The 3 Stages of Carpet Cleaning

Maybe your husband spilled a glass of red wine on the carpet—whoops! Or maybe your carpet’s just looking a little grungy from normal wear and tear. Whatever the reason, it’s time for a good old-fashioned carpet cleaning. What’s the process like and what can you expect from a carpet cleaning?

A thorough carpet cleaning has three parts: the pre-spray, the deodorizer and the protectant. Let’s take them one at a time.

1. Pre-spray. Think of this as a pre-treatment for your clothes. It comes in and does the heavy lifting of separating the stain from the carpet fiber. Just like your pre-treated clothes, the pre-spray solution needs some time to sit and do its work.
2. Deodorizer. This does exactly what it says it does—it gives your carpet a nice, light scent. But that’s not all it does. Deodorizer also conditions your carpet. The effect is the same as when you condition your hair: softer, more manageable carpet. That’s important whether you have kids and pets playing underfoot or whether you just want a carpet that feels nice between your toes. Once the deodorizer has done its job, it’s time for the…
3. Protectant. More specifically, we ScotchGard® the carpet. This coats the fibers of your carpet with a substance that helps keep your carpet in good condition between cleanings. It’s not magical; it’s not going to make stains just disappear. What it will do is buy you some time to get the spill mopped up. Like oil floating on top of water, it repels the stain for a few minutes so you can run and get a paper towel and blot it up.

That’s basically it. If you don’t have much foot traffic in your house, take off your shoes and vacuum regularly, that cleaning might last you for a couple years. If you’ve got kids running in and out of the house and pets with dirty little feet, 6-12 months is typical before it’s time to clean again.

Is your carpet ready for a little TLC? Call Langenwalter. We’ll walk you through our safe, effective carpet cleaning technique. Remember, we guarantee all our work. If we can’t get the stain out of your carpet, you don’t pay. It’s just the right thing to do.