Frequently Asked Questions

• How much do you charge?
• How long does it take to dry?
• How long before we can walk on it?
• Do you roll out paper or something so we can walk on the carpet after it’s cleaned?
• What do we need to do before you come?
• Do we have to be home?
• Can you leave an invoice?
• Why should we use you?
• What method do you use?
• What method is best?
• Do you pretreat first?
• Are the chemicals safe for our kids and pets?
• Do you move furniture?
• What are the black edges on my carpet along walls and under doorways?
• Will you remove all my stains?
• Why do the same stains reappear over and over?
• Why should I have my carpet cleaned?
• How often should I have my carpet cleaned?
• Does cleaning carpet make it wear out faster?
• Does cleaning carpet make it get dirty faster?
• Can you get rid of cat pee odor?
• I found urine spots with my black light. Will they still glow after you treat them?
• Will your services help my allergies?
• Which is better for allergies: hardwood or carpet?
• Is it noisy?
• My carpet is really old. Should I replace it?
• What can I use to spot clean?

How much do you charge?

Our pricing structure is simple and straight forward. No hidden fees, EVER! We charge by the room/area, as indicated here

How long does it take to dry?

Since we consider drying to be a part of the cleaning process, we take dry times very seriously and perform crucial steps to dry the carpet as fast as possible. We regularly achieve drying periods of 1 hour or less.

How long before we can walk on it?

You may walk on your carpet immediately. Our Low-Moisture Carpet Cleaning process uses 85% less water for lightning fast dry times.

Do you roll out paper or something so we can walk on the carpet after it’s cleaned?

No, we do not. Doing so negatively affects the drying efforts.

What do we need to do before you come?

If possible, prior to our arrival, move small items into areas we won’t be cleaning. For example, many people move dining room chairs, coffee tables, ottomans and other small pieces of furniture into kitchens or bathrooms.

This allows us to work quickly and do a much more thorough job. We never rush through jobs, but time is always at a premium. It’s important that we use our time for cleaning, which includes intricate detail work. Having to move or work around a lot of furniture cuts into that time.

It is also helpful to make sure pets are secured for our safety and theirs. It’s possible for dogs and cats that are normally friendly to get frightened and defensive when they see and hear our cleaning equipment. We want everybody to be safe, so it’s best to put them away.

Finally, please vacuum if there are large amounts of pet hair or other loose debris that could clog our equipment. You don’t have to spend a lot of time. Simply vacuum up the big stuff and we’ll take care of the rest.

Do we have to be home?

Not necessarily, although it’s a good idea just so we don’t miss anything. If you can’t be home for some reason, we’ll make sure we have detailed job notes so we know exactly what you want done.

We’ll also ask you to have pets secured before our arrival. We love animals, but when we come into your home when you’re not there, your animals may not love us. It’s safer to have them secured.

Can you leave an invoice?

For commercial work yes, that’s no problem. For residential work, payment is due at the time of service.

Why should we use you?

We want to work for you, but we aren’t here to twist anybody’s arm. If you like the idea of orange-based cleaning solutions that are safe for your entire family, good old fashioned elbow grease, detail-oriented hard work, a free six-month spot and spill warranty and an outrageous money back guarantee, you’ll love us.

If you like dangerous chemicals, shoddy work and fly-by-night companies, you’ll hate us.

For more information, visit our “Why Choose Us?” page.

What method do you use?

The most common term for our regular process is Dry Carpet Cleaning, but it’s really called Low-Moisture Carpet Cleaning. The term Dry simply refers to the fast drying process. Hot water is nature’s best rinsing agent, and oranges are nature’s best cleaning agent. We combine the two for unstoppable cleaning power!

What method is best?

 

We aren’t going to pretend carpet cleaning is an elaborate scientific process.  Of course there’s a right way and a wrong way, but it’s not as mysterious as some would have you think.  The secret to carpet cleaning is the development and use of patience. To be truly clean, your carpet needs to be cared for with patience and skill regardless of what method is being used.

Do you pretreat first?

Yes! Absolutely! Always! We LOVE pretreating! Why? Because we’re so proud of our naturally-derived, orange-based pretreatment solution. Unlike the toxic brews our competitors use, our 100% safe solution contains only six natural ingredients. Even though it’s gentle and completely harmless, it’s tough on dirt and stains. Plus, it smells fantastic!

Are the chemicals safe for our kids and pets?

Absolutely. Our orange-based cleaning solution is nearly edible, and that’s not a joke. The two biggest dangers found in professional cleaning chemicals are butyl and VOCs. Despite the danger, they are commonly used by professional carpet cleaners.

In contrast, our solution is made from oranges and contains absolutely no butyls or VOCs. It’s completely safe for your entire family, including pets.

Do you move furniture?

To keep our prices low, our service does not include furniture moving or waiting while you move furniture. If you wish to move any items, it’s best to move them to an area we won’t be cleaning before our arrival. If you need a hand, we don’t mind helping you move an item or two but anything more than that would require us to charge a fee.

What are the black edges on my carpet along walls and under doorways?

That’s a common problem in modern buildings called soil filtration. The carpet acts as a filter and traps tiny particles of dirt from the air as it’s forced under walls and doors. We can probably make it look a lot better, but it may not come out all the way, and it will likely return over time.

Will you remove all my stains?

We try to remove every single stain we encounter no matter what it is. Despite our best efforts, some stains simply won’t come out. Most stain removal is free of charge. The only thing we’d ever charge extra for is heavy pet urine stains or large amounts of red food dye stains (Kool-Aid, Gatorade, etc.). Of course, we will talk to you first to make sure it’s something you want to pay for.

