FAQ

 

Carpet Cleaning

 

How long will the carpet take to dry? – There are a few variables that will effect dry times such as carpet type, humidity levels, how soiled the carpet is, heat or air conditioning. On average it takes about 4 to 6 hours to dry. We always advise to wait until the next day to put furniture back on the carpet. Keep the air conditioning or heat running as well as any fans to help move the air.

How often should I get my carpets cleaned? – Every household is different based on traffic, children, pets, cleaning habits ect…6-18 months. We send out a reminder post card once a year to our customers.

Do you move furniture? – We will move some furniture upon request for a minimal fee. We do not move large beds, electronics, china cabinets, very large pieces or rickety pieces. The furniture will be moved, cleaned under a replaced to it’s original place with protective tabs place under the legs. These can be discarded after a couple of days. Any pieces that you want moved will need to be cleared off prior to us arriving.

Do I need to do anything before you arrive? – The carpets should always be thoroughly vacuumed before being professionally cleaned. You can do this to save some money or we can do it for an additional cost of $10 per area. The carpeted areas being cleaned should be cleared of small nick knacks, personal items ect…these things can be placed in areas not being cleaned or put up on beds, sofas ect.. not being moved. We will also need to get our truck as close to the door as possible, so it is helpful to have the driveway cleared.

Can you get the stains out of my carpet? – There are many factors that come into play when it comes to stains and weather or not they will come out. How long has the stain been there? has it been worked on before? what type of carpet is it? what caused the stain? When we show up to the job we have a arsenal of spotters on hand for just about every situation, but knowing what caused the stain is key, so we can reach for the right spotter. Using the wrong chemistry can make things worse and set the stain permanently, this is also the case with many over the counter products. We try everything possible to remove your stains but we do run into stains that won’t respond at all. There is no guarantee that we can remove all spots. There is always the option of doing a carpet patch where the stain is.

Why did my stains come back? – Stains that wick back to the surface after a cleaning are from larger spills or pet accidents that have leached down into the pad or even the sub floor. When we clean the carpet we don’t want to even remotely put down enough moisture to reach the pad or sub floor or that would cause a whole other situation. There are tools and techniques used for these situations where we can flush out a stain and speed dry, but they do cost extra and can get expensive if there are many stains. Wick back is most common with berber or poly carpets because they are less absorbent.

Are your chemicals safe for my pets and children? – We use a safe enzyme based pre-treatment that is thoroughly rinsed out during the cleaning. Some of our spotters will have some solvents or harsher chemicals in them, but again we rinse them real well, so any residue would be very minimal. Let us know if you prefer us not to use any of these spotters.

What is filter soil and can you get it out? – Ahhh the dreaded filter soil. Filter soil is a buildup of carbon deposits from airflow in the home that usually forms along the edges of the carpet or under doors that are kept closed. It takes several years to become noticeable, and is much more noticeable on white or light colored carpet. Filter soil does not usually come out with the standard cleaning however we do have treatments that work pretty well but do come with an added cost. We have seen some severe cases of filter soil where it formed around furniture or boxes that sat on the floor for a long time. The only thing you can really do to slow it down is change the air filters more frequently, and use the vacuum crevice tool along the walls. Carbon is a byproduct of anything that burns such as fire places, candles, furnaces.

Tile & Grout Cleaning

How long do I have to stay off the floor after it’s cleaned? – Our system has a very powerful vacuum recovering almost all the moisture. The tile will be dry in about the same amount of time as if you had mopped it, maybe 15 minutes. The grout could take quite a bit longer to dry because it is more porous, but the floor can still be walked on.

Do you clean all types of tile & grout? – We mainly clean ceramic and porcelain floors with sanded floor grout that is in good structural shape. We inspect the floor closely for any cracks, or missing grout before beginning. The white 4×4 builders grade tile with unsanded grout, that we see so much of, is usually not a good candidate for our our services as it cannot withstand the pressure and vacuum. We also shy away from any polished floors like marble or polished travertine.

Can you get my grout clean? – If we can’t, no one can! Tile & grout is our specialty and we have the specialized equipment to get the job done. Cleaning tile & grout requires more heat, pressure, and water flow than most carpet cleaning machines can produce for the best results. Pristine is the original and best choice for tile & grout cleaning in the greater Fredericksburg area. We will even come out and do a free cleaning demonstration.

Should I seal the grout after it’s cleaned? – It is recommended that the grout be sealed, if it needs it. Some sealers can last many years, 10-15 or more. So if your grout has been sealed before, it may not need it, but if it is absorbing moisture it should be sealed. Unsealed grout is very porous and can absorb spills and dirty mop water causing permanent staining. The biggest myth of sealers is that it will keep the grout clean, not so. The grout is still going to get dirty, it just makes it a little easier to clean and helps prevent permanent staining.