Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat questions should I ask when choosing a carpet cleaner?
How often should I have my carpets cleaned? In order to maintain the warranty of your carpets, many manufactures require their new carpets be cleaned by an IICRC certified technician every 18 months. As a general rule, this recommendation will help keep your carpeting looking it’s very best and extend the overall lifespan of your carpet. Keep in mind that we have many clients who have us clean every 2 years and some customers with children or pets, or those who host frequent parties who call upon us about every 6 months. Why do my spots keep coming back? There can be two primary reasons: wicking and residue. Wicking Wicking originates below the fibers of the carpet itself. In most cases, the original stain has made it's way to the carpet backing or pad in addition to the carpet fibers that you are able to see. In an attempt to remove a stubbon stain, the area may have been too saturated during the rinsing phase. Excessive rinsing saturates the area, allowing water to penetrate to the carpet backing and pad. Rinse water mixes with the deep stain and becomes dirty and discolored. Some of the dirty water is drawn out of the carpet during extraction, but much remains behind in the carpet backing and pad. As moisture evaporates and the carpet dries, the dirty rinse water gradually wicks upward into the carpet fibers, bringing the deep stain with it. If you notice that spots and stains tend to appear as soon as the carpet dries, wicking is the most likely culprit. Residue Stains that reappear because of residue originate within the carpet fibers itself. In these cases, a residual amount of shampoo, soap or other cleaning agent used in a traditional cleaning process was likely left behind in your carpet. Shampoo and soap residue is quite sticky, attracting dirt and grime like a magnet. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in high traffic areas since each time someone walks on the carpet, soil from their shoes will stick to the residue in the carpet fibers. Additionally, any settling dust particles will adhere to the residue in the carpet. Residue is the reason why carpets cleaned with traditional methods become re-soiled so quickly. Vacuuming the carpet regularly will not release soil stuck to the residue within the carpet fibers. The same spots appear to come back, but the reality is that it's actually mostly new soil that adheres to the detergent residue within the carpet fibers. If troublesome spots and stains reappear in the same areas several weeks after your carpet has been “cleaned”, excessive soap residue is most likely the cause. Traditional cleaning methods are not able to extract all of the residual soaps and detergents from your carpet. What’s the difference between Dry Cleaning and Wet Cleaning? Dry cleaning of course is drier then our preferred Wet Truck-Mounted Hot Water Extraction system. Dry cleaning breaks the soil down chemically, making the carpet look cleaner (for a period of time). Hot water extraction wet cleaning not only breaks the soil down chemically in addition to removing it – allowing the carpets to stay cleaner longer – when done properly. How long will it take for my carpets to dry? If your carpet wasn’t very soiled, 1 or 2 hours dry time can be reasonable. If your carpet is like most of carpets we clean, a more thorough flushing and rinsing is necessary and the carpet generally requires up to 24 hours for a good thorough drying. Many other factors can come into play such as the type of carpet, fiber content, degree of soiling, available airflow to the area, and ambient temperature/humidity. What about chemical residues left behind to attract more soil? Often, carpet cleaners will precondition the carpet with an alkaline agent to break the soil down chemically, then gloss over it with either clean water or an acidic rinse in an attempt to extract both the soil and pre-conditioner. The issue is they generally do not flush and rinse thoroughly enough. What is left behind is excess residue and chemically-altered soil. Our preference is to work the soil out, using a milder form of cleaning agent (if necessary), thereby leaving the carpets fresh and clean as can be without hardly any residue. My carpets have ridges or wrinkles, will cleaning help them go away? Nope. In our experience, carpet installers over the last several years have not power stretched the carpets appropriately (they way they used to) and carpets are generally not allowed to acclimate prior to installation. Once the carpets do acclimate and relax, wrinkles develop. Often taking years to become a problem, these carpets should be re-stretched as soon as possible to prevent creases on the backside of the carpets. Is there a way to guarantee 100% of odor removal? Yes, but with a caveat. Only rugs without a latex backing can be 100% odor free. Neutralizers used to attack the odor also breaks down the latex bond between the primary and secondary backing and odors can remain in these cases. I've called several other companies, why are there so many different prices? Many new business owners charge less to attract more clients in an effort to build their business. The unfortunate result of this is when they charge less they will generally either: go out of business, due to unforeseen cost or cut corners and not do as good as job as they should. You may have heard this before, but the bottom line is you get what you pay for. Is your price firm or will it change once you’re in my home? Many companies advertise low prices to get their foot in the door, then upsell you once they are there and you've taken time out of your day to meet them – we choose to not pay that game. We’re honest with our estimates and try our best to provide the closest price possible. Our aim is to foster relationships with customers who will want us back time after time in the future. We wouldn't have it any other way. |
|