How It Works
Our 10 Step Carpet Cleaning Process
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HydroClean cleans carpet in Jackson and West Tennessee homes in ten steps. A welcome and a walkthrough come first, then a pre-vacuum, furniture moved and blocked, traffic-lane cleaner, and extraction at 300 to 500 PSI with 200 to 240°F water. Spots are treated and rinsed again, and you look at the work before we leave.
By the time we pull up, the booking part is done. You called or sent an estimate request, we collected the details, we prepared the estimate, and you approved it and picked a time. This page covers what happens after that, on carpet, once we are at your door.
Carpet holds two kinds of soil. Most of it by weight is dry grit: sand, dust and whatever else filters down through the yarn and sits near the backing. The rest is oily soil that bonds to the fiber. It comes in from driveways, kitchens and bare feet. The two come out in different ways, which is why the steps run in the order they do.
Dry soil comes out dry, with a vacuum, before any water goes down. Bonded soil needs a traffic-lane cleaner to loosen it, then heat and suction to flush it out. Spots that are still showing after that get treated one at a time.
David Laton has been cleaning carpet in Jackson since 2010, and he is IICRC certified. We follow the same steps on every carpet and adjust each one to what yours needs. You are welcome to ask about any of them while we work.
Inside a Hot Water Extraction Pass
It is hot water, not steam: 200 to 240°F at 300 to 500 PSI, vacuumed straight back out to the truck.
People call it steam cleaning, but none of it is steam. It is hot water. Our truck mount heats the water to 200 to 240°F and sends it to the wand at 300 to 500 PSI. The jets put the water into the pile, and the vacuum slot right behind them pulls it back out to the truck with the soil in it.
The heat does a lot of the work. Hot water loosens oily soil far better than warm water does, and that is why the temperature matters more than the pressure on carpet. The pressure only has to get the water down into the pile.
The vacuum decides how much water comes back out, so it also decides how long the carpet takes to dry. With the machine on the truck doing the pulling, allow about half a day for the carpet to dry, sometimes up to 24 hours.
The Ten Steps, in Order
A Warm Welcome and a Handshake
We start at the door. You get a warm welcome and a handshake before any equipment comes off the truck.
The Walkthrough
We go through the areas being cleaned with you. Show us the spots that bother you and tell us what caused them if you know. This is also when we look at the carpet itself and at what furniture needs to move.
Pre-Vacuum Every Area
Every area we are going to clean gets vacuumed first. Most of the soil in a carpet by weight is dry grit, and it comes out best dry, before any water touches it.
Furniture Moved, Cleaned Under and Blocked
We move furniture where it is needed and clean underneath it. Then we put it back and block it, so the legs sit on blocks and not on damp carpet.
Traffic-Lane Cleaner
We apply a traffic-lane cleaner to the carpet. Its job is to break the bond between the soil and the fiber, so the extraction can carry the soil away.
Hot Water Extraction
We extract from the truck mount at 300 to 500 PSI with water heated to 200 to 240°F. The wand puts the hot water in and vacuums it straight back out to the truck, along with the soil.
Spot Treatment and a Second Rinse
Any spots still showing after extraction are treated for what they are and then rinsed again. We do not always know what will come out, and we would sooner say that than promise.
Neutralizing, If Needed
If the carpet needs it, we neutralize it. That brings the fiber back toward neutral after the cleaners have done their work.
Protector, When Purchased
If you purchased protector, it goes on last, onto clean carpet. If you did not, we skip this step.
You Look at the Work Before We Leave
You get a chance to look at the work before we leave, and David asks if you have any questions or concerns. If something is not right and it is within our ability, we make it right before we leave.
What Every Carpet Job Includes
- A walkthrough of the areas with you before we start
- Pre-vacuuming of every area we clean
- Furniture moved where needed and cleaned underneath
- Furniture put back and blocked off the damp carpet
- Traffic-lane cleaner to break the bond between soil and fiber
- Extraction at 300 to 500 PSI with water heated to 200 to 240°F
- Treatment and a second rinse for spots that remain
- Neutralizing when the carpet needs it
- A chance to look at the work and ask questions before we leave
Why the Steps Run in This Order
The pre-vacuum comes before any water for a simple reason. Dry grit comes out easiest while it is still dry. Wet it first and it turns to mud down in the pile, which is much harder to get back out.
