Arizona Carpet & Restoration Co.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Carpet Cleaning Questions:

What cleaning method do you use?

Cleaning is done by professionals certified by the IICRC, using truck-mounted hot-water extraction, commonly referred to as "Steam Cleaning". This is the only method recommended by Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer.

Hot water extraction is a combination of hot water, high pressure, and a powerful vacuum to remove dirt & harmful pollutants from your carpet. High pressure shoots cleaning solutions to the base of your carpet fibers to loosen soils & pollutants. The hot water rinses out dirt, grease, grime, pollens, and environmental pollutants from your carpet.

This rinsing step is very important. You would never shower, put shampoo in your hair, and then just let it dry! The shampoo needs to be rinsed out, and the cleaning solutions in your carpet need to be rinsed out or you'll be left with a residue that attracts dirt like a magnet. And rinsing with hot water also sanitizes your carpet by killing dust mites and bacteria.

How long will it take my carpet to dry?

Your carpets will be slightly damp to the touch when we leave and will be completely dry in 2-4 hours, depending on humidity and air circulation in your home. Using a fan can decrease drying time below 2 hours; and leaving your house closed up will extend drying time.

I've heard that wet cleaning carpets will cause mold or mildew growth?

The moisture left in your carpet after your cleaning will not harm your carpet. Companies will try to scare you with mold and mildew growth but there are no risks in even heavily saturated carpets being dry in less then 48 hours. Our trained professionals know how to clean to keep dry time under 6 hours for normally soiled carpets. Overwetting can cause damage to backing and seams and will not happen with proper equipment and a trained professional.

I live on the third floor, will your hoses reach?

Yes, we will be able to clean for you. We have extensions to hoses for our truckmount and we have portable cleaning for units in a highrise, hotels, etc. Please let our office know your situation and we will evaluate to see what needs to be done to get your carpet clean.

Why is a truck-mounted steam cleaning better than a rental or home-unit? Personal extractors are excellent for maintenance and emergency spot removal. However, none of them can replace the deep cleaning of a truck mounted steam cleaning system. A truckmounted system has much more water pressure and vacuum power to provide a deeper cleaning. Plus, the water temperature is much hotter. Water needs to be 210 degrees at point of contact to kill bacteria. Also, the truck-mounted cleaning system flushes out the cleaning solutions and doesn't leave residue.

There are also other reasons not to use a rental or home unit. 1. If your carpet is under 5-10 years old, you should check your warranty to see how often truck-mounted steam cleaning is required to keep your warranty valid. 2. Overwetting and improper use of cleaning solutions can delaminate your carpet backing and cause seam damage. This is super easy to happen in home units.

What Does Carpet Protector Do?
Undetectable by sight, smell or touch, carpet protector protects all kinds of carpets. The repellent characteristic of carpet protector keeps dirt from sticking to the fibers, making carpets easier to care for. This helps your carpets look cleaner and fresher longer.

Does Cleaning Remove the Carpet Protector?
Some carpet protector is removed from the fiber from heavy traffic or aggressive cleaning. Some product may also be removed by strong cleaning agents and chemicals. It is generally recommended to re-apply carpet protector each time the carpet is cleaned.

How Does Carpet Protector Work?
Carpet protector delivers its protection by forming a molecular shield around each carpet fiber. The shield lowers the surface energy of the carpet fibers causing them to repel liquid spills and dust and dirt. This helps prevent dirt and stains from being ground into or absorbed by the fibers.

What is the difference between a spot and a stain?
A spot is any foreign substance that adds texture to fiber. A stain is anything that adds to or deletes the color of a fiber. Obviously, stains are not easily removed and usually are permanent, whereas spots are more readily cleaned up.

Area Rug Cleaning:

Will water cleaning shrink my wool rug?

No. Proper wool cleaning by a trained and certified professional will not cause shrinkage. Your wool rug will be properly tested, cleaned, and dried to prevent shrinkage.

Will steam cleaning or water cleaning damage my oriental rug?

You may be interested to know that many large rug cleaning plants in the lower 48 clean oriental, silk, and wool rugs by completely immersing them in a bath of hot water. It's not the water that is bad in the cleaning, it's who does it. There are many factors taken into account for cleaning fringe, preventing color bleeding, proper temperature, etc. to clean your fine rugs and protect your investment. Az Carpet & Restoration Co. only uses trained, certified, and experienced technicians to clean your rug.