Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I choose your service over other carpet and upholstery cleaning services?
At Fresh Start Cleaning we strive for customer satisfaction and quality workmanship. We value you as our customer and believe in establishing long term relationships and repeat business. We therefore offer a professional and affordable service with owner supervision ensuring that you are satisfied before we leave. We use only high quality chemicals and professional equipment to clean your carpets and upholstery.
What do I need to do before you come out to clean my carpets?
Before we are able to clean you carpets we require that you move all bookshelves, cabinets and wall units,potplants as well as items that were places on them to an area that will not be cleaned, i.e tiled area or another room. We cannot handle this furniture and equipment ourselves due to liability issues. Once the carpets are dry you will be able to move these items back.
You do not need to move your couches as we can move these ourselves when cleaning them.
How long does it take for my carpets to dry completely?
Your carpets are not left wet, they are only damp. It takes about 2-6 hrs to dry completely depending on the weather and ventilation
How soon after the carpet has been cleaned can I move my furniture back?
Once the carpet is dry you are able to move your furniture back. It is not advisable to move furniture back when the carpet is still damp as the furniture may stain the carpet.
How long does it take to clean my carpets?
It takes about 2 hrs to clean 50sq metre of carpet.
Do I need to vacuum my carpet before your arrive?
It is not necessary to vacuum your carpet immediately before we arrive. We will vacuum your carpet before we start deep cleaning. However it is advisable to vacuum your carpets at least weekly to keep them clean and to ensure that they last longer.
Won't it work our cheaper for me to rent a machine?
Yes it will work out cheaper to rent a machine at around R250/day excluding chemicals. Add on chemicals and you will pay around R300. You would then need to do the work yourself. Carpet cleaning is not as easy as vacuuming and is quite physically demanding. Rental machines do not clean as thoroughly as professional cleaning machines, which are designed for heavy duty and industrial purposes.
So it makes sense to let us clean your carpets and upholstery with guaranteed results, using industrial machines and chemicals and letting us doing the hard work instead of you, for the small additional amount you will be paying. Your time is valuable.
I've heard that if I have my carpets cleaned they will get dirtier quicker?
There is a half truth in this. This depends on who and how they cleaned your carpets. Most carpet cleaning services do a rush job and inject the cleaning solution at the same time that they extract the dirt from the carpet. This does not allow the chemicals time to break down oils and dirt as would be the case with our method of pretreating. That would be it from their side. Job done. You now have partly cleaned carpets, plus detergent residue left on the carpet fibres which act as dirt traps. Imagine washing a white cloth in dishwashing liquid and water and not rinsing it. Now you wipe your hands on this sticky cloth a few times. It will definitely trap more dirt and show it, than a clean rinsed cloth. You want your carpets to look clean and doormats to trap the dirt, not you carpet to act as a doormat.
We on the other hand want to ensure that your carpets remain clean for as long as possible. We therefore pretreat you carpet, leaving the chemicals to work for a while, and then extract these chemicals and dissolved oils and dirt with hot water and a special rinse agent, ensuring that all dirt is removed and little or no residue is left behind.
What should I watch out for when requesting quotations?
Don't let carpet cleaning service providers give you a price based on the number of rooms or whether it is a flat or house. Room size varies and you might be hit with additional hidden charges when they come out. Cleaning of carpets should be charged per square metre.We have however also provided prices based on average room sizes to give you an idea of the cost. Furniture is charged per unit and type of furniture.
What if I didn't actually measure the rooms but made an estimate?
We measure the rooms when we come out . Your quotation is based on the measurements you provided. Should the area be more or less than the area information provided, your quotation will be adjusted accordingly based on a square metre basis. We can however give you an estimate based on average room sizes.