FAQ
some of the most frequently asked questions
CARPET CLEANING
Primarily we promote our Very Low Moisture method the most. With dry times of an hour and a clean that is visually apparent. It is what most people want and requested by realtors alike. Hot Water Extraction has its place. Carpet mills want to see proof that you have been maintaining the carpet as well by deep cleaning via HWE every 12 – 18 months if ever a warranty claim is made. Both methods have there place. Both are equally important.
Every home is different as well as the logistics to clean. Ideally, if there is an open path to all areas ideally 20 minutes per room/area is all that is needed. A whole house can range approximately 2 hours – 2 1/2hrs with the Very Low Moisture Cleaning method. With a portable extractor the process can be longer averaging 30 minutes+ an area. We do not rush the process which ever method is used.
More often than not our Very Low Moisture dry cleaning method will be dry to the touch within the hour. I tend to work at the furthest point of the home and continue to the front door to exit. With Hot Water Extraction [aka:Steam] I find it’ll take a minimum of 4 hours and up to 24 hours to dry completely. The reason for the variance in time is due to humidity, temperature and the air flow in the home as it dries.
The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification is a great place to start. The IICRC says you have trained and certified in a discipline recognized the world over. That you “will” follow standards and ethically do the work you have been hired to do. How that translates for you is, the person coming to your home “can” do the job correctly and responsibly. It’s a major difference when someone says they are a carpet cleaner and someone who “IS” a carpet cleaner. The Certified Carpet Cleaner “is” the genuine article. The Certified Carpet Cleaner will not use laundry detergent, dish washing soap, substandard or inferior products to clean your carpets. Ask for a current certification before the come to your home, ask for their insurance information, look them up online with the North Carolina Secretary Of State website to see if in fact they are even legally registered to “do business” in the state. When you say competition, let us start there with the training then the legitimacy of being a business legally operating in the state.
No one can or should “guarantee” they can remove any stain or spot. Yes there are products that help improve the carpets appearance but it should not be assumed that all stains or spots can be removed. There are various reasons that can cause a stain to set into the carpet fiber including attempts to “clean” them.
You need a Professional Licensed Exterminator. NOT a Carpet Cleaner. Please keep in mind that the carpet is not the only place fleas will lay eggs, you might consider having your upholstery treated and cleaned as well as any area rugs or pet beds. Once they have been eradicated, schedule your carpet cleaning after the all clear.
We are fairly priced for the results we achieve in this Charlotte market.
I cannot emphasize how important it is that you hire a legally registered business. Facebook and other social media platforms do NOT legitimize a business. Buying carpet cleaning equipment does NOT make you a carpet cleaner. If that were the case we should go out and purchase a stethoscope and call ourselves doctors. In 2018 a carpet cleaner worth their salt should average $150 an hour per home. When you see carpet cleaning for $88 dollars. There is a high probability there will be a lot of bait and switch, up charging or worse damage. Those low offers are designed to get in the home. If they are not an actual business, they will concoct an unknown brew of chemicals, never applying them correctly, nor extracting them correctly literally damaging your carpet.
Keep in mind CARDINAL ORGANIC DOES NOT REPAIR DAMAGE.
At our pre inspection walk through. We’ll address the trouble areas and concerns. We will set our expectations for your carpet then. Our job is to meet them, if not exceed them! We promote No Upsells, No Hidden Charges and No Bait & Switch for a reason. If you haven’t deep cleaned your carpet in years. A HWE may be the appropriate course of action at the time as a recommendation. Then 3 – 4 months later a Low Moisture Cleaning. Ultimately you’ll decide the service you’d like and your satisfaction will be guaranteed.
CARPET PROTECTION
Carpet protection helps carpet and upholstery resist soiling from dry dirt, water- and oil-based spills by wrapping each fiber in a protective coating. This extra layer gives you more time to clean up spots and spills before they soak into the fibers. Every HWE treatment will remove what is left of the carpet protection that was applied at the carpet mill. It must be reapplied to continue it’s warranty from the manufacture. The best time to professionally reapply it is the day of a HWE treatment. Your carpet is an investment, protect it.
A dry soil protector comes on most carpet from the manufacturers. This is a wear dated product and is removed over time with every day traffic. Carpet manufacturers recommend that you have this protector reapplied about once a year. Have it professionally reapplied the day you have a Hot Water Extraction done.
