FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Questions

As with carpet, many factors need to be considered when determining the frequency of tile and grout cleaning. Foot traffic, children, pets, and routine floor maintenance will affect how often you need to have your tile, stone & grout cleaned.

Just like carpet, dirt builds up over time that dulls your tile or stone’s appearance and discolors your grout. A thorough, professional stone, tile and grout cleaning is the only way to remove the deep-down dirt, make this area of your home look nicer and ensure that all areas of your home are clean and healthy.

Grout is a porous material that absorbs soil and spills, just like carpet. Having a sealant applied will help create a protective barrier, giving you more time to clean up dirt and liquid spills before they soak into the grout. The type of sealant you choose will determine the degree of stain resistance.

In homes that have carpet, up to 80% of the dust and dirt brought into the home can end up in your furniture and upholstered fabrics.  

We use our proprietary hot carbonating extraction cleaning method, featuring our core cleaner The Natural, hen cleaning upholstery as well. The carbonated cleaning bubbles release dirt, soil, airborne allergens and spots from the upholstery fibers. Then, we use our extraction equipment to remove the cleaning solution, dirt, soil and airborne contaminants from your furniture, leaving it with a deeper, healthier clean than other alternatives.

Yes, after the upholstery cleaning, you can have the furniture stain guarded with Chem-Dry’s Protectant. You can read more about our Protection Package here.

In most cases, the furniture dries within just a couple of hours, but in some cases it may take overnight to fully dry depending on the fabric and soil condition.

Area and oriental rugs usually receive a lot of traffic. Just like carpets and upholstered furniture, area and oriental rugs act as air filters for the home, trapping dirt and allergens. A thorough, professional oriental and area rug cleaning is the only way to remove the deep-down dirt, make this area of your home look nicer and ensure that all areas of your home stay clean and healthy.

Our effective, yet gentle, area rug cleaning and drying process preserves the dye within the fibers of your rug, leaving the colors of your rug vibrant and fresh. Our cleaning products don’t leave behind any dirt-attracting residues and help your area rugs stay cleaner longer – providing a safe and healthy home environment for your family and pets.

Our room sizes are based on 200 sq ft. If any of your rooms are over 200 sq ft, there may be an additional area charge.

Yes. Typical steam cleaning uses a process of dumping large amounts of soapy water into your carpets and then trying to suck it all back out. Because the heavy amount of water results in an extended drying time, usually 1-2 days, this method can actually cause carpets to rot or grow mold.

Chem-Dry uses up to 80% less water than typical steam cleaning because its carbonated cleaner, The Natural, relies on millions of microscopic bubbles to release dirt and grime from the fibers of your carpet and raise it to the surface where it can easily be swept away. This low water, low-pressure approach is healthier for your carpets, allows your carpets to dry in only 1-2 hours and is also more environmentally friendly.

Chem-Dry uses an all-natural, Green-Certified cleaning product called The Natural as our primary cleaner. The Natural, doesn’t contain any soaps or phosphates and is safe and hypo-allergenic. By contrast, most steam cleaners use soaps, detergents, and harsh chemicals in their process.

This is not necessary. Chem-Dry’s professionally trained carpet and upholstery cleaners will vacuum your carpets with our commercial, HEPA-filtered vacuum when they arrive as a standard part of our service.

Industry experts suggest that homeowners clean their carpets every 3-6 months especially in homes with kids, pets, or if someone in your home has asthma or allergies. Regular cleaning will not only improve your home’s appearance, but it will eliminate non-living allergens, improve your home’s indoor air quality and extend the life of your carpeting.

Drying time depends on humidity levels, airflow to the room(s) cleaned, and the type of carpet. In general, turning on your air conditioning or fans will help accelerate dry times. After a Chem-Dry professional cleaning, it typically takes 1-2 hours for the carpet to dry. Sometimes carpets can take longer to dry for various reasons.

Many carpet cleaners including steam cleaners use soaps and detergents in their process. This often leaves behind a sticky residue on your carpets that attracts dirt, leads to carpets re-soiling quickly after being cleaned and often requires more frequent professional cleanings. At Chem-Dry, we use an all-natural, biodegradable carpet and upholstery cleaning solution that doesn’t contain any soaps, detergents or harsh chemicals, so it won’t leave behind any sticky or filmy residues to attract dirt.

