Frequently Asked Questions
Please remove any loose impediments and vacuum thoroughly, especially along walls and under furniture to be moved. Though we use a nonabrasive vacuum system (no brush), embedded hair and debris meshed into the fibers may remain. If you are having us move furniture, the carpet underneath needs to be vacuumed before our arrival as well, or extra charges will apply for us to do so. In the event you are having us move furniture, please remove all contents and breakables. Remove all toys and clothing from the floors.
Typically, customers have us clean only the exposed areas of their floors, which include the picked-up areas of most small items like toys, clothes, and shoes. (About 98% of the time around beds, large dressers, and hutches.) Most times people find deep steam cleaning is of little value under most larger pieces of furniture after vacuuming before our arrival. Unless you feel it necessary, it’s not worth the cost. And it’s a great way to reduce your cleaning cost as we charge by the square foot (not to be confused with a furniture moving charge, in most cases).
It is beneficial if you can remove as many small pieces as possible. Larger pieces can remain, and if you choose to have us move them, they will be protected from the carpet with plastic strips or foam pads after the area is both vacuumed and cleaned underneath. However, the larger pieces must be empty, and some may be too heavy to elevate off the carpet with the foam pads and therefore cannot be moved.
Yes – The carpets will be ready for immediate use following cleaning. It’s a good idea to wear cleaned-soled indoor shoes and walk sure-footed while they dry. Place a towel on any hard floors that transition to carpeted areas and use it to dry your soles\feet before stepping onto the carpet.
In most cases, the dry time is between 6 and 10 hours depending on the density and height of your carpeting as well as if an after-coating is being applied post-cleaning. Many factors affect the dry time. Some include humidity levels, temperature, fiber makeup (water absorption capabilities), age, residues left from the homeowner's attempts to spot clean without neutralizing rinse (that creates a drag on extraction power), and quantity of soiling, to name a few. Dry time does not differ much between winter and summer in that the air is drier in winter than in summer, plus we usually run heaters in winter that create better circulation to the interior both pushing the moist air out and replacing it with dry, warm air. We have found our process of cleaning and guarding, dry in less than 10 hours.
Much depends on the person doing the work. We pride ourselves on a disciplined work ethic and strive for the following:
Though we are certified in all cleaning processes available to consumers today, we heavily rely on truck-mounted hot water extraction (steam cleaning). This is the method required by the manufacturers to uphold their warranties in both carpets and stone. (We are an approved manufacturer warranty “Firm”…one in only a hand in the Bay Area) All other methods WILL void them. Steam Cleaning has proven to reverse most damage from the other cleaning methods, abrasive vacuum cleaning, and normal daily use and restores resiliency and integrity of the fiber or stone product that will uphold their original look, feel, and texture when properly maintained per manufacturer warranty guidelines. This is the only cleaning method that uses extremely high heat which, in and of itself, restores the manufacturer-designed “twist” that makes the fiber stay bouncy and full looking (resiliency) or cleans deep down in stone that will remove damaging soil and grit that will compromise the original luster and integrity of the stone\grout. Please understand fibers DO wear, and this method will not repair damaged fibers, nor will any cleaning method. What it does is add back to the original twist that was “heat set” from the factory, remove prior residues, embedded soils, fiber cutting sand and grit from beneath the fibers, and extract the emulsified soils up and out of your carpets, upholstered fibers, tile, and stone.
Absolutely! We know this is a sensitive subject for most people. Being health and outdoor enthusiasts as well as fitness coaches and competitive participants in our off time, we are even more concerned than most about being exposed to cleansers. It’s a daily routine for us. We wouldn’t compromise our health, nor would we expect you or your loved ones to be compromised by our services. All our products are VOC compliant, and we have a “green” line of EPA-approved cleansers that have returned better than satisfactory results. Also, our standard product line is state of the art, well-thought-out, and results in the cleanest you will have ever seen your carpets come following a cleaning. All detergents we use are the latest in technology, compatible with one another, and therefore, NO TOXIC USE OR MISTAKES and completely rinsed away upon completion. These products are rated safer to use than any hand cleaners or dish soaps you may use, as well as cleaning detergents sold publically in today’s marketplace and most facial cosmetics. That said, whether you are having your furniture or carpet cleaned or your stone floor restored, all materials and surfaces are rinsed out and residue-free upon completion. In the 28 years we’ve been in business, and having dealt with people who are extremely sensitive to chemicals, not once have our customers been in a compromised situation in regard to our cleaning detergents. However, if you feel you may have a special need for precaution in a cleanser, upon request, we will be more than happy to use our line of approved and certified “GREEN” cleaning agents.
Yes! It’s fabulous! ALL manufacturers apply it for protection from the factory as the carpet is being made. The reason we reapply it is because it ages like anything else and becomes oxidized from the sun, gets brittle and starts cracking, or starts to wear off with abrasion. Reapplication is an excellent preventative and restorative measure that will minimize future damage and add longevity to your investment. Please note: The protection we use has been on your carpets from day one. There is no “detectable” odor when applied, nor will it cause you any harm as you’ve been living with it before cleaning them was even a thought. If you have carpets, you have been living with a carpet guard the entire time. Good stuff!
Truck Mounted “Hot” Water Extraction (Steam Cleaning) is the ONLY cleaning method recognized by carpet manufacturer’s warranty guidelines. The cleaning must be performed by an IICRC-certified firm or technician, or the carpet warranty will become void. The reason for this is the manufacturers have determined that the other cleaning methods, dry cleaning (or absorbent pad\bonnet cleaning), dry foam, shampooing, and absorbent compound (host system) are not able to extract the dirt and other particulates sufficiently, leading to fiber abrasion and premature fiber breakdown.
