Frequently Asked Questions

There are several reasons why Oscillating Pad Extraction is better than steam cleaning. 

For one, we are not hooked up to a truck mounted unit or continuous water supply, so we don't use tons of water. This is much better for your carpets and there is no risk of water getting behind the backing of the carpet where it could get trapped and cause molding.

In "steam" cleaning or better defined as Hot Water Extraction, water is forced into your carpet in much the same way a pressure washer sprays your car at the car wash. Then, water and the soil it can carry is sucked up by a high flow wet vac. 

But if you have ever used a pressure washer alone to wash your car, you know that all of the soil is not removed in the process.

In order to get the carpet completely clean, it must be wiped. It is for this very same reason that we use OPE. The machine uses special cotton blend pads, similar to a wash mit, to wipe and absorb the soil from the carpet.

Most steam cleaners inject their detergents via the pressure cleaner component. How does it get rinsed away? Detergent does what it is designed to do regardless of where it is. It is designed to attract soil, and if left in the carpet will continue to do so, making the carpets appear dirtier, faster.

By pre-spraying the cleaning solution as we do, the fresh clean water in the pads acts as a rinse, to remove any residue that might otherwise cause re-soiling. As an added benefit, this cleaning solution works as an encapsulant and crystallizes when it dries. When these microscopic crystals are completely dehydrated, they shatter and will be removed the next time you vacuum - which should be the next day.

OPE is most often confused with bonnet cleaning, unfortunately there are huge differences in results but not a lot of difference in the equipment used. Bonnet cleaning basically has two drawbacks.

First the machine is a rotary, while rotary can scrub fine, it does not get down into the fibers like an oscillator does. You would have to clean north-south, east-west, and diagonally to come even close to what an oscillator will do and still you would not get the depth of cleaning.

Secondly, bonnets as opposed to pads, bonnets are thicker, thus staying on top of the carpet, not digging down like pads will, plus many are synthetic fibers which do not hold soil like cotton.

Plus even if the bonnets are cotton they are usually stringy yarn bonnets, again too thick, and not nearly the contact points that you will have with a cotton blend design.

The answer varies based on how much traffic your carpet gets, and whether or not you have pets or small children. The great benefits of Final Touch Carpet Cleaning is that our low-moisture method gets your carpets cleaner and keeps them that way for much longer period that Steam or Chemdry.

Under the right conditions, you will not have to deal with the hassle of having your carpets cleaned 3 or 4 times a year (as most cleaners recommend).

For the majority of our clients we recommend they clean their carpeting once a year, if they want to keep it looking like new. For carpet that is used a good deal, we recommend those areas be cleaned once or twice a year.

Yes, we do. Our commitment to you is simple, we don't ask you to pay a dime until you're satisfied. It's that simple! The OPE cleaning we use does such a great job, we don't worry about dirt resurfacing in your carpeting from incomplete cleanings as other cleaners might. If after a cleaning there is something you were not satisfied with, we will return to re-clean at no charge.

No company guarantees every spot or odor will be completely removed after cleaning. Likewise, we make no such claim.

However, we are very successful in removing most difficult spots and odors, and many times when we come across something that does not want to release completely, we can often improve its appearance.

We use much less water as steam cleaners, so the carpets naturally dry faster. The average drying time is between 3-4 hours. To help the drying process, we suggest keeping the temperature warmer and having good air circulation. Even in the coolest months, carpets dry fast!