Carpet FAQ

Most of the Carpet Cleaning we do is the “hot water extraction” method; also known as “Steam Cleaning”. This is the preferred method of cleaning by most major carpet manufacturers. AAA Steam Carpet and Upholstery cleaning uses “truck-mounted” machines that produce more power and hotter water, resulting in better cleaning results. Where necessary we use portables, encapsulation, and dry bonnet cleaning.

You may if you wish. You can never over vacuum, but all our packages do include pre-vacuuming. No certified professional cleaner would clean a carpet with out first vacuuming. Up to 79% of the debris in your carpeting is non-soluble and is much easier to remove prior to wet cleaning.

Our trained technicians will be happy to move most furniture, as long as any knickknacks and breakables are removed prior to our arrival. If you have china cabinets that you want moved they must be emptied to prevent any breakage. All furniture that is moved will be returned to its original position and blocks and pads will be placed under the legs to prevent staining. These protective items should remain under the furnishings for 24hrs before removal. There are some items that we can not or will not move. Eg: pianos, exercise equipment, pool tableanything to do with electrical cords and wall units.

Most carpet cleaners, to save time and costs, inject their cleaning products in to their rinse water. Therefore leaving behind all that sticky alkaline shampoo. Just imagine washing your hair with shampoo and then rinsing it with shampoo. It may be clean but it is going to dry all sticky and hard. Plus it will attract dirt faster! At AAA Steam Carpet Cleaning we take the extra time and care to pre-treat all your carpets and spots with a pre-conditioner and rinse with a cleaning chemical FREE rinse. This ensures that your carpets will stay clean longer and are safe for your children and pets.

At AAA Steam Carpet Cleaning we have take extra steps to make sure that your property and all valuables are protected in every way possible. We use wall corner guards and drop sheets to ensure our hoses do not damage baseboards, paint or floors when we pull our hoses. A nice thing with our truck-mounts is that all the heavy equipment remains in the truck and is not dragged thru your home.

The simple answer is quality in workmanship and reputation. Skilled, experienced and schooled technicians take pride in their work and it shows in the end result. Rather than use harsh chemicals to achieve a surface brightening, AAA crews rinse your carpets clean. Remove spots with expert techniques in a separate operation. Achieve a near new look, which lasts far longer. Our crews move (most) furniture and truly clean carpets from corner to corner. When it comes to low advertised prices keep in mind that in the end this advertised price will be greatly inflated by adding additional and often unnecessary services (bait and switch). So what originally may sound as a ‘good deal’ may cost more in the end. Rapid re-soiling is the biggest consumer gripe of cut-rate carpet cleaning. Guarantees are only as good as the company that stands behind them (reputation). Our price is based on the amount of sq. ft. cleaned, not room per room. This way you just pay for what you are having cleaned. There are lots of low priced cleaners who love to take your money. But like my father would say; "Cheap is good, but good is never cheap." So if you are looking for a quick brush the dirt of the surface cleaning we are not the company you are looking for. If you want a deep thorough cleaning, using environmentally sound products by trained certified technicians, backed by a 100% money back guarantee then call us!

The different fibres used in producing carpets, or upholstered furniture, have different characteristics; such as how much liquid they will absorb or what food dyes can stain them. Such as; black coffee is much easier to remove then the coffee that contains cream and sugar. So it may be that one spill comes out but the other spill does not. It could be the same drink just with different ingredients, or even the temperature of the beverage. Therefore successful stain removal can vary greatly. All spots are pretreated before any cleaning begins. Our crews use a variety of products to achieve maximum success but we cannot guarantee that all staining can be removed; especially if the stain has been previously improperly cleaned, thus setting the stain permanently. Thanks to our training and years of experience we are generally very successful, often astonishing our clients with what we can do, and what other cleaners in the past were unable to do.

The normal drying time is from 6 to 8 hours depending on the degree of soiling and the outside humidity. We suggest you use ceiling or floor fans to aid in the drying process. Any air circulation will speed up the drying time. Extreme humidity, and or heavy soiling, will add hours to the normal drying times. Cleaning in the winter season the drying times can be considerably shorter.

No. The build up of soil in your carpet in combination with foot traffic creates abrasion that breaks down your carpets’ fibres. So what you perceive as soiling is actually the damage that has been caused by the soiling. This wear & tear can be permanent. This means higher traffic areas will require cleaning more often. We only charge you for the areas that we actually clean so it is possible to get just the traffic areas done when needed.

It is true you can definitely save money doing it your self, but at what is the true cost? Improperly treating stains with the incorrect product, or incorrect pH can permanently set a spot. A spot that could easily have been removed by us. Portables, especially the rental ones, lack suction. Portables lack the ability to remove all the debris and equally important they fail to remove all water you have injected. This inability to fully remove all that water can leave your carpets wet for days, not a few hours like with our cleaning process. This can cause bacterial growth and the odours that go along with them. Time is money. Figuring the time to pick up the equipment, set up, move & return your furniture, you could easily spend an entire day soaking your carpets. In less time we could have cleaned and fully dried your carpets. The place that rents the units to you will NOT give you a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with your cleaning. Nor help you remove the browning or wicking back of spots after it does dry in a few days. We back our cleaning with a money back warranty, a 30 day no spots will return guarantee, and a 7 day spill warranty.

