What Happens During Professional Carpet Cleaning?
A professional carpet cleaning should begin before the cleaning wand ever touches the carpet. At Mr. Steamer, we start with a quick inspection of the areas being cleaned.
This gives the customer an opportunity to point out stains, high-traffic areas, pet accidents and other areas of concern.
We normally ask customers before the appointment to move furniture that can reasonably be moved and pick up loose items from the areas being cleaned.
The carpet is then pre-sprayed to help loosen soil and prepare it for cleaning. The pre-spray is allowed time to dwell before the carpet is cleaned using hot-water extraction, commonly referred to as steam cleaning.
If a carpet is particularly heavily soiled, we may recommend an additional pre-scrubbing step for an extra charge.
Does Heavily Soiled Carpet Need Extra Scrubbing?
Sometimes. Standard pre-spraying and hot-water extraction are suitable for many carpets, but heavily soiled carpet may benefit from additional scrubbing before extraction.
This helps loosen stubborn soil before the extraction process. When additional scrubbing is appropriate, it is normally discussed with the customer as an additional service.
How Long Does Carpet Take to Dry After Professional Cleaning?
For a routine maintenance cleaning, carpet can sometimes dry in approximately 2 to 4 hours.
More heavily soiled carpet that requires more intensive cleaning may take approximately 8 to 12 hours.
Drying time is affected by the condition of the carpet, how much cleaning was required, airflow and indoor humidity. During summer, running the air conditioner can help control indoor humidity and good airflow can help the carpet dry more quickly.
For more information, read our guide to carpet drying times after professional cleaning .
Can You Walk on Freshly Cleaned Carpet?
Yes. You can walk on freshly cleaned carpet when necessary, but anything touching the carpet should be clean.
Mr. Steamer normally leaves disposable booties for the people in the home so they can walk across the freshly cleaned carpet without tracking dirt back onto it.
Whenever practical, unnecessary traffic should be kept to a minimum while the carpet is drying.
Can Professional Carpet Cleaning Remove Every Stain?
No professional carpet cleaner should promise that every stain can be removed.
The likelihood of successful stain removal depends on factors including what caused the stain and how long it has remained in the carpet.
A stain treated within a few hours may have a much better chance of being removed than one that has remained untreated for months or years. Over time, some staining can become permanent.
This is why dealing with spills and accidents promptly is important.
Why Does a Carpet Stain Sometimes Come Back After Cleaning?
Carpet is made up of more than the fibres you see on the surface. Depending on its construction and installation, there can be carpet fibres, backing, underpad and the subfloor beneath them.
If a substantial spill is not discovered quickly, moisture can travel through the carpet and into materials below it.
Professional cleaning may remove the visible contamination from the carpet fibres while some material remains deeper below the surface. During drying, residual material can sometimes migrate upward and become visible again.
This process is commonly known as wicking.
Can Professional Carpet Cleaning Help With Pet Urine and Odours?
Pet accidents can require more than ordinary surface cleaning because urine can travel through the carpet and into the backing or underpad.
Mr. Steamer has specialized spot treatments and extraction tools for pet-accident areas. Where appropriate, specialized extraction can help draw contamination from deeper within the affected area.
Sanitizing treatments can also be used as part of the cleaning process to address contamination in the affected area.
Learn more in our guide to dealing with pet odour in carpet .
Does Mr. Steamer Move Furniture?
Customers are asked before their appointment to move furniture and loose items that can reasonably be removed from the cleaning area.
During the appointment, we may be able to move some light furniture, such as chairs, small end tables and nightstands.
Large or heavy furniture such as beds, dressers and buffets is not moved. Customers who want the carpet underneath these items cleaned should arrange to have them moved beforehand.
Should I Vacuum Before Professional Carpet Cleaning?
Yes. Mr. Steamer normally asks customers to vacuum before their appointment, particularly when furniture has been moved and previously covered carpet has been exposed.
Pre-vacuuming helps remove dry soil, loose debris and pet hair before the wet-cleaning process begins.
