Frequently asked questions

Do you have a burning question about carpet & upholstery cleaning? Or our services at UK Carpet Care? Browse some of our most frequently asked questions below or contact us with any enquiries you may have.

Carpet Cleaning

Can you cope with cleaning large carpet areas?

Although we are a small family run business we often carry out maintenance and restoration cleaning to large office blocks, restaurants, hotels etc. Whether it be a one off or on a maintenance contract.

How can we trust your company to carry out the works correctly?

We have signed agreements with the trade bodies to work to set standards (PAS 86) on tailored cleaning services that we have to adhere to.

We encourage feedback through checkatrade.com so that new customers can see what others have to say. As our services last longer, we make sure we carry them out correctly as we want to retain you as a customer for the future.

Will the carpets get dirty quickly after you have cleaned them?

No, we do not leave any sticky products in the carpets or upholstery that will attract soil. Nor do we damage fibres meaning they are more absorbent after cleaning.

This is a very common problem that occurs from DIY attempted cleaning and non-qualified companies that make them look clean once finished but will attract dirt at a rapid rate afterwards.

Someone else has cleaned my carpets and old stains keep reappearing, can you stop this?

Normally stains will reappear if a product has been used to try and remove the initial problem, and has not been neutralised correctly.

The sticky residue from the cleaner allows soil to attract to the treated area making it look like the stain keeps coming back. If this is the case we can normally remove such residues.

Can you apply Scotchgard protection?

Yes, we can apply this to new carpets, freshly cleaned carpets and soft furnishings. The costs depend on the absorbency of the fibres, depth and weight. This ensures a complete application that will resist soil and spills to its best ability.

Do we need to vacuum the carpets before your arrival?

No, we will carry out a power vacuum, but we would appreciate it if any loose items and litter are removed.

Does the furniture have to be removed from the rooms where the carpets are to be cleaned?

No, we would like you to remove as much small furniture that you can easily handle from the rooms as possible. We will manage to move settees, coffee tables etc.

We do not move large cabinets or heavy sofas, etc, that are extremely heavy without prior notice as we may need a second technician to do so.

I have heard that carpet cleaning can actually damage carpets and shorten the lifespan, is this true?

No, having your carpets cleaned by qualified professionals will actually prolong the life of your carpets and if maintained regularly then they will look and feel better for longer. The term ‘professional’ is misused in the cleaning industry so ensure you employ a qualified firm to avoid these problems.

Are you qualified to clean wool carpets?

Yes, wool and other natural fibres can be safely cleaned using appropriate methods and Woolsafe-approved cleaning agents.

We have been trained by Woolsafe to ensure your wool fibre has no risk of damage once cleaned. So if you have heard that wool is never the same after cleaning, then you are correct if it’s cleaned by a non-Woolsafe qualified company

Can you clean my woven carpet – I have heard they can shrink?

Most problems with cleaning carpets come down to poor training. We have to inspect any items and test before we carry out any works to ensure you have no problems like shrinkage. To the trained eye, this is easy to avoid.

Are you able to clean my flat? There is no parking and its on the 3rd floor with no elevator

We are able to carry out this type of work. We need to book in for a second person to help carry the equipment up the stairs and from the van. An additional charge may be necessary if car park required and time consuming.

Is a truck mounted machine was the best way of cleaning?

Truck mounted machines are very powerful and easy to set up for a cleaning process. They use high pressure and suction that can cause shrinkage, stretching and browning from injecting too much moisture into the back of fibres and fabrics.

To leave fibres in the correct state once cleaned and to ensure the initial detergents are removed, we would have to drain the tanks and re-fill on site, to remove the residues that would not make it a effective process.

I’ve heard that once we have had our carpets or upholstery cleaned, they will get dirty quickly, will this happen?

This is very common knowledge and a true statement as 95% of all carpet and upholstery cleaners do not have qualifications. The term ‘professional’ is highly misused and many people have had problems after the cleaning has been carried out by a non-qualified company.

Most common reasons of rapid re soiling- Detergent residue that was used to rinse dirt is still in the fibres, causing dirt to attract. Wool and other sensitive fibres have had their outer layer removed as not using Woolsafe approved methods, meaning the resistance has been removed.

As we are qualified, we inspect your items and tailor the methods to suit the individual fibres requirements and we are regulated by Woolsafe, IICRC and the NCCA.

General

Do you carry risk assessments, MSDS folders and public/product/employee liability insurance?

