prepping for your carpet cleaning

• Vacuum. Vacuuming high-traffic areas before your carpet cleaners arrive helps them get right down to business.
• Clear the driveway or move your cars out of nearby parking spots. ...
• Pick up full-length draperies. Whether you pin them up, rubber band them, or toss your draperies over the curtain rods, having these fabrics at least six inches off the ground ...
• Relocate delicate items. If you have heirlooms, a collection, particularly wobbly lamps, or anything special or breakable on display, don’t take the chance that it can accidentally be knocked over ...
• Relocate small furniture. If you have small side tables, chairs, ottomans, or other light pieces that are easy to move, relocate them.
Tidy the floor. If you have children, your floors are probably riddled with small and big toys, books, craft projects, and more.
Make a list. While you wait for your carpet cleaning professional to arrive, taken inventory of the problem areas on your carpet.
Quarantine your pets. You may have the most docile pet, but carpet cleaning equipment or the activity itself can make your animal uptight, which can make the act of cleaning ...

Who should vacuum before a professional carpet cleaning?

Why You Should Vacuum Carpet Before Professional Cleaning

• I-Benefits of vacuuming the carpet before professional cleaning. When vacuuming the entire carpet, you might come across some areas that will require deep cleaning. ...
• III-Frequently asked questions. 1-Can you sleep in a room after carpet cleaning? ...
• VI-Conclusion. If you still have some questions that we may have forgotten to cover in this article. ...

Does professional carpet cleaning really work?

Professional carpet cleaners will make your carpet look great again, but not every stain will come out. Some of those face painting stains, as well as some mystery black spots did not come out. Expect To Wait To Put Your House Back Together

How to clean carpet like a pro?

There are many detergents that you can choose from which include:

• Liquid – These are the most common, and you can find them anywhere. ...
• Powder – These work well for all types of dirt and stains. ...
• Foam – If you have tried deep cleaning your carpet, but you still have a stain that isn’t going away, you need foam cleaner. ...
• Spray – These are made specifically to treat spots where there are stains. ...

Should I pretreat carpet before shampooing?

Pre-treat the badly stained areas. Do this just before you start the steam cleaning process. Use a single commercial degreaser/cleaning agent that will not discolor the carpet. If you are unsure of the action of the selected cleaner, test it in an inconspicuous place, say in a closet or under a couch. A carpet remnant is a perfect test ground.

How do I prep my carpet before shampooing?

Prepare your carpet and areas to be shampooed Begin by removing furniture from the room and then thoroughly vacuum the carpet preferably with a powerhead vacuum cleaner, before shampooing to remove loose dirt, pet hair and other particles. This should also expose the carpet stains, if there are any.

Are you supposed to vacuum before carpet cleaning?

Vacuum. Vacuuming high-traffic areas before your carpet cleaners arrive helps them get right down to business. Removing dirt and debris from the carpet allows the carpet cleaner to focus on the dirt that is embedded in your carpet fibers.

How long do you have to stay off carpet after cleaning?

Ideally, avoid heavy traffic and keep children and pets off the carpet for at least 6 hours after cleaning. If you must walk across the carpet to get to another part of the house, do it 30 minutes after cleaning it by removing your shoes and wearing a pair of clean white socks to protect the carpet.

Do you have to wait for carpet to dry after cleaning?

Your carpet will be only slightly damp to the touch after your cleaning. Most carpets typically need 6-10 hours to dry completely. However, it could take up to 24 hours to dry depending on the time of year your carpets are cleaned, and the air circulation, humidity and temperature in your home.

What happens if you don't vacuum before carpet cleaning?

There are basically two types of carpet (steam) cleaners, also known as carpet washers, and handheld carpet spot cleaners. If you skip the vacuuming process and allow accummulated dirt and grime to be cleaned, you may also be smearing some along the cleaning path as you work, adding to your overall carpet washing task.

Why does my carpet look worse after cleaning?

Because soap and shampoo residue is sticky, it attracts dirt and grime. This is especially noticeable in high traffic areas because every time someone walks on the carpet, soil from their shoes sticks to the residue in the carpet fibers. Similarly, any settling residue will adhere to the residue in the carpet.

Can I put my furniture back after carpet cleaning?

So, how long after carpet cleaning to put furniture back? Although the average dry time is six to 10 hours, it's best to wait 24 hours to ensure that your carpet is completely dry after being cleaned.

Can I walk on carpet after its been cleaned?

Do not walk barefoot or in socks, or touch wet carpet or fabrics. 24 hours recommended. Use booties or clean soled shoes to walk on damp carpet. Soiled shoes , bare feet or socks will re-soil damp carpet very easily.

Can you sleep in a room with wet carpet?

Can you sleep in a room with wet carpet? Definitely not. There could be spores of mold in the area that can cause you to become sick.

How do you speed up carpet dry after cleaning?

It might seem obvious, but turning on a dehumidifier is one of the best ways to speed up the carpet drying process. They sap moisture from the room and collect it in a storage tank or direct it toward a drain. If you're using the storage tank, be sure to check back every few hours to empty it.

Is heat or AC better to dry carpet?