Mr. Steamer can also provide pre-vacuuming by request for an additional charge.
Professional Truck-Mounted Cleaning vs. Rental Carpet Machines
There is a substantial difference between professional truck-mounted carpet cleaning equipment and typical consumer rental machines.
Mr. Steamer's truck-mounted system provides substantially greater cleaning and extraction capability than typical consumer rental equipment.
Effective carpet cleaning is not simply about putting cleaning solution and water into a carpet. The moisture and suspended soil also need to be extracted effectively.
With a lower-powered rental machine, repeated wet passes can introduce additional moisture into the carpet while providing less extraction. That can increase drying time and the risk of over-wetting.
A shared rental machine also introduces another consideration: customers generally do not know what previous renters put through the equipment or how thoroughly it was cleaned between rentals.
Does Professional Carpet Cleaning Leave Soap in the Carpet?
Mr. Steamer's process is designed to extract the cleaning solution rather than leave it sitting in the carpet.
Pre-spray is applied and allowed time to dwell so it can help loosen soil from the carpet fibres.
Hot-water extraction then removes the pre-spray along with loosened soil and moisture, with the goal of leaving the carpet clean, soft and fresh.
How Often Should Carpets Be Professionally Cleaned?
There is no single cleaning schedule that is right for every household.
For an average household without pets, Mr. Steamer generally recommends considering professional carpet cleaning about once a year.
A household with four or more people and pets experiences considerably more foot traffic, soil and pet-related contamination. In these circumstances, cleaning approximately every six months may be appropriate.
The actual frequency should depend on the household, traffic levels, pets and how quickly the carpet becomes soiled.
Should You Scrub a Carpet Stain?
One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is using too much liquid and aggressively scrubbing a carpet stain.
Scrubbing can distort the carpet pile and can spread the affected area rather than removing it.
For a fresh spill, the better basic approach is to blot rather than scrub.
Use a clean absorbent material to draw the spill upward instead of aggressively rubbing it sideways through the carpet fibres.
Repeatedly adding more water or cleaning solution can also over-wet the area and spread the contamination.
What Are the Black Lines Around Carpet Baseboards?
Dark or black lines around the edges of carpet are commonly known as filtration lines or filtration soiling.
They develop as air moves through small gaps around the edges of the carpet. Over time, the carpet can act like a filter and trap fine airborne particles in these locations.
Mr. Steamer can pre-treat and pre-scrub filtration lines for an additional charge.
Light filtration soiling may respond well to professional treatment. Very dark, long-established filtration lines can be considerably more difficult to remove completely and permanent discoloration or fibre damage may have occurred.
Does Mr. Steamer Offer Scotchgard Carpet Protection?
Yes. Scotchgard carpet protection is available as an optional treatment after professional carpet cleaning.
After cleaning, the protector can be applied over the open carpeted areas that were cleaned.
Carpet protector does not make a carpet stain-proof, but it can help protect the carpet from future soiling and spills and can be useful for homeowners who want to help keep freshly cleaned carpet looking its best.
How Is Professional Carpet Cleaning Priced?
Mr. Steamer's standard carpet cleaning price is based on a room rate, but the final cost can depend on the condition of the carpet and any additional treatments required.
A standard maintenance cleaning may require only the normal cleaning process. Heavily soiled or problem areas can require additional labour and treatment.
Additional services can include:
- Pre-vacuuming when requested
- Additional pre-scrubbing for heavily soiled carpet
- Treatment and pre-scrubbing of filtration lines
- Pet-accident or sanitizing treatments
- Scotchgard carpet protection
The room rate therefore covers standard cleaning, while additional corrective or protective treatments are priced according to what the carpet requires.
Professional Carpet Cleaning Across the GTA
Mr. Steamer provides professional carpet and upholstery cleaning across Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Toronto and surrounding communities.
For service information, visit our professional carpet cleaning page or select your local service area: Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington or Milton.
To discuss your carpet or book service, call 416-222-9990.