Carpet Cleaning FAQ

Carpet Cleaning FAQ2018-01-24T12:18:42-04:00

Check out this FAQ page to answer any questions you may have! Call us if you have more questions or to schedule a professional carpet cleaning and repair, spot cleaning, upholstery, dryer vent cleaning, flood and water cleanup, and other cleaning services. We offer our expertise to all residents and businesses of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and other areas of Hampton Roads, VA.

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Please contact us with all your questions and to schedule a free estimate today!

Please contact us with all your questions and to schedule a free estimate today!
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After we leave your home from a deodorizing or carpet protecting session, you may notice that it stays wet for longer than your average run of the mill cleaning. This is attributed to the fact that we are saturating your carpet with a product and we are NOT sucking it back up. We want these products to soak into your carpet fibers deeply so they can be effective. But, we do place air blowers on the carpet so that it can aid it in drying faster. We also leave booties for you and your family so that nothing will get tracked around.
Oh no! You’ve gotten a dreaded red stain on your carpets! Fear not- we are going to be able to help you. However, take a few measures for success before we get there by doing the following: Use a white (only white) clean cloth to blot it up as much as possible. Get some hot water and put part of this on your rag and blot it up again as best as possible. Take another DRY white cloth and blot that. Once our cleaning specialists have arrived they will fully remove the stain.
When we come into your home, our last intention is to damage anything in the least. Therefore, we take precautionary steps to shield your walls from our hoses by placing corner guards on the walls that our hoses pass by. Below is a photo of what they look like.
You may have called our company because your pet has left an unbecoming odor in your home and you wish to correct that. So when you call our offices, it will help to tell whomever you are speaking with that you are dealing with pet odor issues so that our specialists can come properly equipped! Usually the problem can be corrected by simply deodorizing the carpets prior and after they are cleaned. However, sometimes it can actually be the venting system or even the walls that are the troublemakers- luckily there are products we can put in your venting system that will help kill the smell. It is recommended that during the cleaning process to open the windows for about an hour so that new fresh air can circulate through your home.
You may find yourself wondering why our prices seem to be a bit higher than your average sign on the roadside carpet cleaner- well, the answer can be summed up relatively easily- you get what you pay for! A majority of carpet cleaners use what is referred to as a portable machine, which is a small unit that they bring into your homes to clean your floors. However, we at Dry-N-Clean Carpet Cleaners, we pride our company in having the most modern methods of extraction, and having brand new Nissan vans on the road. We have brand new truck mounts for hot water extraction so you can be sure that we are going to do a stellar job in your home. We strive to go above and beyond in quality and excellence-  your satisfaction is our top priority. If you were buying a piece of furniture for your home, you would probably want to spend a little more on it so that it would not only be comfortable, but so it would last longer than just a few months to a year. Having your carpets cleaned is no different- you pay a little more for the quality so that it is done right and it will last more than a few days or weeks.  
We know you have a busy life, and we want to provide you a service as fast and effectively as possible. There are several factors when considering how long it may take for us to clean your home- the biggest factor would come down to how much space we have to cover in one session. Naturally, smaller areas will take less time. The condition of the carpet and the treatment you are asking us to do also factors in. Normally, in a standard set up to break down with up to 5 areas take about an hour and a half for us to treat. If you have time constraints or something causing you to have to leave, consider breaking up treatments, or even have us come at a later or earlier date. We can even perform our services while you are not at your home. 
If you have carpet installed in your home, it is pretty standard to expect that you’ll have them cleaned. In the event that something about your carpet is defective, it is doubtful that a cleaning will void your warranty- however, it is a good idea to consult the manufacture before jumping to that conclusion. Make sure you do plenty of research before you purchase anything. 
At least once a week you should vacuum to offset dust mites, to prevent matting (depending on what vacuum you use), and just pick up loose dirt and soil that accumulates from daily traffic and use.

After Dry-N-Clean cleans your floors, and even when they haven’t, you should always keep up with your vacuuming. We recommend that you vacuum at least once a week- this will offset dust mites, it prevents matting and it just generally keeps your carpets cleaner. Here are a few models that we would suggest using:

– iRobot Roomba 770 (Great for pets and allergies)

– iRobot Roomba 650 

– Dyson Ball Multi Floor Upright Vacuum

When you hire us to clean your home, we don’t skip any steps in the least- so before we get to the actual heavy duty cleaning, we vacuum the carpets, then we use a carpet rake to really agitate anything embedded in the carpet, and then we vacuum again. We overlap our strokes, basically vacuuming twice for every once we do it, depending on the level of soil we are facing. 