High Humidity Air conditioners remove humidity from the air, which allows more room for moisture to evaporate from the carpet. Therefore, in a high humidity situation, turning on the air conditioner will speed up the carpet's drying process.

Can I use a heater to dry carpet?

Use a fan and/or box heater to blow warm air across the wet area of carpet. Warm air can hold more water than cold air, so warm air moving across the carpet will draw water out of the carpet. Use caution with a heater so you don't start a fire!

How to prevent carpet from getting wet?

Taking items out of the room will also prevent them from being damaged or getting wet during the cleaning process. 2. Protect your walls. If you’re getting a professional carpet cleaning company to do the work for you, it’s worth thinking about your walls.

Is it easier to clean a carpet?

Any cleaning job is much easier if you have a clear space to work with. Before you can even start cleaning your carpets or let the professionals work their magic, take out any potential trip hazards. Shoes, bags, and clutter that we’re all guilty of leaving around need to be tidied away or simply taken out of the area you need to clean.

Do you have to vacuum a carpet first?

Get the vacuum out. Not all carpet cleaners require you to vacuum first, but it’s always a good idea to start with a blank canvas. Take your pick from one of the best vacuum cleaners for home and take small, slow vacuum strokes to pick up any pet hair or dirt that’s lying deep in the carpet.

Do you have to prepare for a grubby carpet?

Grubby carpets and rugs? Say no more. Whether you’ve got one of the best carpet cleaners or you’re getting the professionals in to do the job for you, you’ll still need to prepare before you can get those carpets looking like new again.

Can you clean pet hair on carpet?

If you’re cleaning the carpets yourself, check out our advice on the best way to stay on top of pet hair. If you’re getting the professionals in, take your pets out of the room and make sure they’re not frightened by any newcomers in your home, as well as the noises and beeps some carpet cleaning machines can make.

Can you move furniture on damp carpet?

Once your carpets have been cleaned though, it’s important to allow your flooring plenty of time to dry. Moving large furniture or curtain drapes onto damp carpet can leave some pretty horrible damp smells, so try to avoid this.

How to welcome carpet cleaning team?

Welcome your carpet cleaning team by ensuring they have a place to park the moment they arrive, especially if they have a truck or small van. If you live in a city, offer tips for street parking in the area beforehand. We also recommend clearing a path from your front door to the room ready for cleaning.

What should be removed from the cleaning area?

Remove fragile and valuable items. Porcelain knick-knacks, fine china, collectibles and any other potentially fragile or breakable items should be removed from the cleaning area and placed in a safe area.

Can you tie drapes off carpet?

Most carpet cleaning companies will request that you tie or tuck long drapes off the floor. We recommend giving them a thorough dusting or taking the opportunity to run them through the wash so they don't drop dust on your newly cleaned rugs.

Do carpet cleaning companies include furniture moving?

They'll likely even send you a simple checklist of things to do before they arrive. Some companies will include furniture moving in their cost or offer a discount to focus on high-traffic areas only.

Do carpet cleaners need to park their vehicles?

If your carpet cleaner uses truck-mounted equipment, they'll need to park their vehicle as close as possible to an entry door in order to run hoses for their cleaning equipment. Make sure your family's vehicles aren't obstructing their work.

Can you keep a golden retriever off the carpet?

If you have a friendly golden retriever determined to "help" your carpet cleaning team, it's best to keep them tucked away so the pros can get to work. Choose a room for your cats or dogs and be sure you have a plan to keep them off the carpet for a day if it needs to dry.

Can you get a discount for carpet cleaning?

Move furniture, if necessary. Your carpet cleaner may offer a discount for focusing on high foot traffic areas or cleaning a room that's empty. On the other hand, you may want to ensure your carpet is totally clean from wall to wall.

Remove Clutter

There’s no need to do a complete declutter of your home to enjoy a cleaner, fresher carpet. It is, however, important to remove items from the carpeted area so our technicians can carefully clean every inch.

Relocate Lighter Pieces of Furniture

Heavy, hard-to-lift pieces can stay on the carpet, but any lighter furnishings should be relocated to another area of your home until the carpet is clean and dry. As our carpet cleaners are not licensed furniture movers, this is an important step for clients to perform on their own.

Ensure Important Items are Safe

Our technicians work carefully, but accidents do happen. We encourage all clients to secure fragile items, heirlooms, and valuables in a safe location to prevent avoidable accidents and minimize unnecessary risks.

Check for Problem Areas

Are there any specific areas you would like your carpet cleaners to focus on? While our technicians conduct a spot test and thorough pre-inspection before beginning the carpet cleaning process, we realize you know your carpet best.

Direct Pets to Another Room

While the formulas used in our Hot Carbonating Extraction (H.C.E.) process are safe and non-toxic for pets, it could be difficult for our technicians to do their work if your pet is underfoot. Take a moment to put your pet in another room before our carpet cleaners arrive.

Have Parking Sorted

Because we sometimes use van-mounted equipment, we’re able to work much more efficiently if we can park as close to the door as possible. Even when your requested services do not require these van-based systems, we still need to get our equipment from the vehicle to your front door.