At 45 years old, the carpet cleaning industry is relatively new. In that time we have seen a lot of methods come and go: First came carpet shampooing with the Kirby vacuum cleaner, then portable steam cleaners, then in the drought years the start of so-called dry cleaning methods took hold. Thankfully, carpet shampooing in the residential market is a thing of the past (The Von Schrader shampoo method is still the preferred method for larger hotels and casinos). Portable steam cleaning machines were riddled with so many inadequacies that they made carpet manufacturers look for something different. These portable machines were not able to produce enough power for proper extraction and the detergents at the time weren’t compatible with rinsing, leaving residues behind and causing premature soiling and health-related problems. These underpowered portables also left carpets so wet they caused delimitation of the backing (partly operator error). Dry methods, such as Chem-Dry, were invented to cope with water rationing during drought years. The carpet manufacturers found them to just redistribute soil and were only capable of light surface cleaning. Also, “Bonnet Cleaning” (another name for Chem-Dry) equipment is a cheap way to start a carpet cleaning business. Many start-ups choose it because of the ability to offer a method that dries within an hour or two is enticing to consumers. The problem, and the reason it dries so quickly, is that it’s only contacting the surface of the carpet and not cleaning to the bottom of the fibers. In addition, “Bonnet” cleaning can void the manufacturer’s warranty because of the abrasive nature of this method. The tops of the fibers were literally being stripped off, causing fraying and pre-mature traffic patterns. Dry cleaning companies that are looking to stay in business today are having to go to the expense of buying truck-mounted cleaning equipment and educating themselves in proper cleaning methods. We are sure to see dry cleanings demise in the near future. The manufacture of high-powered truck-mounted steam cleaners has revolutionized the cleaning processes. The only high power and high heat extraction system, coupled with improved technology in detergents that rinse away and self-neutralize is today’s safest and most effective cleaning method available, and carpet manufacturers are now recommending it as the preferred method in upholding warranties.
That’s a loaded question, given that “pure water” is considered “earth’s most universal solvent” and the most abundant chemical on earth. When people ask this, the real question might be, “Is what you use to break down soiling from oils from your feet, from the dog’s coat, from the spilled coffee, the glass of wine, the dog accident, chemically safe?” The answer is yes! But it’s not necessarily “yes” when it’s mixed with another cleanser or not properly rinsed away. That’s where we come in. We are three decades deep in our expertise and have studied the effects of proper mixing and neutralizing techniques through professional schooling. We are not only a certified company but a Certified Firm with carpet manufacturers nationwide. It’s true! We need detergents to break down soils in flooring and fabrics just as we need shampoo, dish soap, and detergents for our bodies, dishes, and clothes to come clean. Whether organic or human-made products (chemicals), they are a necessary part of any cleaning. What you need to know is, do we use them responsibly, so there are no effects from them after the job is complete? That answer is yes. As an owner-operated team, we are very in touch with our jobs and use a very disciplined method that doesn’t allow for residues to remain. What you are left with is wetness from our rinse, which is water, squeaky clean not slippery.
Though we have missed cleaning ENTIRE rooms (Ugh! Usually a side closet or detached room from the rest of the carpet), we rarely leave an area untouched if we’ve been in it to clean that room, but it’s possible. Generally, our method is at least a 5-pass overlapping system minimum, followed by a two-step guard and brushing of the carpets. It would be extremely hard for us to miss cleaning a given area so many times without noticing. However, we have found that customers sometimes mistake neglect on our part with a directional cleaning stroke that alters the direction of the carpet's nap, giving the illusion that the difference in color they see is because we missed that area. This happens mostly around walls and under cabinets. We have to pass along walls going parallel and against the wall in order to clean all the way up to the edge without damage to the wall or paint. Under cabinets, we need to use the angle of our tool to reach under the overhang. However, at some point, we have to shift directions with the cleaning tool, which will leave a directional pattern that is lighter or darker in that direction than the prior direction we just switched from. It might show up like we missed getting under the cabinet as the last stroke of the Wand (tool) butts up against where the cabinet starts and not underneath, though we got it. At the wall, we will not finish our stroke right at the baseboard, but we got it.
Also, our tool has a finishing stroke that patterns many vacuum cleaners' marks, which are sometimes confused with their prior vacuuming job. What you need to ask yourself is: does the carpet in the “thought” uncleaned area look clean? Do you see any hair, dust, or debris on the surface? If the answer is no, then the likely answer to the mystery is that it has been cleaned as thoroughly as the rest of the carpets. Please keep in mind we would be happy to come back, free of charge (of course) if you feel this is not the case, and you paid for something you didn’t receive!
This is another myth that will likely change a few patterns in your home. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a good idea to walk barefoot on the carpets. The majority of visible soiling in the form of traffic patterns being established can usually be attributed to the lack of footwear inside. That’s right! Oils from your body transfer directly to the carpets, providing a source for particulates to bond to. Once started, it will act as a magnet for the collection of soil. Taking your shoes off at the door is the right thought, but it is usually the worst idea. Preceding activity, your socks are loaded with sweat and oils from your body. Nuf said! The option is to keep indoor shoes available to you at entry and bedside. Socks are fine as long as they don’t follow us for something sweaty.
The answer should be no! However, we understand there are still many companies using generic cleansers that will attract premature soiling, as well as those that don’t understand the importance of using compatible cleansers that rinse out thoroughly. That is not an issue we have, as stated above.