While we love having your business, we do want your carpets to stay clean for as long as possible! So here are a few tips to keep your carpet looking its best in between cleanings.

-Vacuum regularly. Dirts and oils can accumulate, and this will give your carpet a dingy appearance.
-Wear your socks as often as possible. Our feet collect a lot of dirt and hold a lot of oil and dead skin. This will cause your carpet to brown, and even vacuuming can’t pick up everything.
-Use our free bottle of spotter on the small stains that happen between your cleanings.
-Also, remember, it is not a requirement to have your entire house cleaned every time that we come- sometimes its just the high traffic areas that need some extra attention.

Here is a list of some of our favorite vacuums for you to try out:

– Dyson Multi-Floor Upright Vacuum

– Dyson 209472 01 V6 Cordless Vacuum

– Dyson Multi-color Canister Vacuum Cleaner

At Dry-N-Clean, we know emergencies do happen. That’s why we offer 24/7 emergency for flood extraction. We do have an emergency fee of $99, however. Please make sure you know what your deductible with your insurance company is, as this particular damage can get quite expensive depending on the extent of it and the particulars. 

We are pleased to be able to offer you the service of dehumidifying-
our prices for these services begin at $75 and go up.

After Dry-N-Clean leaves your home once we’ve completed our cleaning job, we will provide you and your loved ones booties to walk around in while the carpet is still drying. This is completely fine and will bear no affect on the carpets. Drying time varies depending on carpet types. Approximately 2 hours is average drying time.
When we come to your home to clean your carpets, we want to do the best possible job. However, in certain areas of your home, you will experience a high volume of traffic such as hallways and stairs. These areas, even after a heavy duty cleaning, can have the potential to stay discolored. These areas experience extreme wear and tear, and sometimes the carpet can become too damaged to be fully restored to what they were. You can help prevent this by wearing socks around the house versus shoes, and vacuuming regularly. 
While we are cleaning your carpets, you’ll notice that we put your furniture on tabs, or even blocks to separate them from the actual floor- we suggest leaving them put for 24 full hours after we finish cleaning. This is for a few reasons- for one, any moisture that is absorbed into your furniture’s legs will easily stain your carpet. Also, the indentations your furniture leaves will return immediately if the carpet dries with that kind of contact on it. These are steps you can take to prevent more headache! 
Though carpet and floors are our ‘main game’, we do also provide world-class upholstery cleaning services as well. Furniture is comprised of a wide variety of fabrics, materials and construction in contrast to carpet, so you have to know what you’re getting into before attempting to provide this service. Our Dry-N-Clean specialists will evaluate your furniture before cleaning, giving it a fiber inspection to determine the type of fabric that will be cleaned and the best method to do so. We begin by vacuuming your furniture in order to remove dust and dirt, any crumbs, coins, or loose items. It also gives the specialists a chance to note any rips, tears or stains in the fabric. We then spray our specialized cleanser on any spots and then use a coarse horse-hair brush on problem spots. We take special care to give your pillows extra treatment as they are the most used thing on a piece of furniture. Finally, we use a hot water vacuum and rinse to really cleanse the furniture to the core. After we have wrapped up, we will leave fans on the furniture to help speed up the drying process. 
Not at all. We go through a rigorous cleaning process, taking our time to pay attention to detail. We go through a two process clean, which means we clean it twice and dry it twice for maximum coverage. Some high traffic areas may require extra attention, so we may clean them more than the standard two runs. We use a entirely safe, non-toxic special rinse product that ensures the longevity of your cleaning. Once we reach the drying processes, we use air blowers to help dry faster and deeper into the carpets. When we wrap up, we do leave booties for you and your loved ones to wear in the event that light moisture still remains on the carpets. Our customers are our main priority, which is why we offer you a guarantee of 100% satisfaction and if anything at all wakes back up after our cleaning, we will come back to you and clean it at no cost at all to you. 
Yes, we do! We at Dry-N-Clean Carpet Cleaning use a special wool cleaning product on 100% wool carpets and mixed wool carpets. Cleaning wool carpet is different than cleaning standard carpets, you must be extremely careful, which is why our specialist are experienced in not only cleaning wool but as well as mixing the products that wool requires. After our specialists clean your 100% wool carpet, it may exude a certain odor, like if you get a wool coat damp, but it will go away after a few hours once it has dried fully. In the event you get any spots or stains on your wool carpet, please call us before taking any personal measures to clean it at home, as certain chemicals will cause it to set and stain permanently. 
