Frequently Asked Questions

No, on the contrary. If carpets are professionally cleaned by a certified technician using the correct practices and products, the life of the carpet can be extended by up to 5 times. Regular deep cleaning of the carpets removes the sand, soil and grit from deep down in the carpet pile. The hidden soil is the primary cause of wear and tear acting like sandpaper as you walk on the carpet. Over time the debris builds and builds until it becomes apparent on the surface. For this reason, it is recommended to clean the carpet well before it looks dirty. 

Unfortunately, most companies and technicians in the industry tend to use high pH chemicals which are damaging to wool carpets will weaken the fibers and cause the carpet to wear out prematurely. In many cases the high pH will cause discoloration to the dyes too. Touch Dry Restoration use a deeper cleaning, dual system process to clean 99% of the carpets we clean. Our unique system lifts and removes all the soil from the base of the carpet pile easily and effectively without the use of harsh chemicals. As such we only use the highest-grade wool safe and eco-friendly products to clean carpets and upholstery and we always neutralise the pH with our sour rinse, which stabilizes the colour and conditions the fibers, revitalising the carpets and fabrics leaving them clean, fresh, healthy, soft and Touch Dry.

Generally, traffic areas of your carpet (the bits you walk on around furniture) should be professionally cleaned by a qualified technician at least once a year - areas used infrequently perhaps every 18 months to two years. If you wear out door shoes on the carpet, or the property is occupied, by indoor pets and or by persons who are respiratory sensitive or suffer with allergic reactions, then it would be recommended to have those regularly used areas cleaned more than once a year, perhaps once every 6-8 months. Carpets under furniture to should receive at least a dry vacuuming once or twice a year to eradicate the build-up of dust mites and the breeding of bed bugs and moths.

No, providing you use an IICRC certified technician who really understands the proper practices and who cares about delivering quality results that last. Touch Dry Restoration uses high grade wool safe approved products and where necessary, we neutralise the fabrics with a sour rinse finish leaving the carpet and upholstery pH balanced. Soils are acid based, so detergents which are alkali are as a rule used to break down and loosen the soil. So common bad practice includes the use of high pH cleaning products and the higher the pH of the product, the more likely residue will be left behind, especially if the carpet has not been rinsed with an Acidic (sour rinse). 

The sour rinse Touch Dry use during the rinse and extraction part of our process, neutralises the pH, conditions the fibers and will actually repel soils rather than attract them. Lack of industry knowledge, specialist equipment and lack of time to deliver quality, often leads technicians to make the mistake of using stronger alkaline based detergents. These strong chemicals may break surface soil down more quickly, but won't effectively reach and remove soil from the depth of the pile. 

Furthermore, they will continue to clean the dirt from people’s feet as they walk on the carpet for months after it has been cleaned. Another cause of premature re-soiling is that carpet cleaners that work very quickly tend to not dilute their products in accordance to manufacturers guidelines. They often just chuck the products in their machine using far too much. What can be an even worse problem is that a lot of carpet cleaners are known to use products not formulated and fit for cleaning carpets. These bad practices are a few of the key reasons why so many consumers experience rapid re-soiling.

Touch Dry offer the following methods: Hot Water Extraction also known as Steam Cleaning, Rotary Shampoo and Bonnet Cleaning, Dry Organic Compound Cleaning and Dry Solvent Cleaning, Specialist Stain Removal, Draught Mark Removal and Touch Dry’s Dual System Restoration.

All methods have their place and there are advantages and disadvantages to all. Some use more moisture, some are nearly completely dry. Some fabrics and carpets cannot be wet cleaned, so a low moisture/dry system MUST be used regardless to how much soil is to be removed. The general rule of thumb is the less moisture used the less effective the cleaning will be. However over wetting carpets and upholstery will potentially damage them and cause all kinds of problems, so it is important to always use a certified expert like Touch Dry Restoration who knows exactly how to get the best results whilst skilfully managing moisture levels with their use of specialist equipment, techniques and time to reduce overall drying times.

Generally, all systems serve well for general maintenance cleaning, which is when the carpets and upholstery are cleaned regularly and well before they become soiled i.e. every 3-6 months. Hot water extraction is the most popular system, and this is because it is the most effective system for actual soil and stain removal, but to effectively break down years of soil which has become deeply ingrained in the fabric and carpet pile, a combination of systems is necessary in order to restore the items, neutralise them, condition them and dry them. The maintenance systems vary in cost and are all considerably cheaper than restoration cleaning:

Rotary Bonnet Buffing using micro splitting technology is generally the cheapest method and offers a good surface clean and reduction of general marks and spots with short drying times some added fiber protection.

