Call now on 6273 2444  What is the 7 step restorative process? "7 STEP RESTORATIVE PROCESS" - refers to carpet cleaning carried out to Australian Standards AS3733 as outlined in Carpet Cleaning. What is 'steam cleaning'? The term 'steam cleaning' is slightly misleading because this process does not actually use steam. Very simply, a hot water extraction unit is used to pump a solution of hot water and detergent into the carpet and then extract it again with the soil from the carpet included. What is 'dry cleaning'? The term 'dry cleaning' generally refers to carpet cleaning methods that do not use hot water extraction units. Most of these processes are not actually 'dry' as they involve the use of water based cleaning agents. They are however, commonly referred to as 'dry cleaning' processes as the carpet usually requires less drying time than 'steam cleaning'. The most common method of 'dry cleaning' is technically called 'Bonnet Dry Cleaning' and essentially involves using a bonnet or pad on a buffing machine to rotate on the carpet surface and draw the dirt up into the pad. A water base dry cleaning fluid is sprayed onto the carpet, before a woollen pad (also soaked in the solution) is circulated over the carpet to lift dirt. This usually followed by another passing using dry pads. How often should I clean my carpets? When cleaned and maintained correctly carpet life is considerably extended. Carpets these days are designed to hide dirt particles deep in the pile, so even if your carpet does not appear to be particularly dirty it's the unseen soils, bacteria and allergens that cause the real damage to both your carpet and to you and your families personal health. Makers of quality stain protected carpets recommend professional cleaning to Australian Standards 3733 every 12 to 18 months depending on use. IF this is the recommendation for 'protected' carpets then all other non protected carpets should be cleaned at least as often. Do carpet/upholstery protectors work? Yes, but only when applied correctly, and according to the manufacturer's instructions. These products are an effective way to prolong soil and stain resistance and enhance carpet/upholstery performance. Unfortunately some sales people exaggerate the effectiveness of stain protection and suggest to the prospective buyer that stain protection means the carpet or upholstery will never get dirty - which of course is not true. What is true is that protectors reduce the impact or soiling or spills on the fibres. Protectors create an invisible barrier that minimises the impact spills and soiling. This allows you extra time to remove the offending substance before permanent damage or staining occurs. How long does it take to dry and when can I walk on my carpet? As the 7 step restorative process cleans the fibres without wetting the carpet backing or underlay, you are able to walk on the carpets immediately after cleaning (provided of course your footwear is clean). If it is around 30 degrees celcius or higher most carpets are dry in an hour or so, just leave the windows and doors open a little, as fresh air will evaporate the moisture quicker. If the temperature is around 20 degrees celcius or less it may take 2 to 3 hours for most of the moisture to leave the fibres. If you can use a heater to raise the temperature to between 22 and 25 degrees celcius that will be helpful but still allow air to circulate from outside by opening the windows a little. I had my carpet for 5 years before it needed cleaning... now it needs cleaning all the time I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard this story. This is a common problem and this is the main reasons why this happens. When you wash your clothes in the washing machine there are separate wash and rinse cycles. Imagine if you allowed the machine to do the wash cycle only and then you dried the clothes and put them on. You would find them not very comfortable, because there would be dried detergent in the garments. Unfortunately many carpet cleaners work the same way. They use a solution of water and detergent to clean your carpet but have no rinsing action. So when they leave, your carpet is damp with a combination of water and detergent. As it dries, the water evaporates, but the detergent remains behind. This makes your carpet slightly sticky or tacky, and, as dust particles fall on it, or dirt is tracked onto it - they cling to the detergent instead of vacuuming out as normal. Consequently your carpet gets dirty quicker. I had my carpet cleaned but within a week the spots came back... Another common complaint that I hear often. If you have dark spots on your carpet they usually result after a spill of a liquid or sticky substance. It is often the case that a mark does not appear straight away, a quick wipe over with a cloth and you forget about it. Then, after a week or so, you notice a grayish spot has magically appeared. This is because the initial spill has made the area sticky, and over time the spot gathers dust and grit particles and the area grows darker. If you get your carpet cleaned and the cleaner removes the dirt the spot will obviously disappear. However if the stickiness is not removed from the area, the spot can reappear relatively quickly. A similar phenomena can often occur if you happen to clean a relatively small spot or spill from your carpet with a detergent or carpet spotter. You may clean the area and remove the spot initially only to find a few days later that the spot has returned and in son bigger. This is because dirt particles are sticking to the left over detergent. The 7 step process is better placed to remove the  stickiness than other processes. The washing action breaks down the sticky substances and the rinse action uses very hot water heated to around 95 degrees celcius to remove the dirt and all the stickiness. Payment Options / Do you accept credit card? Payment is required by either cash or credit card.  