FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How often should my carpets & upholstery be cleaned
Carpets & upholstery should be cleaned every 12 months, but this will vary depending on the amount of traffic on the carpet. Children or pets in the house and whether the carpet is next to cooking, eating or outdoor areas, will also determine how often your carpets need to be cleaned. Talk to a professional carpet cleaner and he will be able to assess and advise. Upholstery, again if used constantly should be cleaned to prevent oil buildup on body contact areas
Will steam cleaning damage my carpet?
No!! Steam cleaning or hot water extraction as it is known is a very safe and effective method of cleaning carpets and upholstery. It is the recommended method endorsed by the Australian standards council and most carpet and upholstery manufacturers. Problems only arise when the operator is ignorant as to the correct cleaning procedure or has substandard equipment. It pays to question your carpet or upholstery cleaner thoroughly as to their training and equipment.
Can my carpets be damaged by being cleaned too frequently?
As long as you have a competent carpet cleaner and proper procedures are followed there should be no problems. The most common form of damage is over-wetting of the carpet, as this destroys the tension of the carpet backing, causing ripples and undulations and in extreme cases, shrinkage or brown discoloration. Ensure your carpet cleaner has up to date equipment and a good track record and over-wetting shouldn’t ever be an issue.
How long before my carpets can be walked on or the upholstery sat on?
It is only the surface fibers of the carpet that are cleaned. If this is done correctly the backing and underlay will remain dry. This means you can walk on the carpet immediately if need be. Obviously care needs to be taken to prevent re-soiling due to dirty feet, or slipping over as you come off of the carpet, especially onto tiled surfaces. Upholstery cleaning, depending on the fabric, can take anywhere from 2-24 hours to dry thoroughly.
Will getting my carpets or upholstery steam cleaned remove or destroy any stain resist treatment?
Providing the operator doesn’t use cleaning agents that are above the PH tolerance for the stain resist treatment, it won’t be affected. However some stain resist treatment will wear off over time in high traffic areas and will need to be topped up after each clean. Again, talk to your operator and have him advise you.
I’ve had my carpets cleaned before but within a couple of weeks a lot of the marks from before reappeared!
A common complaint, and is due to the fact that prior to its previous clean the marks weren’t pre-treated. Heavy oil,grease or sugar marks will reappear if not pretreated to thoroughly break up and dissolve the residues.
