F.A.Q

How often should I have my carpet cleaned?
On average household carpets should be cleaned at least once a year. In some cases (pets, children, allergies) carpets may require more frequent cleaning.
How often should I have my upholstery cleaned?
Upholstery should be cleaned once every 12 months as a part of regular maintenance. Upholstery that shows visible dirt or soiling should be cleaned to avoid dirt building up and causing staining.
Other carpet cleaning firms are cheaper,why is that?
We have built our business on our quality work. We do not use “bait and switch” as part of our sales strategy, unfortunately in the industry some operators do.Our price is reflective of the top quality work, equipment and materials used when we clean. Quality cleaning and care extends the life of your rug and furniture, while poor quality cleaning can leave behind residues and actually harm your investment!
Do you use chemicals to clean?
Every cleaning system uses some form of chemical to clean soft furnishings, water is a chemical and forms the basis of most cleaning solutions. A good experienced cleaning technician will be using safe chemicals and will rinse the items to make sure that no chemical residues remain within the fibres.
Someone in the house suffers from an allergy will the cleaning chemicals be a problem?
Carpet cleaning methods rely mainly on water based chemicals and the cleaning technician should be made aware of the allergy. Steps can be taken to ensure that the risk of the allergy sufferer coming into contact with a cleaning chemical is eliminated. The allergy sufferer should not enter the room that has had items cleaned within it for a twenty-four hour period.
Is it true that once you have had your carpet/suite cleaned they get dirtier quicker?
This was true many years ago when cleaning by shampoo was the normal way owners tackled their carpets themselves. Chemicals and Cleaning Machines are much more sophisticated these days and providing cleaners follow laid down procedures this rapid re soiling shouldn’t take place.
How long will my carpet/furniture take to dry?
Drying times for carpets and soft furnishings can vary greatly due to the following conditions: *Relative humidity within the environment. *Adequate ventilation introduced to the environment. *The degree of soil contained within the carpet or fabric. *The level of competence of the cleaning technician. *The moisture retention rates of the respective fibres (Wool, Nylon, Cotton, Polyester, Polypropylene, etc.) Regardless of all the above, the drying of soft furnishings should be achieved within twenty-four hours. In the most favourable conditions this drying time can be considerably less.
Will my carpet shrink?
The cleaning technician should inspect the carpet prior to any cleaning taking place. During this inspection any risk of potential shrinkage can be identified and discussed with you. It may be that the carpet fittings are not secure and require correction. Some carpets are more prone to shrinkage and may have to be cleaned by an alternative method but this would be thoroughly discussed with the client before any work proceeds.
Will all the stains come out?
Most marks will come out during the cleaning process. Some of the more difficult dye stains may need some specialist treatment to deal with them. Any success at removing these types of stains is often diminished by home remedies that have already been tried before the technician is called out to deal with them.The technician will know the fibre content of the carpet/fabric and if the stain can be identified an outcome may be predicted.
Does the room have to be clear?
No, but it does help if any breakable items (i.e. China, glassware etc.) are removed from the room, including those inside cabinets that will have to be moved. It would also help the technician if small items of furniture are also removed, such as waste paper bins, paper racks etc. The technician will then move the items, clean and put the back in position placing protector pads/fibre blocks beneath the item to prevent staining from loose wood dye or rust from metal studs under the legs transferring onto the carpet.
What system do you use to clean carpets?
An NCCA member will use the appropriate system to clean your carpet to achieve an excellent result, safely. Some carpets need to be cleaned using low moisture systems whilst others benefit from a deeper clean.
Do you use steam?
The systems that are more popularly used professionally do not use steam in the true sense of the word. The small moisture particles that are sprayed onto the carpet are very fine and give the appearance of steam. There are some units on the market that do produce steam and some models are sold through High Street stores for ceramic tile cleaning etc. They also say that they can be used for carpets and soft furnishings but unless you know exactly what you are doing considerable damage can be done to carpets and fabrics.
Q. I have black lines all around the edge of my carpet, will they come out?
It depends on the severity of the black marks.
professional cleaning technician should be able to significantly improve the appearance, however the source of the problem needs to be dealt with to prevent the staining returning. Ask the NCCA member for information on how this can be done.
The areas in front of settee and armchairs are very dirty; can you get it all out?
The dirt can be removed but continual foot movement from all the people who use the furniture will have damaged the carpet fibres. This abrasion will cause a difference in light reflection giving the appearance of light soiling.
If things go wrong, and my chosen NCCA Member Technician should unexpectedly damage my carpet, what recompense can I expect?
It is a condition of membership for all NCCA Members that they are always insured for both Public and Treatment Liability risks. This insurance cover not only protects our member against an unforeseen financial burden, but also gives peace of mind to the consumer should the unexpected happen.
I have just bought a steam cleaner can I clean my carpets/upholstery with it?
Although these steam machines are often advertised as suitable for cleaning carpets and soft furnishings BE CAREFUL! The twist in a cut pile carpet is heat set and using excessively high heat (steam) can release the twist in the pile giving the carpet a felt like appearance. The use of these units on velvet pile fabrics will result in severe distortion damage.
Can I put the cushion covers in the washing machine?
Not Advisable . . . the zips are fitted on cushions are for the ease of the manufacturer to get the foam fillers into the covers NOT for the consumer to take off to wash. These zips are not very strong and can easily break. The covers can shrink making it difficult to get the fillers back in. Some washing powders can affect the colours of the cushions giving a less pleasing appearance to the item of furniture.