FAQ

We charge by the square foot and for each step on a staircase.  You could call our office if you know the square footage or dimensions of the rooms and we can provide an over the phone estimate.  Note that the price we give you over the phone is an estimate and if the measurements are not correct (upon arrival WE will physically measure the area's to be cleaned) the and the estimate can be adjusted accordingly.  We then can give you the adjusted total before we start any cleaning. If you are unsure of the square footage that needs cleaning, we can come out to your home or office and give you a FREE written estimate.  An in home/office written estimate is the best way to get an accurate idea of pricing.

We can and do match prices of SOME competitors.  The important aspect to remember here is that you are comparing apples to apples.  Competitors that use portable cleaning extractors (similar to a rental machine at Grocery or Home Improvement Stores), might not have insurance, or have little experience are companies that will have a lower price point than us.  You get what you pay for.  Some competitors pricing we cannot and will not match.

We use truck-mounted steam / hot water extraction.  This method is recommended the most by carpet and upholstery manufacturers.  It is the deepest cleaning method available.

Carpet can take anywhere between 6-24 hours to totally dry.  Furniture can take 12-24 hours, but sometimes 3-6 hours.  Tile and Grout can take 15 minutes to an hour to dry.  Dry times are effected by a few different variables.  Relative humidity, soil level prior to cleaning, thickness of fiber cleaned, ventilation/air circulation, and heat/air conditioning.

Carpets as per manufacturers suggestions are every year to 18 months.  Some require you to have annual cleanings with receipts to prove it to keep factory warranties in effect.  Some high traffic carpeted areas may need cleaning every 6 months.  Furniture / upholstery should be cleaned every year to every other year. Tile and Grout cleaning once a year to 24 months.  In commercial areas tile and grout should be cleaned every 3-6 months.

Have you ever cleaned a spot on your carpet and had it return?

Have you had your carpet cleaned and had the spots just “come right back”? Why does that happen?

There are two reasons that spots return:

The first reason is wicking. Many times, the spot that is being removed has seeped into the backing of the carpet. This is common with pet urine, beverages, and anything that is spilled in “volume”. The material dries in the backing and the cushion (pad) of the carpet. When the spot is cleaned, only the material in the “pile” of the carpet is removed. However, moisture is introduced to into the backing of the carpet. As the spot dries, the material that is in the backing of the carpet wicks back into the pile.

Even traffic area soil that is embedded can wick back. This is especially common in glue down carpet that is heavily impacted with soil. When the carpet is cleaned, it looks good. When it dries, the spots and traffic areas come back.

The good news is that if a spot actually wicks back, it can be removed. When spot cleaning, place a folded white terry cloth towel over the spot just after you clean it while the spot is still moist. Place a heavy object on top of the cloth.

When you have your carpet cleaned professionally, be sure to point out spots that have wicked back in the past, so they can be treated properly.

The second reason spots return is re-soiling. Re-soiling is caused by a sticky residue that has been left behind. The residue may be from the spot itself, the cleaner that was used, or both. Some common residue causes are over-the-counter carpet cleaners purchased at the grocery store. Avoid using these cleaners altogether. If you have to use one of these cleaners, use as little as possible and rinse with water thoroughly.

Other residue causes include oily spots: duct tape residue, body oils, lotions, etc. If the entire oily residue is not removed, it will attract soil as the carpet is walked on. Even quality professional cleaning may not be able to remove all oily residues the first time.

If you have light colored carpet, you may have experienced dark around baseboards, under doors, and especially near the HVAC return. This soiling comes from air passing through the carpet as it is attempting to go through the edge of the carpet pile, microscopic particles of soil are deposited there (hence the term filtration soiling). This occurs over a significant period of time and is not noticed until a build up has occurred.

This type of soiling is difficult to remove because the soil particles are so fine that they penetrate deep into the carpet pile, sometimes into the backing of the carpet. Can it be removed? Sometimes. With special products, time and effort, reasonable results can be achieved, although not in all cases. Extra charges apply.

To help prevent filtration soiling in the future, vacuum the edges of the carpeting on a regular basis, then wipe with a damp, white terry towel. Be careful around the tack strip under the edge of the carpeting, you could nick your fingers.

If furniture has been blocked or tabbed, please leave these protectors in place for 24 hours.

Even though the carpet may feel dry to the touch after an hour, we ask that you leave the blocks and/or tabs in place for a full 24 hours. This will protect your furniture as well as the carpet. We want to prevent wood stain transfers as well as rust from metal casters found on the legs of some furniture. It is also a good idea to move tabbed furniture a few times so underneath the leg can dry as well.

Carpeting can be walked on as soon as the carpets are cleaned.  If you have a stain repellent applied after the cleaning you should wait an hour for that application to dry.  When walking on the carpet you should wear indoor shoes or slippers, socks or stalking feet.  Using those types of footwear will help to reduce the chance of tracking soil on the damp carpet.  Be careful not to slip and fall when walking from carpeted areas to hard surface floors (tile, linoleum, hardwood, or laminate floors).  The bottoms of your footwear will be damp creating a potentially slippery surface when walking from carpet to hard suface.