Dry Compound Cleaning offers zero drying times but is expensive, not as effective at improving the general appearance, leaves traces of the compound in the carpet even once it has been cleaned and is the least effective at breaking down general marks, spots and stains.

Rotary Shampoo Brushing & Dry Vacuum are seldom used these days it is one of the cheaper methods, provides good agitation and soil break down but the dry vacuum extraction of the encapsulated dirt means residues are left behind which attract soil meaning much more regular cleaning.

Hot Water Extraction has the longest drying times especially when carried out by an unskilled and/or uncaring technician and poses more risks of damage than the other lower moisture methods. It does however offer the most effective surface clean and a deeper clean removing soil from the top third of the fiber as opposed to the top quarter of the fiber which is what is achieved with the other lower moisture systems. 

Dry Solvent Cleaning Rugs & Upholstery - A system Touch Dry Restoration used only when we have to, due to the wet sensitive fabrics and fibers we come across from time to time. Expensive, toxic and not very effective at breaking down general soil, marks and stains. Effective at breaking down grease and oils but not much else.

Dual System Restoration Process - The most expensive and time consuming of all systems but by far the best value for money. Utilizing the Rotary bonnet/shampoo or better yet counter rotating brushing CRB machines in combination with hot water extraction, specialist stain removal techniques and rapid drying equipment, this system breaks down and removes soils, marks and stains from the base of the carpet pile and upholstery fabric. Meaning 99% more soil removal is achieved than any other system used in isolation. Carpets and upholstery look absolutely amazing straight after the clean and even better when completely dry, they stay looking great for a long time after with no sticky residues left behind and the items are fabric conditioned without stains wicking back and once dry, the carpet will continue to repel soil for extended periods of time. With the removal of the sand, grit, hair and other dirt particles removed from the base of the carpet the result means a significant extension in the items shelf life. What you spend on this service in the short term will be saved many times over in the long term!

Not necessarily. If you have just purchased new carpets, or have just had Touch Dry Restorations dual system process and would like to avoid the lump sum expense of replacing your carpets early and with expensive restoration carpet cleaning bills every 2-5 years, you might want to consider following our guidelines on how to keep cleaner carpets and take up a maintenance carpet clean program every 3-6 months. 

Ultimately, you will be spending the same or more on regular cleaning, but you will be pre-longing the life of your carpet even more whilst benefiting from allergen free furnishings, great looking furnishings all year round and your cleaning bills at a lower cost spread over the year.

Act fast with some white towels or paper towels and blot as much of the spillage up as possible. Keep blotting and use your body weight to get as much of the moisture out as possible. You should really contact us immediately, particularly if it is coloured spillage or a natural carpet and especially if it has occurred on natural cotton or linen upholstery. We will come out as soon as possible and provide a stain removal service for you, but if you would like to try and deal with it yourself, refer to our recommendations and tips, but be very careful and call us if at all concerned.

Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that any particular stain will be successfully removed even by a certified stain removal specialist, as some stains permanently damage the carpet and upholstery fibres and, therefore, no amount of cleaning techniques or chemicals will reverse this. Touch Dry Restoration are able to successfully remove most stains from carpets often exceeding our own expectations. 

Stains on delicate upholstery fabrics such as cottons and linens, silks, viscose tend to be much trickier and unfortunately more likely to be permanent. What we can assure you is: as an industry leading stain removal expert, we offer the best possible outcome and, if we can't remove a stain, you can trust that no one else will be able to either. If you are concerned with any particular stain before you book us, please feel free to contact us to discuss the stain and we will advise you of the realistic outcome and best way to move forward.

Absolutely. We are insured through Hiscox Insurance and have a Public Liability Indemnity of £5,000,000 and Employers Liability cover of £10,000,000, Treatments Risk up to £25,000 for any claim - with a total cover of up £250,000 in any period.

We only use the highest-grade products on the market, which are completely safe for all of the above. However, if you have any particular concerns, do mention them to us, so we may be aware and answer any queries you have.

We can move most furniture for you and will discuss this with you at the point of survey or when you make your initial inquiry. Of course, the more furniture you would like us to move, the more labour and time will be involved and so this will affect the cost. If you have very heavy furniture, there are legal limits to what we can lift (25KG per person). We would always advise that fragile antique furniture is moved for us and, if there are breakables in or on a cabinet, that these are also removed prior to us arriving. In some cases, we can offer assistance with clearing the items for you, but again this will increase the cost of the job and, if they are precious, they should be removed by you rather than by us.

Yes, kitchen foil tabs will be prepared specifically for the furniture feet as we are working, ready to be placed immediately under the furniture so there is no risk of wood stain or rust occurring. Under flat based furniture which is moved, we will place polystyrene blocks so that the carpet underneath may breathe. Some very heavy and/or awkward furniture may be best left alone and we would discuss this with you at the point of survey.

