inlet, thereby removing soil and recovering cleaning liquid from the third area of hard surface flooring. If desired, the method may include manually spreading or agitating cleaning liquid on at least one of the first, second, or third areas of hard surface flooring during or following the dispensing step for the at least one of the first, second, or third areas.

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First Claim