The traffic-lane cleaner goes down before extraction because oily soil is bonded to the fiber. The cleaner breaks that bond. Then the hot water has something to carry away.
Spots are treated after extraction, not before. Once the general soil is gone we can see what is really left, treat it for what it is, and rinse it again. Protector goes on last because it belongs on clean fiber.
What to Expect on the Result
We would rather set an honest expectation than make a promise we cannot keep.
- We do not always know what will come out. A spot that has been there for years, or one that has been treated with a store-bought remover, can behave differently from a fresh one.
- Pet urine is its own job. Most stains come out and the odor is removed or greatly reduced, but we cannot promise complete odor removal every time.
- Traffic lane wear is abrasion, not soil. Where grit has worn the fiber down over the years, cleaning will not stand it back up.
- The water going back to the truck is dark. That is the soil leaving your carpet, and it says nothing about your housekeeping.
- Allow about half a day for the carpet to dry, sometimes up to 24 hours. Humid summer days are slower. Winter is faster, because the air is drier and the heat is on.
- If you notice something after we have gone, call. David comes back, looks at it, and re-cleans if needed.
Questions About the Process
What happens before the ten steps start?
The booking. You call or send an estimate request, and we collect the details: what needs cleaning, which rooms and rough sizes. We prepare the estimate. Once you approve it we schedule a time, and a checklist goes out 24 to 48 hours before the appointment.
Why does vacuuming matter if you are about to wet the carpet anyway?
Because dry soil and wet soil behave differently. Grit, sand and dust come out best by suction while they are loose and dry. Once water hits them they turn muddy and are harder to flush out. That is why we pre-vacuum every area before anything else goes down.
Is hot water extraction the same thing as steam cleaning?
People use the two names for the same service, but it is not steam. It is water heated to 200 to 240°F, put into the carpet at 300 to 500 PSI and vacuumed straight back out to the truck. A carpet warranty that calls for steam cleaning almost always means hot water extraction.
What does the traffic-lane cleaner do?
It breaks the bond between the soil and the fiber. Oily soil does not rinse out with water alone, however hot the water is. The cleaner goes down ahead of the extraction, so by the time the wand comes through, the soil is ready to be carried out.
Do I need the protector?
That is up to you. Protector is optional, and when it has been purchased it goes on last, onto clean carpet. Ask about it when we put your estimate together.
What if I want another room or service added on the day?
Ask. If time allows, we do it while we are there. If the schedule does not allow it, we quote it and set another date. The steps are the same on a single bedroom as they are on a whole house.
Want to Know How This Would Go on Your Carpet?
Tell us which rooms need cleaning and roughly how big they are. We will put an estimate together, and once you approve it we set a time.
Trusted by our neighbors in Jackson, West Tennessee since 2010. Family safe, pet safe.
The Rest of the Visit, Explained
The process is one part of the day. These pages cover the rest of it, from your side of the door.
How It Works
The full section index, covering equipment, safety, inspection and after-service care.
What to Expect
The job as you experience it: the estimate, the checklist, the hoses and the noise.
How to Prepare
The checklist we send before the appointment, and the jobs you can leave to us.
Drying Times
Carpet dries in about half a day, sometimes up to 24 hours. See what decides it.
Request an Estimate
Tell us what needs cleaning, which rooms and roughly how big they are.
Carpet Cleaning
Residential and commercial carpet cleaning throughout Jackson and West Tennessee.
Ask About Any Step Before You Book
If you want to know what happens on your carpet, in your rooms, ask. Every step above has a reason behind it, and we are happy to explain it on the phone.
Read how drying works for what happens after we leave. Questions about your floors? Call (731) 437-0006 and ask for David Laton.