We accept Mastercard, Visa or Eftpos.  We are unable to accept Amex or Diners Club.  A 3% transaction fee is charged on credit card payments.  We do not accept cheques. Do you move furniture? Yes, we are more than happy to help with moving furniture when cleaning your carpet. Generally we ask that you remove smaller objects such as plants, statues, diniung chairs, lamps, toys, clothes etc before we arrive. In the living areas you can generally leave dining tables, couches, TV units as we will move these around the room as we clean. In the bedrooms we can move most beds from side to side if you would like under the beds cleaned. If you want us to clean around the beds then you may pile items on the bed itself. Don't worry, you don't have to fuss too much if you are unsure whether to move a particular item, just wait until we get there and we will sort it out then. How is the 7 step restorative process different to 'Dry Cleaning' The major advantage of dry cleaning over steam cleaning is that the carpet dries quicker. The two main disadvantages of 'dry cleaning'are" 1. It is not a deep clean:- Because 'dry cleaning' generally concentrates on the top portion of the fibres, deeper down dirt and grit tends to remain behind. Deep down soil and grit can reduce the life of your carpet. When you walk on you carpet the deep down dirt and grit wears away at your carpet fibres like sandpaper. Grains of dirt trapped deep in the fibres rub against the carpet and can lead to premature traffic lanes which make your carpet look worn and shabby. The 7 step restorative process is different because it cleans along the entire length of the fibres and is therefore more effective than 'dry cleaning' at removing the deep down dirt and grit. 2. Residual detergent:- The 'dry cleaning' process has no rinsing action which means that some of the cleaning solution remains in the carpet. This left over detergent can make your carpets fibres sticky or tacky, and will immediately attract dirt particles. This is the number one reason for carpets re-soiling quickly after cleaning. The 7 step restorative process cleans and then rinses the carpet leaving no residual detergent unlike 'dry cleaning'. How is the 7 step restorative process different to 'Steam Cleaning' The major advantage of steam cleaning over dry cleaning is that you get a deeper clean that removes more of the deep down dirt and grit that wears away at your carpet fibres. The two main disadvantages of steam cleaning are 1. Over wetting of the carpet:- Without vacuuming first, much of the deep down dry dust particles in your carpet get wet and soggy when flushed with the cleaning solution. A lot of water and detergent is then needed to clean the carpet, especially in high traffic or heavily soiled areas. Often the backing and underlay can get wet, which is not good for your carpet. Over wet carpet can cause the carpet to wrinkle or shrink as well as cause odours. Not to mention the inconvenience of having wet carpet for days on end. 2. Residual Detergent:- With steam cleaning the carpet is flushed with a solution of water and detergent during the cleaning process and some of this solution remains in the carpet after cleaning. When the carpet does eventually dry the water evaporates but the cleaning solution remains behind. This left over detergent can make your carpets fibres sticky or tacky, and will immediately attract dirt particles. This is the number one reason for carpets re-soiling quickly after cleaning. The 7 step restorative process removes dry dust first (step 1), pre-conditions your carpet (step 2) and then has  separate washing and rinsing stages (steps 3 and 4) which gives you a deep down clean without wetting the carpet backing or underlay, or leaving behind residual detergent. Which is better 'Steam Cleaning' or 'Dry Cleaning'? If you ask friends or relatives that have had their carpets cleaned you find some will prefer steam cleaning some will prefer dry cleaning. This is generally based on how good a job the steam cleaner or dry cleaner did on the day. If you ask a 'Steam Cleaner' this question he/she is likely to tell you steam cleaning is better because it cleans deeper than 'dry cleaning'. Deep down dirt and grit embedded deep into your carpet needs to be removed, especially in high traffic areas because it wears away at the fibres and can cause your carpet to wear out prematurely. If you ask a 'Dry Cleaner' the same question he/she is likely to tell you that dry cleaning is better because carpets dry quicker and the backing and underlay do not get wet as in 'steam cleaning'. Excess water can cause some carpets to shrink or wrinkle, and cause odours if they get over wet. From a technical side both cleaners are correct, but before you choose between 'steam cleaning' or 'dry cleaning' be aware that you do have another choice...you could have your carpet cleaned to Australian Standards (AS3733) using the 7 STEP RESTORATIVE PROCESS which will give you a deep down clean without wetting the backing and underlay, and a clean which will last longer than conventional 'steam' or 'dry' cleaning.     Web Design by Taswiz Webmaster Resources