Yes, we do! But what is Berber carpet, you might ask? Modern industrialized Berber carpets are a modern style of carpet distinguished by a loop pile construction type that gives a similar appearance to the distinct knot of traditionally woven Berber carpets. The modern carpets usually contain small flecks of dark color on lighter shades of background colors resembling a natural undyed version of the traditional carpets. They generally consist of a plain color mix with no pattern, and are relatively cheap and durable, and popular for areas with significantly heavy use such as offices. The distinctive knot texture and appearance of traditional hand-woven Berber carpets today are generally woven in brightly colored designs that are different from other oriental rugs. Berber can sometimes be a difficult type of carpet to clean properly, and we at Dry-N-Clean Carpet Cleaning approach the cleaning of this carpet a little different, using different safe non-toxic products and rinse. We also dry the carpet in a way so that it doesn’t brown out, becoming unattractive looking as some other companies may do. We will never leave your carpet in anything other than better shape than before we got there!
Yes- our foremost concern is keeping you and your family safe. We want to improve your quality of living, not interfere with it. We offer soap free cleaning products if you are interested in going that direction. What we use is a product called Procyon which is soap free, biodegradable and hypoallergenic. This product is used in many settings, including hospitals and medical facilities. In addition to this, our machines filter the water so that your carpets are being treated with safe and clean water. If you suffer allergies or any sensitivities please make sure you let our office know beforehand so that our specialists may come to your home with the correct preparations.  
At Dry-N-Clean Carpet Cleaning, we sometimes experience a high volume of clients, and each job is different, which can alter the exact time of our arrival to your home. Depending on the time of day, we will give you a 2-3 hour window of when to expect us to arrive. However, if you provide our office with your cell phone number, we will send you an automatic text message when your specialist is on their way!  
Of course you can! Before we begin cleaning, we do require a active credit card to be on file, which will cover payment if you’re not there while our specialist is. If you are leaving a specialist a key without your being there, we do ask for you to leave them specific directions when entering your home; Do you want them to lock up or leave the door open? Is there anything our specialist should be aware of? Where should our specialist leave your key once they are finished in your home? If you have pets, please for their safety and for our specialists, keep them contained and out of any cleaning zones. Also, before the specialist leaves, let us know if you would like for them to give you a call letting you know that they are exiting your home. The more information we have, the better we can serve you as our valued customer!
When we finish our job at your home, you may notice that your carpets still hold a light amount of moisture- this is 100% normal. However, we do use air movers so that they will dry faster than without them. Also remember, some areas may take a little longer if we have had to do multiple runs on high traffic areas- we want to leave your carpet the best possible condition. Our specialists will however leave a few pairs of booties for your and your loved ones to wear around the house until the carpet has finished drying entirely. 
We at Dry-N-Clean Carpet Cleaning understand that there are a wide variety of things that customers can be sensitive to- which is why we pride ourselves in have several options for you in regards to soap free, hypoallergenic products. We offer a product called Procyon, which is soap free, biodegradable and hypoallergenic which is primarily used at hospitals and other medical facilities. In addition to this, our machines filter the water that is used so you can be sure that we are using unspoiled water on your carpets. Please make sure to mention all allergies or sensitivities you have to our office while you’re booking your appointment with us!
Sometimes accidents happen- but Dry-N-Clean is here to help. If you have blood stains on your carpet, we will be able to remove it. When you contact us, you must describe the kind of blood it is, and how long it has been on the carpet; if this blood is associated with a crime scene you are required to disclose that information to us. If you find that we are not able to come as soon as you would like, try treating the blood at home with ice cubes. Carefully blot the blood with the ice cubes and then use a white rag to clean up. Repeat this as needed. Again, if this does not work, we do have speciality methods to extract blood from your floors.