No. Although our process rinses the carpet deep down moisture does not penetrate the backing of the carpet. With our powerful truck mounted equipment your carpet is thoroughly rinsed and left only damp to the touch. The best way to prove this is to clean front door mats which are the most soiled carpets in a home. After the cleaning we welcome you to flip it over and you will find that the floor is 100% dry, no water has gone thru to the carpet backing. Many dry cleaning businesses will tell you that steam cleaning soaks the carpet, pad, and sub floors. This simply does not happen with our powerful cleaning machines. Put us to the test we have nothing to hide!

Pet odour is a very common problem. At AAA Steam Carpet Cleaning we can help you deal with your pet odours. The problem with pet odour is that it can be much deeper than it first appears. Pet urine can easily soak through the backing of the carpet into the padding underneath. In more severe cases the urine can penetrate into the sub-floor beneath the padding. This creates a problem that is multi-layered. The urine also provides for the growth of bacteria. This in turn contributes to a worsening of the odour problem and can contribute to permanent colour loss of the carpet fibre. Left untreated over a period of time pet odour can become absorbed into many of the porous materials in your home; draperies, sheet rock, upholstered furniture, baseboards, even concrete foundation. These are just a few of the materials that can absorb these odours. We offer a range of solutions to help you solve your pet odour problems.

To answer your question – a complete inspection of your carpet, pad and subfloor would have to be done. When the subfloor and pad are saturated carpet cleaning alone will not completely remove the odours. As the odours will wick up from the subfloor and pad. We cannot guarantee complete pet odour removal with out the removal and replacement of effected pad, sealing of the subfloor and cleaning of both sides of the carpet. So it is best to get us in as soon as possible to treat these accidents before the damage sinks in.

It is not necessary that you be home while your carpet is cleaned because our carpet cleaners are professionals. They are fully trained, reliable and insured. However we do recommend that someone be home before we begin cleaning to discuss carpet care issues pertaining to your carpet, and to discuss which cleaning package you would prefer, and the cost.

Some spots may reappear after drying, or after a few days of the carpets being walked on. This is usually caused by a previous soap build-up or stickiness from a spill. Spots reappearing from a process called “wicking” is also common. This is caused when the spot wicks up from the backing of the carpet. The top of the carpet dries first and pulls up more moisture. Any dormant spots in the pad or back of the carpet can be pulled to tips of the fibres. Our service technicians concentrate on these areas but can only go over areas a limited number of times. Return services may be subject to a minimum service charge AFTER our 1st return service (1st is free for up to 30 days after original cleaning). So if a spot does return after our cleaning please be sure to call us back within the first 30 days and we will be happy to return and retreat for FREE!!! After 30 days our minimum charge applies. Please do not hesitate to call as soon as you see the spot!

You may walk on your carpets as long as your feet are not soiled. However, please try to keep pets, children, and heavy traffic off the carpet during the drying process. There is also the concern of slip and fall hazard when walking from your damp carpet to hard surface flooring, so be extra careful till dry. Wait 24 hours before removing protective tabs that our technicians have placed under the furniture to protect the carpet from furniture stains.

Vacuuming twice a week will help in preventing soil build up. Door mats can also help prevent dirt from being tracked throughout your home.

A very good and fare question! AAA Steam Carpet Cleaning is not the only professional carpet cleaner in the region.To say that would just be dishonest. But the truth be told there are a lot more poorly trained and unscrupulous cleaners then trained professionals.

Here are a few questions you should ask any cleaner before letting them into your home:
1. If I am not fully satisfied with your cleaning will you refund 100% of my money?
2. Are you fully trained by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning Restoration Certification) and what are your areas of certifications? What is your certification number?
3. Are you fully insured?
4. Do you use truck-mounted cleaning with chemical free rinse?
5. Do you have over 20 years experience?
6. Can you provide referrals and testimonials?
7. Are all of your cleaning products environmentally friendly?
8. Do you give a written price to cleaning?
9. Are you a member of ethical services?

Our answer to all of those questions is YES. Our biggest asset is our thousands of thrilled clients who constantly refer us to their friends, family & co-workers and leave us great testimonials. Please check our testimonials on our site. We would love to add your name to our growing list of thrilled clients.

People invest thousands of dollars in their new carpets and furniture. Cleaning is protecting your investment from being damaged. The soil that is in your carpets and furniture that your vacuum can’t pull out because its oily properties causes your carpet to wear and have a dull colour and appearance. What would your kitchen linoleum look like if you did not clean it for 2 years, only sweep it? Your carpet is designed to trap and hide dirt from showing. The dirt is there and must be removed in order to preserve its colour, quality & strength.

The (IICRC) Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification “Residential Carpet Cleaning Frequency Chart”

Your Carpet Manufacturer’s Written Warranty

Shaw Industries, StainMaster and Mohawk, who together manufacture over 80% of the world’s carpet recommend hot water extraction cleaning.
This paragraph comes from the current STAINMASTER Warranty page: “To qualify for coverage under this limited warranty, you must have had hot water extraction, performed by a trained, qualified carpet care professional, at least every 24 months since the date of purchase of your carpet.

(You must provide your receipts for proof of service.†)”
http://www.stainmaster.com/warranty/stainmaster_carpet_warranties.jsp
http://www.stainmaster.comimages/documents/SFC_Consumr_Warrn_20070801.pdf