Odors and whatever causes them must be remediated. Spreading a deodorizer will only mask the issue if you do not remove the source of the issue. Cardinal Organic does not use deodorizers. They are VOCs and the use of a deodorizer is by definition introducing VOCs to our way of cleaning. In our Carpet Cleaning capacity we do not remediate malodors. We have an Odor Control Certification and “can” remediate odors. That is not included in “Carpet Cleaning” and it is a very different process, different specialized equipment and rates.
UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
As needed and recommend intervals are similar to carpets. Every 12 to 18 months depending on usage. During this SARS-CoV2 Pandemic people are cleaning more often. Now it’s more like every 6 months to clean your carpets.
We use the latest technology in professional upholstery tools. No second pass, no over-spray, and high-volume water flow all contribute to the efficiency and speed of cleaning. Cleaning with the DriMaster Upholstery Tool is just plain faster. The high flow – low residual moisture effect of this new technology leaves the fabric cleaner and drier while greatly reducing the chances of damage.
Depending on the upholstery to be cleaned our Very Low Moisture cleaning process may be used. it is our preferred method which more often than not would be our first choice method to use.
Because the same conditions apply as with HWE of carpets. Dry time is affected by humidity, temperature and air flow in the space. I’d advocate not to use the sofa until it is completely dry to the touch. We bring air movers to speed up the drying process.
TILE & GROUT CLEANING
If it’s been years since you’ve cleaned your tiles you are well over due. Just like carpet, dirt builds up over time dulling your tiles appearance and discoloring your grout. It’s like everything else in your home. It’s must be maintained.
We use a high pressure rotary tool with dual rotating jets and brushes. I used high pressure steam cleaning process as well. We use tile and grout specific cleaners to remove the built up grime and dirt on your tile and grout lines.
It is relative to your home and lifestyle. Hardly home and just yourself? Once a year. Several kids, everyone plays sports, dog, cat, a lot of traffic will will determine the frequency with respect to cleaning intervals. We can clean your tiles. Please note if tiles have been neglected cleaning may not be the answer solely. It may need restoration because of neglect to maintain it. WE DO NOT DO RESTORATION WORK.
Usually most areas I am hire to clean is under 300 sq. ft.. Ideally We are done in a hour.
We do NOT restore tiles. We can CLEAN and prepare your tiles for sealant. Sealant when applied will help protect your investment extending the life of your tile flooring. Sealant will help prevent liquid spills giving you time to clean them before they penetrate the grout lines. There are degrees of sealents and a restoration expert can better assist you in determining the level of protection you need.
WOOD LAMINATE & LVT/LVP CLEANING
Your floors will have to be inspected. Most often than not the scratches are more like scuffs found on the years of compounded cleaners that have been used to clean the floors and left years of residue throughout. It is best to visually see the floor to give a more accurate assessment of what can be done. Damage on the other hand is not something we fix.
*Dents, Damaging Scratches / Gouges into the wood. You may need to replace those sections
We can not instruct anyone how to clean their home. In our experience we have seen people repeatedly doing the same thing over and over. Compounding the problem. Most folks were told “maintenance free” floors and never told it cost twice as much to clean than carpeting. Keep in mind you can not fix damage. You’d have to replace any damage that is visible.
It is relative to your home and lifestyle. If you are hardly home and just yourself? Once a year. If there are several kids, everyone plays sports, dog, cat, heavy traffic all of this will determine the frequency of the suggested cleaning intervals. We can clean your floors. Please note if the floor has been neglected and has suffered damage. Cleaning may not be the answer solely. It may need restoration because of neglect to maintain it. WE DO NOT DO RESTORATION WORK.
What we can say is, cleaning the wood floors will take planning if the home is currently occupied. furniture must be removed from the the areas that need servicing. Then their is cleaning, dry time and moving the furniture back. It will take several hours of the day a minimum of 4 to 8 depending on the size.
Unoccupied homes at least 4 hours.
People call this process as a “wax’ or a “polyurethane coat.” WE DO NOT APPLY EITHER! Although once we have removed all the dirt and grime from the floors. The wood floor will be in it’s natural state. Which is the most opportune time to apply a re finisher. It is a protector, has a slight sheen when dried and it is at an additional cost.