Once we are finished cleaning your home, we will leave a bottle of our Premium Spotter- a signature product of ours here at Dry-N-Clean. This 12 ounce bottle of spotter is great for in-between cleans, and our chemist has developed the product to be entirely safe and non-toxic for your home, leaving a pleasant light citrus scent behind. If you run out, feel free to call us to order more directly, or just ask your specialist while they are at your home about it.

Directions:

1. Remove excess spill with absorbent towel.
2. Use as it comes from the bottle and apply fluid onto the stain.
3. Lightly brush or rub using a white clean absorbent towel.
4. work from outside to center.
5. For stubborn spots, repeat procedure.
6. Blot area with clean absorbent cloth to remove excess moisture.
7. If stain still down not come out, call our offices at 757.495.3626

We clean all types of rugs, including Oriental rugs. However, you would be surprised at how many types of Oriental rugs are actually out there. First, there are Aubusson rugs- these originate from the villages of Aubusson and Felletin in central France- however they are produced now in China, India and Pakistan. They are typically quite large with a soft pile. They usually come in soft pastels and ivories with floral motifs. Next, there are Bokhara rugs. These jewel toned rugs come from Pakistan, Afghanistan and central Asia. The size varies, and the design consists of a highly stylized pattern that repeats over the entire surface of the rug. Chobi rugs, which are also known as Peshawar rugs are traditionally produced in Pakistan. The size varies on these antiqued looking rugs, boasting earthy, golden tones differing shades of one color or abrash throughout the pile. They have symmetrical border patterns and floral motifs. The Gabbeh rug is a style of Persian rug that usually is found to be made in southwest Iran. Gabbeh is Farsi for “raw or natural, uncut or ‘in the rough’”. They are medium to large rugs with a palette of 5-7 bright colors. They can often be mistaken as modern style rugs because of the stripes or geometric patterns that they boast. Kazak rugs are maybe what comes to mind when you hear a rug described as an Oriental rug. Though Qazak is a city in Northwest Azerbaijan but Kazak rugs are most traditionally woven in Afghanistan and Armenia. The size can vary, and the geometric motif of animals, flowers, and tribal medallions come in 3-7 colors, commonly palettes of deep indigo, reds and ivory. Next, Khotan rugs hail from from the ancient city of Khotan (Hotan) in the southern region of Xinjiang, which is Chinese Turkistan. You’ll find these rugs to be longer and narrower than standard rugs, and their colors can be rich and warm or light and pastel. Their designs incorporates Chinese and central Asian influences, stylized geometrics and floral patterns. Oushak rugs, which are also called Ushak rugs, originate from Turkey. They can range from medium to large in size, featuring silky, shimmery wool in shades of cinnamon, terra-cotta, grey and soft pastels. They hold large-scale geometric floral patterns. Overdyed Rugs began in Istanbul as a way to brighten old, faded woven rugs. The sizes vary, and the original colors of the rug are diffused via bleaching and washing techniques, and the rug is re-dyed in one solid color. The result is that the original pattern and design are visible through the one muted color. Persian Medallion rugs, which can also be called Kashan rugs come from Iran and Pakistan, with varying sizes and can come in diverse palettes of 15-25 colors. Typically they hold floral motifs with a unique central medallion. Finally, there are the Qashqai rugs. These lovely rugs come from Iran, with varying sizes, and they typically feature 6-9 alternating colors, which range from deep indigo blue, deep reds or even gold colors. The designs are bold geometric designs submersed with tribal symbols.

