Carpet cleaning is how Striped got its name. The stripes are the clean lines a good extraction wand leaves in the carpet pile, and we left them in Spanish Fork living rooms long before we grew into water damage work. We still do regular carpet cleaning, and we do it the same way, one room at a time.
Our carpet cleaning uses hot water extraction, the method major carpet makers like Shaw and Mohawk recommend for most residential carpet. We pre-vacuum, treat traffic lanes and spots with a pre-spray matched to the fiber, agitate it, then rinse with hot water and extract. We finish with a grooming rake so the pile stands up and dries evenly.
Hard water is part of carpet cleaning in Utah County. Minerals in tap water leave residue in carpet that attracts dirt, and so does soap left behind by rental machines. We use a low-residue rinse so the carpet doesn't re-soil fast.
Drying time is usually 4 to 8 hours. Utah's low humidity helps, and running the AC or a ceiling fan speeds it up.
Carpet cleaning is also the last step of many water damage jobs. After we dry carpet and replace the pad, a full clean removes the brown wicking stains and the smell that can come after a flood. See carpet drying and pad replacement for that process, and upholstery cleaning if your couch needs the same attention.
Pet urine is its own problem. It soaks into the pad, and surface cleaning alone won't reach it. Our odor removal service treats the pad and subfloor too.
