General Deep Cleaning Frequently Asked Questions

Carpets act as a filter, trapping dust, dirt, gases, animal hair, and other soils. It’s important to vacuum carpets regularly and to have them fully cleaned on a regular basis, before they’re appearing dirty. Dirt builds up in layers, and when carpet looks dirty, you’re actually only seeing the dirt at the tips of the carpet fibers. If you wait until your carpets look dirty to have them cleaned, they may not be able to be restored to original condition. Vacuuming your carpet is important preventative maintenance that will extend the life of your carpets and keep them looking better, longer. Regular vacuuming can also extend the amount of time between professional carpet cleanings.

Vacuuming frequency depends on the level of foot traffic and other conditions that might be present in your home that soil the carpet. Low traffic areas should be vacuumed at least once a week, and high traffic areas need daily vacuuming. High traffic areas in your home, like main entryways, benefit from consistent vacuuming. Yes, depending on the circumstance, you should be able to remain at home while your carpets are being cleaned. We’ll ask for an appropriate staging area in your home for our equipment, which should be near a water source. It’s important that children and pets are kept away from this staging area, but you may remain in the home while we work to clean your carpets. The time it takes to clean carpets greatly depends on the size of the area being cleaned, and the type of cleaning we are performing. HTX Elite Build uses five different carpet cleaning methods, which will be chosen depending on the type of carpet fiber and degree of soiling. The cost for carpet cleaning will depend on the size of area being cleaned, and the type of cleaning method used. We will move furniture as necessary, pretest your carpet fibers and select the appropriate cleaning method depending on the severity of soiling. The frequency of carpet cleaning depends on several factors. Carpets in homes without children, pets or smokers should be cleaned every six to 12 months. Carpets in homes with children, pets or where smoking is occurring need cleaned more often; every three to six months. Carpets in office buildings should be cleaned every six to 12 months, but if the office is on a ground floor, that frequency increases to every three to six months. If an accident occurs, you should try to remove the spot immediately. The longer the substance is left in the carpet the more likely it will become a permanent stain. We will pretreat traffic lanes, heavily soiled areas and any spots present. We’ll work to remove spots before cleaning your carpet and use a method/cleaner selected for the type of soil that created the spot. It’s best to stay off the carpet until it’s dry, if possible. We will groom the perimeter of the carpet to allow air to circulate around the fibers. If a shorter drying time is needed, we may set up air movers to blow over the carpet surface, reducing drying time. Textiles such as upholstery and draperies act as a filter, trapping dust, dirt, gases, animal hair and other soils. Regular vacuuming and spot removal are recommended preventative maintenance for these surfaces, which could increase the time between professional cleanings. Any spots or heavily soiled areas will be treated prior to cleaning. While not all stains can be removed, we have the knowledge, methods and cleaners necessary to remove spots, if possible. Most cleaning companies have only one or two cleaning methods, whereas HTX Elite Build has 10 fabric cleaning methods. We will match our services to your cleaning needs. The time it takes to clean upholstery varies on its size, the fabric makeup, and the method required to clean it. We’ll work as quickly as possible to get your upholstery clean and back in service. No, you do not need to leave the house while upholstery or draperies are cleaned. Cleaning frequency depends on several factors in the building where the item is located. The number of people and children, pets, and whether smoking is occurring are factors that influence the frequency of cleaning. Typically, upholstery and draperies should be cleaned every 12 to 24 months, but specific factors may require more frequent cleaning. You should wait until upholstery is fully dry before sitting on it, as the fabric is more sensitive to residues when it is wet or damp. Yes, it’s important to clean your walls at least once a year. If you have an alternate heating source that exudes different residues, wall cleaning should occur more often. Additionally, if you plan to repaint a room, cleaning the walls is an important first step to help make sure the paint adheres properly.

You can extend the time between cleaning through regular maintenance that includes dusting and cobweb clearing. Washing your kitchen and bathroom walls more often is a good idea, since these areas of the home are used most often. Dust that accumulates around your house also sticks onto your walls. This layer of dust builds up over time, especially if you don’t regularly dust the wall surfaces. Additionally, steam from cooking in the kitchen, and from showers in the bathroom, allows dust and particles to stick to walls in these areas, more easily. We will pretest any area before conducting a full wash of walls to make sure cleaners don’t react negatively with the paint. We have multiple processes and cleaners to choose from depending on how extensive the soiling on your walls is. We’ll test and monitor as we go to make sure your walls are returned to their original condition. Depending on the severity of the stain, we have processes and cleaners specifically for cleaning walls. We’ll work to help return your walls to their original condition, without stains. The cost for professional hardwood cleaning varies greatly depending on the size of your home and area covered by hardwood flooring that needs cleaned. Contact an HTX Elite Build near you for an estimate on professional hardwood cleaning. You shouldn’t use just any household cleaning product on hardwood floors, as it may damage the surface or penetrate the wood leaving undesired consequences. There are cleaning products made specifically for hardwood floor application, and these should be selected. Alternately, you can make a mild cleaner for hardwood floors by mixing one part vinegar with 10 parts warm water. The length of time to clean your floors depends greatly on the size of your home and the area covered by hardwood flooring that needs addressed. Contact an HTX Elite Build near you for an estimate on the time it will take for hardwood cleaning in your home. You’ll want to wait for the floors to dry before walking on them or moving any furniture back into place. HTX Elite Build technicians will let you know when it’s safe to walk normally on the floors. Curtains or draperies should be cleaned every three to six months. However, if a member of your household has severe allergies, consider cleanings more often. Depending on the type of draperies or curtains you have, you can clean these yourself. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for fabric care before attempting this on your own. You can use your home washing machine, but ensure that it’s large enough for the job. Some fabrics may require dry cleaning, or other specialty cleaning methods. HTX Elite Build can clean all types of curtains, draperies and blinds. For more information about the specific type of window treatments you own and how we can help with cleaning, contact an HTX Elite Build near you. Blinds should be cleaned once a month, including both dusting and washing with soapy water. Vacuuming in between heavier cleanings will help reduce the amount of time needed to complete the more thorough washes.

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