"How often should I clean my carpet?"

This is certainly one of the most common questions that we receive. The proper answer is really that it's different for everyone. The first thing to consider is if you have purchased new carpet and are concerned about keeping the warranty. If so, most companies require that you have a professional company perform Hot Water Extraction carpet cleaning (which is the method we use) every 12 or 18 months. If you don't do so, they will usually void the warranty.

Secondly, consider the use of your home or office. If you have a home with multiple pets, small children, and lots of get togethers, you should consider cleaning every 6 months. If your home or office is only used by a few people, no pets or children, and you take your shoes off at the door, every year and a half will be sufficient. As always, we will offer to do a free inspection for carpet, upholstery or tile cleaning, as well as give you our advice!

"How long will the carpet be wet" or "How does carpet take to dry after cleaning?"

These are two of the most common questions that we receive, and understandably so. If you are having someone come into your home to do work, of course your hope is that they are as minimally intrusive as possible. At Sno-King Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, that is certainly our goal.

Unfortunately, many companies "over wet" the carpet and do not properly extract, which leads to the idea that carpet will be wet for a day or two after cleaning. Make no mistake, if your carpet is wet for that long after cleaning then you are running the risk of mold growth underneath the carpet which can cause a much larger problem down the road.

When we clean, we make sure that our water pressure is specifically set properly for your carpet, and that our extraction is working as it should to ensure that we extract as much water as possible. Also, we place high efficiency air movers on the carpet to help speed up the drying process. All that being said, 8 hours is our maximum drying time, with most carpet drying with 2-4 hours. We not only want you to have clean carpet, but we want you to be able to get your house back to normal as soon as possible. 

Q&A: Should I use vinegar to clean carpet?

Using vinegar to clean carpet is extremely common...and unfortunately extremely unhelpful (in most cases). The explanation is really pretty simple, but very interesting: most spots on carpet are acidic, and vinegar is an acid, so by using vinegar you can actually set stains into the carpet. When we are cleaning, one of the purposes is to neutralize the pH value of what we are cleaning. That is why we almost always start with pre-spray that is on the alkaline side of the pH scale, which goes from 0-14. From 0-6 is acid, and 8-14 is alkaline, with 7 being neutral. So if the average spot is say, a 4, we would want to use an alkaline that is 10 so that it goes back to a neutral 7. 

Vinegar is often a 2 or 3 on the pH scale, meaning you would only use it to counteract a fairly strong alkaline. In most cases, the spot you are trying to clean on your carpet with vinegar is an acid, so you are just adding an acid to an acid, making it harder to get out later.

Instead, use our free spot cleaner (neutral pH), and if that doesn't work we can always stop by to take care of the spot!

How long should carpets be wet after cleaning?

The honest answer to this question is that it can vary drastically depending on which company has cleaned your carpets.  We often work with clients who tell us stories of their carpet being wet for a full day or two after another company has cleaned.  While there are many reasons why this may be the case, the two main reasons are: improper cleaning technique, and equipment that is not working correctly.  As a result of either of these two problems comes the issues of over-wetting and/or loss of suction. At Sno-King Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning we combat these common issues by having properly trained technicians who also understand their equipment so they are able to identify if it is not working correctly.  We also use high-efficiency air movers while in your home to speed up the dry time.  Lastly, your carpets dry from the bottom up so we always groom your carpets, opening up the fibers so that the air can mover through them and help them dry faster.  To answer the original question, your carpets should be dry within 2-6 hours after we finish cleaning in your residential home or commercial building. If you had a carpet cleaning company clean for you and the carpet were still wet the next day, please contact them to see if they will come fix the issue for free. If they refuse, please feel free to contact us and we will come out as fast as possible to ensure that no damage is done from wet carpets.