The care of your Oriental rug is paramount- these rugs can be costly, and are often family heirlooms. If you get a stain on your rug, respond immediately. Do NOT let it sit. The longer you let a stain sit on these rugs, the more likely it will be damaged permanently. But more than that,  keep maintenance on your rug, clean it monthly. Make sure you clean it once a month- it may look clean but rugs pick up ton of dirt that you may not see. Flip the rug regularly so that no area side sustains more damage from the sun or everyday use than another. Vacuum both sides- again, keeping both sides healthy is extremely important. Another thing to note is that you never want to use harsh chemicals on these rugs- most of them have been colored with vegetable dyes, which can be easily discolored by anything harsher than vinegar. Harsh chemicals encourage discoloration, and you can’t remove soap without rinsing it with a hose, which will cause the colors to run. Mix your vinegar and water concoction in a spray bottle and lightly spray the rug evenly. Allow it to dry. You can use a light brush and work it through the fringes as if you are brushing hair. Please note that if the fringes are pure white, it can mean it is cotton. Apply less vinegar and place a fan on the fringes to dry it faster. Cotton fringes are known to turn brown from the cotton fibers. Once you’ve cleaned the rug, put a floor fan on it to dry faster, this prevents mildew. Do not hang your rug when its still dripping wet, this will cause the colors to run, you may, however, hang the rug while its damp.

At Dry-N-Clean, we have a speciality rug cleaning process that leaves your rug fresh and bright. First we check out the rug on a minute level, measuring and inspecting for spots, stains, burns or even holes. We perform pH and dye transfer tests to ensure that we do not cause damage to your rug in the process of cleaning it. We then execute a preliminary vacuum to remove any hidden loose dirt or pet hair, using our high-impact dusting system: Rugbadger. Next we pre-spot the rug in order to break down set-in stains. As always, we use a specially formulated shame-cleanser before breaking out our triple-planetary rotary machine to clear away any remaining debris. Last, we perform a hot-water vacuum rinse. We quick-dry your rug while cleaning up our materials. If your rug has fringes around the sides, our professional rug and carpet cleaning crew will carefully brush them out and shampoo them to restore their original color and texture.

To recap: keep an eye on your rugs at home with these simple steps

-Turn/rotate your Oriental rug occasionally to keep one side from being exposed to the sun continuously.

-Take action against stains and spills immediately.

-For wax: cover spilled wax with a brown paper bag and hold an iron over top. Move the iron constantly to avoid burning the rug and pull away when wax has absorbed into blotting paper.

-For gum: press and ice cube against gun until it becomes cold and brittle. You should be able to remove most of it; use spot cleaner, vinegar or alcohol to clear away any trances.

-For ink: spray spot with hairspray, wait for it to dry and then brush gentle with a mixture of vinegar and water.

We pride our specialists in being able to tackle most carpet “oh-no’s”- red stains such as Kool Aid and red wine included. Under normal circumstances red stains do not come up because of the dyes in the liquid, standard cleaning isn’t powerful enough to pull the color up. At Dry-N-Clean, we have a special product that we can provide during your treatment that can pull up the dyes out of your carpet for an additional fee- this is an additional chemical that we have to use and it can be quite time consuming. If you happen to get a red stain on your carpet and need a quick fix before we can get there, mix one-quarter teaspoon of liquid dish-washing detergent with four cups of lukewarm water and pour a small amount of the solution on the stained carpet. Work the solution into the stain by using a gentle blotting motion. Then use water an a clean cloth to blot the spill and it should remove the rest of the stain. If this fails, consider adding two parts hydrogen peroxide to the solution and try again.
When we are in your home cleaning your floors, we do have the ability to move basic furniture such as sofas, tables, chairs and love seats, we do NOT move larger items. Heavy or valued pieces like beds, hutches and china cabinets are things we cannot move- we are not professional movers and do not have the proper equipment to ensure that we can move things like that without damaging them- we are only there to clean. 
When we come and clean your carpets, the indentations from furniture on your floors will come up when we clean them. However, based on the type of carpet you have, how old it is and how long the furniture has been sitting there, there is a low risk that it will not rise back up to the rest of the carpets height. Consult your carpet’s manufacturer for more details.
At Dry-N-Clean, our specialists take every measure to make sure we leave your home looking perfect, we strive to fully remove every stain and see to it that they do not reappear. In some rare cases however, if an area is heavily soiled, say with urine, its more than likely the padding that is stained. If that is the case, our specialists can use a pad extractor to prevent stains from coming back- so if you have questions about heavily soiled areas please let our specialists know  the details of it so they can use their professional knowledge in regards to how to best treat your floors.
We strive for excellence here at Dry-N-Clean- and your satisfaction is our top priority. If you happen to have a problem or something dissatisfies you during our time in your home, please call our home office at 757.495.3626 and ask to speak with one of our managers. We assure you that we will do what it takes to leave you with a positive end result.