Most of this takes ten minutes the evening before. It means your appointment goes on cleaning, not on waiting, and nothing on the day comes as a surprise to either of us.
The day before
- Pick up the small stuff. Toys, shoes, laundry, cords, pet bowls, plants and anything else sitting on the carpet.
- Clear under anything heavy you want cleaned. I don't move pianos, entertainment centers, bookcases, china cabinets, heavy bed frames, TVs and electronics, aquariums, safes, or anything with fragile things inside. The full list is in the terms of service.
- Leave the basic furniture to me. I move couches, chairs and tables where it's safe, at no extra charge.
- Think about which spots matter most. We walk the rooms together before I start, so you can point me at the stains you care about.
- Remember what's been used on a stain. If you've tried a store-bought spot cleaner, tell me which one. Some of them set a stain so it won't fully come out, and I'd rather know before I start.
- Mention pets, stairs or heavy stains in your booking notes, or text me, so I arrive ready.
What I need at the house
- Parking within about 100 feet of your front door.
- Two working outlets on separate circuits.
- Water from a working tap, and a drain I can empty the machine into.
- Someone home to let me in at the appointment time.
If one of these is missing and the job can't go ahead, it counts as a late cancellation. The trip charge for that is on the Prices page. Not sure about any of them? Call or text (575) 654-3764 before the day and we'll work it out.
Pets and kids
Please keep pets in a closed room, a crate or the yard while I work. It keeps them away from the hose and the machine, and I can't start with a pet loose in the room I'm cleaning. I've got two dogs of my own, so I know they'll want to help.
Same goes for little ones: the wand and hose aren't toys, and a freshly cleaned floor is damp.
On the day
Two rooms take about two and a half hours from start to finish, and each extra room adds about an hour. Someone needs to be home at the start, to walk the rooms with me, and at the end, to look it over. In between, carry on with your day.
We walk the rooms
We look at the spots you care about together. If something won't come out, I tell you before I start, not after you've paid.
We confirm the price
It's the price we agreed. If the job turns out bigger than we talked about, you hear the new number before I start, and you can say no and pay nothing. You'll be asked to sign the job sheet and service agreement before any cleaning begins.
Pre-treat, shampoo, extract
Traffic lanes and spots get worked in first, then the shampoo goes down through the pile and the extractor pulls it back out with the soil.
Dry passes
I go back over the whole floor with no solution, so it's left damp instead of wet.
You look it over, then pay
Card, cash or check, once the work is done and you've had a look at it.
After I leave
- Let the air do the work. Open a window or run a ceiling fan and the dry Las Cruces air does the rest. You can walk on it the same day.
- Clean socks or bare feet until it's dry. Street shoes on damp carpet put dirt straight back in.
- Watch your step where carpet meets tile or wood. Damp feet on a hard floor are slippery.
- Keep pets off until it's dry.
- Wait to put furniture back. If something has to go back sooner, put a square of foil or a plastic tab under each wooden or metal leg so nothing stains or rusts into the damp carpet.
If a spot comes back. Some stains wick back up from the backing as the carpet dries. That's normal, and it's what my re-clean guarantee is for: tell me within 10 days and I come back and re-clean the area at no charge.
If you think something was damaged. Tell me within 72 hours, in writing, with photos, and please don't repair it or throw it out before I've had a chance to see it. The details are in the terms of service.
Need to change your time?
Cancel or move your appointment at no charge with at least 24 hours' notice. You can do it yourself from your Square booking confirmation. With less notice, call or text me on (575) 654-3764. A late cancellation, or nobody home at the appointment time, carries the trip charge on the Prices page.