our multi-step process
CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
STONE. TILE, GROUT CLEANING and SEALING
serving the Napa Valley since 1984
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Techniques and Procedures
The most commonly used method for steam cleaning carpets is a one-step process.
This entails injecting cleaning agent into the hot water that is delivered to the cleaning wand, where it is sprayed onto the carpet fibers and pulled away by the vacuum line into the truck-mounted cleaning system. While this is a quick way to clean carpets, we feel it has several drawbacks.
The main difficulty with this method is that it involves leaving soap residue behind, residue that will attract dirt from foot traffic. If you have small children or infants, there is also a concern with soap contamination of toys and pacifiers that come into contact with the carpet.
Secondly, injecting soap solution immediately before vacuuming does not allow sufficient contact—or dwell time —for the proper chemical reaction to occur. If soils and other contaminants are not dissolved by the cleaning agent, they will not be removed by the steam cleaning process.
At Nan’s we use a two and sometimes three-step process in our carpet cleaning, powered by the acclaimed Prochem® system.
First, a pre-spray mix of surfactants and solvents is applied to the area to be cleaned. This ensures adequate dwell time for the chemical reaction to take place. For areas with evident food stains, a second enzyme pre-spray can be used. Utilizing different pre-sprays ensures that whatever has soiled your carpets will be dissolved and thus become able to be rinsed away by the steam cleaning to follow.
When we rinse and vacuum-extract the carpet, the water does not contain any soap or cleaning agents. This results in residue-free carpets after the cleaning, carpets now safe for children and pets.
Our upholstery cleaning techniques are similar to those used on carpets. We use different levels of aggression in our chemical selection to match the varied nature of fabrics used in covering furniture. We also have a dry cleaning process that can be used safely when cleaning upholstery in the home.
