FAQs

Cleaning is done by professionals certified by the IICRC, using truck-mounted hot-water extraction, commonly referred to as “Steam Cleaning”.  This is the only method recommended by the world’s largest carpet manufacturer. Hot water extraction is a combination of hot water, high pressure, and a powerful vacuum to remove dirt & harmful pollutants from your carpet.  High pressure shoots cleaning solutions to the base of your carpet fibers to loosen soils & pollutants.  The hot water rinses out dirt, grease, grime, pollens, and environmental pollutants from your carpet. This rinsing step is very important.  You would never shower, put shampoo in your hair, and then just let it dry!  The shampoo needs to be rinsed out, and the cleaning solutions in your carpet need to be rinsed out or you’ll be left with a residue that attracts dirt like a magnet and rinsing with hot water also sanitizes your carpet by killing dust mites and bacteria.

Your carpets will be slightly damp to the touch when we leave and will be completely dry in about 5 hours, depending on humidity and air circulation in your home.  Using a fan can decrease drying time below this; and leaving your house closed up will extend drying time.

Yes, we will be able to clean for you.  We have extensions to hoses for our truck mount.  Please let our office know your situation and we will evaluate to see what needs to be done to get your carpet clean.

When you experience a water damage loss you need the most qualified firm to put you back to normal as fast as possible and with the least disruption in your life. Unfortunately, not all companies that clean carpet and even advertise that they handle water damage are qualified to dry down your wet home and contents. To handle water damage properly, it requires the company and its technicians to be appropriately trained in the science of drying. Ptarmigan Rug Cleaners and Restoration handles water damage for several insurance companies in the Columbia Valley area. Our technicians are trained for and experience water damage often. We have the required monitoring instruments that can detect the presence of moisture in walls and floors. Only after adequate testing with these sensitive instruments can we be sure that your home is thoroughly dried out and safe from potential build up of mold, mildew, and other microorganisms. We have special air movers that direct large volumes of air along the floors, walls and carpets to speed up the drying time. We also have commercial dehumidifiers that may be needed when conditions in the home are humid and drying the air becomes important.

The moisture left in your carpet after your cleaning will not harm your carpet.  Companies will try to scare you with mold and mildew growth but there are no risks in even heavily saturated carpets being dry in less than 48 hours.  Our trained professionals know how to clean to keep dry time under 6 hours for normally soiled carpets.  Over wetting can cause damage to backing and seams and will not happen with proper equipment and a trained professional.

Undetectable by sight, smell or touch, carpet protector protects all kinds of carpets. The repellent characteristic of carpet protector keeps dirt from sticking to the fibers, making carpets easier to care for. This helps your carpets look cleaner and fresher longer.

Some carpet protector is removed from the fiber from heavy traffic or aggressive cleaning. Some product may also be removed by strong cleaning agents and chemicals. It is generally recommended to re-apply carpet protector each time the carpet is cleaned.

Carpet protector delivers its protection by forming a molecular shield around each carpet fiber. The shield lowers the surface energy of the carpet fibers causing them to repel liquid spills and dust and dirt. This helps prevent dirt and stains from being ground into or absorbed by the fibers.

A spot is any foreign substance that adds texture to fiber. A stain is anything that adds to or deletes the color of a fiber. Obviously, stains are not easily removed and usually are permanent, whereas spots are more readily cleaned up.

Personal extractors are excellent for maintenance and emergency spot removal.  However, none of them can replace the deep cleaning of a truck mounted steam cleaning system.  A truck mounted system has much more water pressure and vacuum power to provide a deeper cleaning.  Plus, the water temperature is much hotter.   Also, the truck-mounted cleaning system flushes out the cleaning solutions and doesn’t leave residue.

There are also other reasons not to use a rental or home unit.  1. If your carpet is under 5-10 years old, you should check your warranty to see how often truck-mounted steam cleaning is required to keep your warranty valid.  2. Over wetting and improper use of cleaning solutions can delaminate your carpet backing and cause seam damage.  This is super easy to happen in home units.