Why do the same stains reappear over and over?

Stains reappear for two reasons. The first is sticky soap residue. It usually comes from an over-the-counter product someone has used to clean up a spot or stain. They almost always use too much product, leaving behind soapy, foamy residue which is difficult to remove. In time, dirt sticks to the residue, creating a dark stain.

The second reason happens when a foreign material (soda, coffee, blood, etc.) is in the carpet backing or padding. The stain disappears when it’s cleaned, but over time it climbs back up the carpet fibers to once again rear its ugly head.

We take steps to prevent or slow both of these problems. They aren’t always 100% fixable, but we’ll try our best to get rid of them for you.

Why should I have my carpet cleaned?

Shaw and Mohawk recommend it, your allergies will be better, tiny bits of soil that literally scratch your carpet like sand paper will be removed, your visitors will be jealous, you’ll feel better about your home, it will smell better, and it helps people like us put our kids through college.

How often should I have my carpet cleaned?

For the most part, once a year is the norm. The industry recommendation is twice a year but few of our customers have their carpet cleaned that often. It really just depends on your usage and lifestyle. Some of our customers call every three or four years. Others call literally every month.

Does cleaning carpet make it wear out faster?

No! Regular cleaning actually prevents your carpet from wearing out. If you don’t clean your carpet on a regular basis, tiny bits of jagged soil build up. Over time, it grinds your carpet away like sandpaper. A thorough professional cleaning will remove this soil. If it’s not removed, it will wear your carpet out faster than you might imagine.

Does cleaning carpet make it get dirty faster?

At one time this was true. In the old days carpets were almost always cleaned with products made from coconut oil, which is where the term “shampooing” came from. Shampooing would make carpet look pretty good for a while, but the sticky soap residue that got left behind attracted dirt, so a month or two later things looked dirty again.

Thankfully, that was 40 years ago. Nowadays, if a carpet re-soils in a short period of time, then something went wrong. A properly cleaned carpet should never get dirty faster. However, this myth continues to hang around because it was actually true at one time.

Can you get rid of cat pee odor?

We might be able to, but probably not how you’d expect. Cleaning alone won’t cut it. If you’re serious, you’ll need to have an installer replace the carpet padding and seal the subfloor while we aggressively (but safely) treat the carpet. This process can be expensive and time-consuming, and it may not even work. Odor from cat urine is nearly impossible to remove. However, every case is different and we’re always willing to give it a shot as long as you understand the risks.

I found urine spots with my black light. Will they still glow after you treat them?

Probably. Urine contains a protein that stains carpet with an invisible dye that can only be seen under ultraviolet (UV) light. We can completely flush out all the urine but that particular protein almost always remains. However, it is no longer urine in any way, shape or form. It is merely an element that at one time was joined with many other elements to form urine. It is as harmless as the invisible ink (the stuff that glows under a black light) used to stamp hands at amusement parks and nightclubs.

Will your services help my allergies?

Yes, temporarily. After we’ve cleaned your carpet with hot filtered water, you’ll enjoy noticeable relief. However, the contaminants that cause allergies will always find their way back into your home, so the effects are not permanent. If you have severe allergies, we recommend routine cleaning to keep contaminants under control. This can help significantly.

Is hardwood or carpet better for allergies?

People tell us all the time they’re going to replace their carpet with hardwood floors because their allergies are so bad. In reality, carpet is much better for allergy sufferers because it acts
like a huge filter that traps airborne contaminants. In contrast, allergen particles are easily stirred into the air on hard floors. According to the EPA, as long as it’s regularly cleaned, carpet is much better at controlling allergies than hard floors.

Is it noisy when you clean?

The noise is comparable to a hair dryer running on the lowest setting.

My carpet is really old. Should I replace it?

We can do some amazing things so don’t count your carpet out just yet. Have us come by and look at it. We’ll give you an honest opinion for free. We don’t hesitate to recommend replacement if that’s truly the best option. But if we think we can save it, we’ll let you know. We can also do carpet repairs to fix wrinkles, rips, tears, holes or just about anything else. You might be surprised by what we can do.

What can I use to spot clean?

First of all, every Orange You Glad customer gets a free six-month spot and spill warranty, so you may not need to do any spot cleaning at all. We can do it for you.

Otherwise, you can remove almost any spot with the following instructions. All you need is a wet/dry vacuum like a Shop-Vac and a few household items. Test an inconspicuous area first. We are not responsible for damage.

Fill a cereal bowl about 2/3rds full with water. Add about 15 drops of dish soap and about three tablespoons of rubbing alcohol. This is your cleaning solution.

Locate your spot and clean up as much excess material as possible. Be careful not to scrub the carpet or get too rough with it. You might fray the fibers, which is permanent damage. Apply cleaning solution to the spot. Pour it on with a spoon or use a rinsed-out Windex bottle to spray it. Work the solution in by “tamping” it with the back of a spoon. Don’t scrub.

Suck up the solution with your wet/dry vacuum. If the spot remains, repeat these steps until t’s gone. If it stops improving at some point, it might be a permanent stain.

For especially greasy or oily spots like tar, shoe polish or grease, add more rubbing alcohol until the spot starts to dissolve. You can even pour straight rubbing alcohol directly onto the spot, but continue to use the homemade solution as well. The alcohol dissolves the spot and the dish soap suspends it so it can be flushed away by the vacuum.

Do not attempt to use this process without a wet/dry vacuum. It’s imperative that you extract all excess cleaning solution. If rubbing alcohol is allowed to remain in contact with your carpet for an extended time, it could dissolve the backing which causes permanent damage. But don’t worry. As long as you have a wet/dry vacuum, this process is completely safe.