We carry all the necessary risk assessments, all product information sheets, public liability insurance up to £2,000,000, and product and treatment risk up to £2,000,000.

Rugs in transit and our possession are covered up to £10,000 and £10,000,000 employer liability insurance. These are all here in the unlikely event of damage being caused to you, your property and our staff.

Many public liability insurance policies do not cover the items being worked on but our additional treatment risk policy does.

How long will the cleaning process take?

Each cleaning process differs, Some natural fibres need more time to clean, others less. We will be able to give times based on your requirements.

A typical one-room carpet cleaning would not normally take less than 1 hour to complete. A three piece suite could take up to six hours to clean. It all depends on the method of cleaning and the fibres involved.

Are your vans ready for any situation?

We have all 7 methods of cleaning, a range of protectors, odour treatments, and stain and dye removal agents on board our van ready to tackle a hidden stain that you may not be aware of.

It would be disappointing for a hidden stain to be left visible because we are not carrying a large range of problem solvers.

Can you remove everything from fabrics and fibres?

A cleaning process is there to remove built-up dirt in the fibres.

If a spill has occurred in the past, stain removal techniques may remove this, but may have caused a permanent dye transfer to the fibre changing its colour. We can then attempt Dye removal techniques to reduce and remove the added unwanted colour.

Can we book a exact time for an appointment?

We like to plan our day and setting times is the only way we make this work. We will call (providing network coverage) when on route to you and to make you are aware of any delays that are out of our control.

Quality

Do you guarantee you services?

We guarantee that we will provide you with a tailored service specific to your requirements working to British Standard guidelines to ensure a safe and quality finish.

What happens if you cause damage to my carpets and soft furnishings?

To date, we have never caused any damage to any carpets or upholstery due to being professionally trained and qualified, identifying possible problems on our initial inspection.

Professional cleaners will test and identify in detail the carpet or soft furnishing and evaluate if they are at risk of causing damage to them.

Most carpet and upholstery cleaners have no idea of the damage they can cause until it is too late.

Is steam cleaning a professional cleaning method? I’m afraid it may damage the wool fibre.

Use of steam on carpets is only effective with professional Dye removal attempts. Steam will damage natural fibres and make them deteriorate.

Steam is an extreme temperature of water vapour that will not penetrate deep into fibres and lift the dirt effectively.

Many customers ask if we have alternate methods to steam cleaning as they used someone in the past and found their items attracted dirt quickly and were never the same after.

Are you qualified to clean wool carpets?

Yes, wool and other natural fibres can be safely cleaned using appropriate methods and Woolsafe-approved cleaning agents. We have been trained by Woolsafe to ensure your wool fibre has no risk of damage once cleaned.

So if you have heard that wool is never the same after cleaning, then you are correct if it’s cleaned by a non-Woolsafe-qualified company.

I have heard that carpet cleaning can actually damage carpets and shorten the lifespan, is this true?

No, having your carpets cleaned by qualified professionals will prolong the life of your carpets and if maintained regularly then they will look and feel better for longer.

The term ‘professional’ is misused in the cleaning industry so ensure you employ a qualified firm to avoid these problems.

Pricing

If we have any concerns when completed, will you return free of charge?

We are a bit old-fashioned and take pride in our work and care about our customers.

If you have any concerns about the work carried out, there will always be a free re-visit offered within 7 days of the original appointment.

When do me make payment?

We accept payment by cash or card payment on completion of the works. If you require credit facilities we do accept credit card payments at a small charge of 1.95%.

If you are a commercial client, we can give terms with pre-authorised agreements subject to a credit check.

Do you price match?

We are happy to match the cost for the same service on a like-for-like basis.

As we work to British standards, we will always make you aware of any issues that may arise with another company’s quotation. This will ensure you receive the correct service you are happy with.

Spills & Stains

Now the carpet has been cleaned, a stain has come back, is this permanent?

If a deep spill or concentrated spill has wicked to the surface upon drying, normally it is simple to remove again.

This normally occurs when a spill has dried into the base of a carpet and after cleaning, wicks to the surface.

This means it is still loose as it has travelled through the fibre and a simple revisit should then completely remove it.

The more you attempt removal of a spill the better?

The success of a stain removal attempt is down to several factors. Sometimes spills will be removed very simply and others are very time-consuming.

If too much agitation, heat, removal agent, etc, is applied to a certain area, problems can occur like browning, shrinkage, delamination, etc.

We will work to a safe standard and achieve the best result without causing further issues.

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