As far as carpet deep cleaning is concerned, it is actually the traffic lane areas around the fixed furniture that really need to be professionally cleaned. Under the furniture that doesn't get moved, there is only surface dust which can be effectively vacuumed away. Focusing on the traffic lane areas for the professional clean will keep the cost down considerably. However, it would be a good idea to vacuum underneath beds and behind cabinets etc at least once every 6 months to prevent and eradicate any moth infestations before they do any real damage.

These can occur on both light and darker coloured carpets. These marks occur from air passing through the carpet as it is attempting to get through the crack between the carpet and the baseboard or under a closed door. Sometimes you see it as black spots, which is where the carpet fitters pierced the backing of the carpet when they used their knee kickers to stretch the carpet when it was laid. As the air passes through the edge of the carpet pile, this microscopic soiling is deposited there which is why they are called filtration marks. These marks tend to occur over a significant period of time, although they have been known to appear within a matter of a few months. Very often they are not noticed until a build-up has occurred.

Consumers wanting a good deep clean should be careful of carpet cleaners who rave about their one top of the range and expensive hot water extraction machine. The reason being, that consistent high-quality results are achieved only by those who have proven industry knowledge, and those using a variety of specialist hi-tech machinery and tools along with the correct balance of cleaning chemistry, heat, agitation and TIME to each and every job independently.  

When proper care is taken to do the job as well as it can be, no carpet cleaning job is a small one. With proper equipment taking time to unload from the van, set up and pack up again you should expect even a small room or one or two rugs to take at least one hour if the operator is on his own. A three-bedroom house will usually take a minimum of 3 hours but can take as long as 6 hours depending on the situation. A company that charges £10-20 per room or area is not set up to deliver quality to an outstanding level, they might do a job well enough to satisfy some customers, but customers are not experts, so how are they supposed to know what a good job is? If you have a budget, then call Touch Dry Restoration we can discuss your budget with you and offer you an appropriate solution based on ALL of your requirements.

This service is perfectly fine if the carpet is not visibly dirty and you are on a tight budget but only ideal if you have the carpet cleaned every 3-6 months, vacuum regularly and thoroughly and never wear shoes on your carpet. 

After 2 years without professionally cleaning dust mites begin breeding at the rate of 1 Billion per week. Though microscopic the sewage they produce in the carpet accumulates tremendously. A well-kept carpet of this age or older may appear clean and quite new looking but that is only because most of the soil is ingrained and hidden within the pile of the carpet. This tends to subtly dull the brightness as opposed to looking visibly dirty and the carpet becomes more dry and stiff rather than remaining soft and fluffy. A deep clean every 2 years will literally make a carpet like this look and feel brand new and often better than the day it was laid.

For some clients faster drying is more of a priority than others. The issue is that many consumers have the bad experience of carpets being left way too wet and taking way too long to dry which can not only be an inconvenience but can damage the carpet and cause mould to grow, creating a health hazard and very unpleasant smelling carpets.

Furthermore, when the carpet is very wet it can deceivably look brighter giving the illusion of being clean. It is not until they are completely dry that the result of the poor clean becomes evident. A company that typically leaves a carpet very wet and not very clean, if they come back to go over the carpet again, they will likely be using the same unimpressive process as they did previously with perhaps just a tad more effort.

Firstly, we have a range of services allowing us to use different levels of moisture to achieve different speeds of drying including a service which leaves carpets bone dry. Bone Dry meaning literally that, zero drying time making them immediately ready for re-use for people wearing shoes. The system is more of a preventative cleaning system and therefore should be carried out well before a carpet visibly looks like it needs a clean. Zero Drying Time Carpet Cleaning Solutions are ideal for offices and other commercial situations where instant use is required.

Our preferred system however is higher moisture but still leaves carpets Touch Dry within 30 minutes of completion and always bone dry with adequate ventilation within 24 hours. This is because we take a lot more time to pre-treat fabrics and carpets – the cleaning power comes into play with the level of agitation and time taken to loosen the dirt before pressure washing the material and extracting the moisture, so we manage the moisture this way and where possible using the addition of high heat to aid evaporation. We also have specialist air moving equipment for those occasions where a high moisture system is desired with rapid drying within just a couple of hours.

At Touch Dry Restoration we take pride in the fact that we deliver unrivalled restorative carpet cleaning results without using harsh chemicals. We have a range of eco-friendly products that we can use for clients that are super sensitive but always use mild wool safe products which carry little or no fragrance that condition the carpet rather than damaging it. It is through our use of the proper processes that we can achieve spectacular results without the use of strong chemicals and it is also for these reasons that we do not leave residues that cause the carpets to get dirty again quickly.