Pet odors can linger on for months if not treated properly. As urine dries in the carpet and padding, what’s left are millions of concentrated urine crystals that become even more pungent. Many companies just mask this odor. Chem-Dry uses a patented system, P.U.R.T.®  (Pet Urine Removal Treatment) to explode the urine crystals and break down the enzymes which gets rid of the pet urine odor forever.

Most new carpets come with a factory-applied protectant but this wears off over time. Reapplying a protectant on your carpets can help resist stains and soiling, so your carpets will stay cleaner longer. Another reason protectant is a smart investment is that it slows the aging and wearing process and can extend the life of your carpets.

The Chem-Dry cleaning process is better and healthier than other methods for your carpet and upholstery cleaning. Our unique hot carbonating extraction carpet cleaning method uses the power of carbonation to extract more dirt and grime from your carpets, giving them a deeper and longer lasting clean. Our carbonated cleaning solution only requires us to use a fraction of the moisture other methods such as steam cleaning require. This allows your carpets to dry faster, typically in 1-2 hours rather than 1-2 days, and helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew under your carpet.  Our signature cleaning solution, The Natural®, is a cleaning mixture that—through the power of carbonation—lifts dirt to the surface where it is whisked away. The Natural is non-toxic and ideal for homes with kids and pets, and is Chem-Dry Green Certified.

Traditional steam cleaning saturates your carpet with an excessive amount of water filled with soaps and detergents. So you’re left with wet carpets for 1-2 days, which creates a breeding ground for mold, mildew and bacteria. Plus the soapy residue left behind attracts dirt and causes your carpets to get dirty much faster.

Chem-Dry’s process is different. We employ millions of microscopic bubbles to explode dirt from deep in your carpet fibers, which is why we only need to use a fraction of the water that typical steam cleaning uses. After the carbonation releases and lifts the dirt, our high powered equipment extracts the dirt and moisture from the carpet.

No, Chem-Dry is not a steam cleaner. Chem-Dry uses carbonation to lift up dirt and grime from your carpets so we do not need to use the gallons of water that typical steam cleaners use.

All of the ingredients in Chem-Dry's primary cleaner, The Natural, are on the F.D.A.'s G.R.A.S. (Generally Recognized as Safe) list and are safe for your carpets, your home and your family. The Natural does not contain any soaps or harsh chemicals.

Chem-Dry does occasionally offer coupons, specials and promo codes. You can find our current coupons on the Coupon page

We use our proprietary hot carbonating extraction cleaning method, featuring our core cleaner The Natural, when cleaning upholstery as well. The carbonated cleaning bubbles release dirt, soil, airborne allergens and spots from the upholstery fibers. Then, we use our extraction equipment to remove the cleaning solution, dirt, soil and airborne contaminants from your furniture, leaving it with a deeper, healthier clean than other alternatives.

Manufacturers recommend using a professional upholstery cleaner every 24-48 months. As with carpets, the presence of kids, pets, allergies and asthma in the home necessitates more frequent cleanings to improve air quality and the overall healthfulness of the home.

To avoid the amount of soap and chemicals often involved with steam cleaning, Chem-Dry employs a process with millions of tiny bubbles, which work together to gently but efficiently remove dirt from the depths of the carpet. This natural method uses 80% less water than traditional steam cleaning.

The cost of cleaning an area rug depends on the following factors:

Whether you clean it yourself or have it professionally cleaned

  • The area in which you live, and availability of cleaning services
  • The size of the rug
  • The extent of the dirt or damage

Many store-bought products give the appearance of cleanliness, but only cover up the dog urine. To fully remove old dog urine stains, the Chem-Dry process breaks down the source of the contamination and tackles even the parts of the stain that you can’t see.

The only way to properly eliminate the smell of dog urine is to completely remove it, rather than simply masking it. Using a Pet Odor Extinguisher or spot cleaner will quickly and thoroughly remove stubborn dog urine odors, but a Pet Urine Removal Treatment is often the only way to completely eliminate any trace of dog urine.

Yes, a thorough professional cleaning is the best way to remove dog and other pet urine stains from your carpets.

As with carpet, many factors need to be considered when determining the frequency of tile and grout cleaning. Foot traffic, children, pets, and routine floor maintenance will affect how often you need to have your tile, stone & grout cleaned.