What to Do Before Your Carpet Cleaner Arrives
Clear the floor of small items, and tell us about the problem spots before we start. That is most of it. Pick up toys, shoes, cables, pet bowls and anything on the floor, and move light chairs and side tables if you can.
The single most useful thing you can do is point out the stains and tell us honestly what has already been tried on them.
Clear the Floor of Small Things
Toys, shoes, cables, laundry baskets, pet bowls, bins, plants. Anything small enough to pick up is quicker for you to move than for us to work around, and it means we are not asking you to shift things mid-clean.
Light furniture — dining chairs, side tables, a coffee table — is worth moving if it is easy. We move light furniture as part of the job and there is no extra charge for it, so do not strain yourself over anything heavy.
Leave beds, wardrobes, lounges and anything heavy where they are. We clean up to and around them. Carpet under a wardrobe that has not moved in five years does not need cleaning anyway.
Point Out the Problem Spots
This matters more than anything else on this page. Walk us around and show us:
- Every stain you know about, including the faint ones. Some marks are hard to see under artificial light and easy to miss on a quick look.
- Pet accident spots, even old ones, and even if the mark has gone. Urine is treated differently to a coffee spill and needs its own pre-treatment and dwell time.
- Anything that has been wet before — a leak, an overflowing washing machine, a burst pipe. It changes what we expect to find in the backing.
- Areas you actually care about. If the lounge room matters and the spare room does not, say so, and we will put the time where it counts.
Tell Us What Has Already Been Tried
This is the one people leave out, usually because they think it sounds like they made it worse. It genuinely helps to know.
Supermarket spot removers, oxygen powders, vinegar, bicarb, carpet shampoo from a hire machine, a previous cleaner — all of it leaves something behind that affects what we do next. Some spot removers leave a sticky residue that has to come out before anything else will work. Some react badly with the pre-spray we would normally reach for. Bleach-based products may already have changed the carpet dye, which is worth knowing before we start rather than being blamed for afterwards.
Nobody is judging. Tell us what went on the carpet and we will pick the right chemistry for it.
Access, Parking and Power
Practical, and more of an issue in Sydney than people expect:
- Parking. A hose run from the van to your door has a limit. If you are in a unit block, a terrace with no driveway, or a street with permit-only parking, let us know when you book so we bring the right setup.
- Apartments and strata. Some buildings require a lift booking or have restricted service hours. Worth checking before the day rather than on it.
- Stairs and level. Tell us which floor you are on. It changes the equipment we bring.
- Power and water. We usually need a standard power point and access to a tap for portable work.
Pets, Kids and the Rest of the Day
- Pets are best in another room or outside while we work — the equipment is loud, and hoses across the floor are an easy trip hazard for an excited dog.
- Plan around the drying time. Carpet is usually walk-on dry the same day. If you need a room back sooner, tell us and we will do that room first. See how long carpet takes to dry.
- Vacuuming first is optional. We pre-vacuum as part of the job. A quick pass beforehand does not hurt, but do not feel you have to.
- End of lease? Book the carpet after the vacate cleaners, not before, and leave time for drying before the inspection. See end of lease carpet cleaning.
Related Questions
Do I need to vacuum before the carpet cleaner comes?
No. We pre-vacuum with a commercial machine as part of every job, because dry soil has to come out before hot water goes in. A quick pass beforehand is fine but it is not required.
Do I have to move the furniture?
Only what is light and easy. We move light furniture such as dining chairs, side tables and coffee tables at no extra charge. Leave beds, wardrobes and lounges where they are — we clean around them.
Do I need to be home during the clean?
It helps to be there at the start so you can point out the problem areas, but you do not need to stay for the whole job. Plenty of customers let us in, head out and come back.
Should I tell you if I already tried to clean the stain myself?
Yes, and it is genuinely useful. Supermarket spot removers, vinegar, bicarb and hire-machine shampoo all leave residue that changes what we use. Knowing what went on there means we pick the right treatment first time.
More Cleaning Advice
Questions About Your
Carpet or Lounge?
Call and ask. We would rather give you a straight answer on the phone than have you book something that will not fix the problem.