Frequently Asked Questions about Carpet, Upholstery, and Rug Cleaning

• Conduct a pre-inspection of the rooms and/or items to be cleaned noting any heavily soiled areas.
• Discuss the process with you and answer any questions you may have.
• Move furniture in the rooms (except very large items)
• Pre-treat any areas of concern to ensure the most thorough cleaning.
• Clean using our hot water extraction method or the method deemed most appropriate.
• Apply deodorizer or protector, and groom the carpet.
• Return your furniture to its original location, placing protective pads underneath.

Drying time depends on humidity levels, airflow and the type of carpet. While it typically takes four to 24 hours for the carpet to dry, you can walk on it as soon as we are finished. Wear clean tennis shoes or white socks to avoid re-soiling. If drying time is a concern, ask us about ways to significantly speed up the drying time.

Yes. Although it helps to avoid heavy traffic until the carpet is completely dry, it is acceptable to walk on the carpet with clean shoes or stocking feet.

In contrast to the “fly-by-night” or “bait-and-switch” companies, our quality and integrity sets us apart. We have been in business for over 50 years and built a reputation based on fair prices and outstanding workmanship. We are family owned and operated, so we are personally invested in our company that serves the local Orange County community. We value the relationships we’ve built with our customers and look forward to serving our new customers, as well. We will be there when you call us, and we stand behind our work.

Yes. Accidents from pets, especially pet urine, can wreak havoc on carpet. The alkaline salts in pet urine absorb moisture out of the air and the pet urine never completely dries. It becomes a feeding ground for bacteria, which causes odor, staining and discoloration. Minor conditions can be handled with a combination of germicidal and enzyme surface treatments. Major conditions require pad replacement and floor treatment in addition to treating and cleaning the carpet.

Although we’d like to say yes…the answer is no. Many factors are involved in whether a particular stain can be removed. A few of these factors are the nature of the stain, the type of carpet fiber, how long the stain has been there and what, if anything, was used previously to get the stain out. Our knowledgeable technicians are trained and certified, and will take great care to provide the best results possible in removing spots and stains. Check out our tips for carpet spills.

Our technicians are trained to move your furniture and return it to its rightful place. We do ask that you remove items from your furniture like electronics, plants, lamps and knickknacks. We will move most furniture that you request at no additional cost. The exceptions are large items, including pianos, china cabinets, waterbeds, pool tables and dressers with mirrors.

Over time and with regular wear, factory-applied stain resistant protection will wear off. The application of our Proguard Protector adds a layer of protection to repel spills and resists soiling and staining. Proguard Protector forms a molecular shield around each carpet fiber and helps to prevent dirt and stains from being ground in or absorbed by the carpet fibers.

No. If your professional carpet cleaner does their job correctly, this is not true. You cannot clean a carpet too often; in fact NOT getting your carpet cleaned is much worse. Periodic cleaning will extend the life of your carpet, while helping to keep your home healthier.

This answer varies depending on many factors such as allergies, children, pets and whether the carpet gets heavy use or light use. Dirt is like sandpaper. It damages your carpet. The more often you have your carpets cleaned, the longer they will last. The Carpet and FabriCare Institute and most carpet manufacturers recommend that you have your carpet professionally cleaned every 6 to 12 months, depending on your lifestyle.

We clean most upholstered furniture, including leather furniture, patio furniture cushions, headboards and boat cushions.

Just tell us about the size, fabric and condition of your upholstery, and let us know about any problems with the piece (pet problems, spills, spots, etc.)

Manufacturers recommend having upholstered furniture professionally cleaned every 12-24 months.

This depends on several factors but the majority of the time it is much better to have your upholstery cleaned at our plant. The advantage of having your furniture cleaned at our facility is that we can take as much time as we need to. Upholstery cleaning can be time consuming when done correctly. We may need to test your fabric or place it in our temperature-controlled dry room. Often, we will clean upholstery multiple times so we can be as gentle yet as thorough as possible. Also, it is not recommended to clean furniture that is on a wood floor.

Yes! We will pick up, clean and deliver back to you in about a week! We offer free local pickup and delivery with every upholstery cleaning job that meets our $150 minimum.

All fabrics are cleaned using different techniques for different types of soil or fabric. A thorough rinsing step is always included.

Yes. That tag is required as the “Manufacturers’ Liability Code.” We will test your fabric to make sure it is safe and to determine which cleaning method is the best. Even though dry cleaning is recommended it may not be the most effective method for removing all the soil.

The furniture industry has created a code for its care tags so you can quickly know how to clean upholstery when a spill occurs.

Here is a guide to the codes:

W: Clean the upholstery fabric with water-based detergent.

S: Clean the upholstery fabric with a water-free product, such as dry cleaning solvent.

WS: You may clean the upholstery fabric with either water-based cleaner or a water-free cleaner, depending on the type of stain

X: This upholstery fabric must be professionally cleaned. You should only vacuum and brush it — never use any type of upholstery cleaner on it yourself.

Yes. Sometimes cats and dogs have accidents and while we can’t guarantee 100% removal every time, there is a lot we can do to restore the freshness to your upholstery.

Yes. The soils that accumulate on your furniture over time, along with daily use, causes the protective coating that came on your furniture to wear off. It is a good idea to apply fabric protector after your furniture is cleaned. This will help to repel future spills and prevent them from becoming stains.

The basic pricing can be found on our pricing page. There are additional charges for odor problems, and certain delicate and temperamental fabrics.

No. While many carpet cleaners outsource their rug cleaning, Steam Master cleans all rugs on site at our plant in Costa Mesa. After 45 years in the rug cleaning business, we’ve seen it all! We have lots of techniques for all types of rugs.

We treat every area rug like it’s a family treasure!

Turnaround time is approximately one week. This allows us the time we need to thoroughly wash and dry each rug, especially if more than one wash is needed!

Our In Plant Process Consists of The Following Steps:

• Thorough inspection – We check the rug’s size, type, colors, odors, soil conditions, overall condition of construction of rug, condition of the fibers, fringe, edges and face.
• Dusting/Vacuum – Our customers are amazed at the amount of sand and grit that comes out of their rugs. Removing sand and dirt is important because this grit acts as an abrasive that cuts and shreds the rug fibers. Eventually, the fibers break, and this damage is irreversible.
• Address Problem Areas – Spots caused by urine, food, oil etc are worked on next. In addition to liquid remedies, we employ the sun, shade, heat and many other natural elements to fix the problem. Rugs with urine problems get flood washed in our “rug pool”. After a good soak, the water is extracted and the rug gets a thorough shampoo and a cleansing rinse.
• Cleaning. Over the years we have found that there is no “one size fits all” method when it comes to cleaning rugs. We decide what type of cleaning to use depending on the type of rug, the problem it has and the type of soil.
• The Fringe – The fringing is brushed, untangled and straightened out, then shampooed and given a final grooming.
• Grooming and Drying – The final step is to lightly brush so the nap is laying flat and the fringe is untangled. Drying happens either in our controlled temperature dry room, or on a block tacked to the ground to maintain the shape.
• Inspection – At this point we determine if the rug is finished or if there are areas that need additional work and attention. It is not unusual to go through this process multiple times in order to give the best results possible.
• Protection – If requested, we apply fabric protector to repel spots and stains.
• Area rug padding – Many customers enjoy using a rug pad to keep the rug in place, create a cushion, and protect against excess wear.
• Roll and Deliver – Come to our shop or we will bring it to you!

Call for a pick up OR bring your rugs to us! Whatever is easiest for you.