Straight answers
Questions, answered straight.
No fine print, no runaround — 50 of the questions people ask us most, sorted by topic. Can't see yours? Text us and we'll give you a straight answer.
General & booking
9Yes — every job is backed by public liability insurance, so your property is protected while we work.
We're based in Henderson, so West Auckland, Central Auckland and the North Shore get our fastest response — rapid arrival and short-notice emergencies. East and South Auckland get full daily coverage on standard scheduling. Beyond Auckland, we take on large-scale commercial restoration and critical flood work by prior arrangement.
Cash or card on the day, once the job's done and you're happy — no deposit up front. Credit cards carry a 2.4% surcharge; EFTPOS or debit skips it. Commercial clients can arrange account terms in advance — just ask when you book.
Just let us know by 3pm the day before and there's no charge — 48 hours for flood or whole-house jobs. After that, or if we can't get in on the day, there's an $89 slot-hold fee, and we put it straight toward your rebooking if you go ahead within 7 days. We hold your time and plan our travel around it, so a bit of notice is all we ask.
Ideally, give the light stuff a quick move before we arrive — dining chairs and small items — so we can get right underneath. Anything heavy or precious we leave put: beds, pianos, appliances, glassware, artwork, or anything of personal value. Under big furniture that stays, a dry vacuum is usually all it needs. If you'd like it cleaned properly underneath, it's best to arrange professional movers — and only move it back once the carpet's completely dry, to avoid marks or mould. The ideal time to clean under big pieces is on freshly cleaned, dry carpet when you're rearranging anyway, or before/after a move when the whole area's already clear. Either way, just tell us what matters most and we'll work around it.
Most multi-room jobs run about 3–4 hours on site — that's the cleaning itself, separate from drying. Drying is the 2–4 hours after we leave (with decent airflow and low humidity). So a morning clean is usually walk-on dry by mid-afternoon. We'll give you a realistic time when we quote, so you can plan your day.
We'll always talk it through and agree the price with you before we carry on — no surprise charges after the fact. If it can't all be done safely in the booked time, we finish what we can, only charge for the work done, and book a time to complete the rest.
Yes please — anything only you'd know. A "dry clean only" label, a specialty or delicate fibre, and any bleach, chemical or spot-treatment used before (by you or another cleaner). Some materials need a different method, and old treatments can react with ours in ways no one can predict. We test a hidden spot where we can, but a quick heads-up up front protects your things.
If our work isn't right — a missed spot, or residue we've left behind — tell us within seven days and we'll come back and put it right. No debates. The easiest way to be sure is a quick walk-through with us before we leave, so anything missed gets sorted on the spot. That's what we can promise: our own work. We can't promise a carpet stays clean once life resumes on it, and we can't promise a mark that was never going to lift.
Carpet cleaning
92–4 hours for most rooms with decent airflow and low humidity. And that last part matters. Want to help it along? The formula is simple: cross-breeze + a little warmth. Open windows on opposite sides so the damp air flows out, and run a fan or the heat pump. On a cold, still, humid day — or if you need it sooner — add assisted drying and an afternoon clean is dry by dinner.
That's the exception, not the rule — and when it happens it's the room's conditions, not the clean. We pull most of the moisture back at the wand and finish with a low-pH conditioning rinse, so the damp worries people have — browning, mould, musty smells — don't creep in. Slow drying comes down to cold, still, humid air with no heating on. Three things fix it fastest: airflow, lower humidity and a little warmth — crack a couple of windows for cross-flow, or run a fan or the heat pump. Need it sooner? We set up air movers to finish it off. Either way, we tell you what to expect before we start — so there are no surprises.
Yes — our machine runs high-heat (up to 120°C), but the heat is dialled right down at the wand to suit each fibre. Fine wool, synthetic piles and hand-woven rugs each get their own fibre-matched setting — never a blanket temperature.
You don't have to — vacuuming is part of what we do on the day. If you do have five minutes it genuinely helps, and it's worth knowing why: your vacuum lifts the loose dirt sitting on top, which frees ours to go after what a household machine can't reach — the grit and allergens held down in the base of the pile, where hot-water extraction does its real work. How much we vacuum depends on the clean you've chosen: Light gets a vacuum wherever it helps, Regular covers the traffic lanes and the busiest areas, and Premier gets a thorough vacuum throughout. What helps most, though, is a quick tidy — small items up off the floor, with anything valuable, breakable or precious tucked safely away. Then nothing's at risk, and we can get straight onto the carpet.
Yes — we use biodegradable, pet- and kid-safe pre-sprays to break down grease and oils. Then we finish with a low-pH conditioning rinse: it rebalances and softens the fibre and leaves no sticky detergent residue — think conditioner after shampoo. The finishing scent is a natural essential oil (lemon, lime or an exotic option) that deodorises and sanitises, so it smells genuinely clean rather than perfumed over. Nothing harsh left behind for little ones or bare feet.
Yes — we just ask everyone to give the damp floors and our gear a bit of room. Cleaning means the carpet stays damp for a couple of hours and our hoses run through the house while we work, so wet floors can be slippery (especially where carpet meets tile or vinyl) and the hoses and cables are a temporary trip hazard. Keep small children, anyone unsteady on their feet, and pets clear of the wet areas and the run of the hose until things are dry and packed up — and if a pet might bolt through a propped-open door, pop them in a closed room first. We lay our gear tidily and flag the slippery spots; a little care from both sides keeps the day smooth.
As a rule of thumb, every 12–18 months for a typical home. That's the interval carpet-industry guidance (like the Carpet & Rug Institute) recommends, in line with AS/NZS 3733 maintenance practice, and it's what keeps most carpet warranties valid. With kids, pets or a busy household, closer to every 6–12 months keeps them healthy. Really high-traffic or health-sensitive spaces can want it more often again. Regular cleaning isn't just about looks: it clears the grit that grinds the fibre down early, so the carpet lasts longer.
Ask where the temperature is measured, because that's the part nobody explains. Water is heated at the machine — ours reaches 120°C there. It then has to travel the hose to reach your carpet, and it sheds heat the whole way: further on a long run, further on a cold morning, and further if the machine can't hold its temperature while the water keeps flowing. Stop to move a sofa and the water sitting in the hose cools down, so the next pass starts cooler than the last one ended. That's why we quote our figure at the machine and tell you that's where it's measured — it's the one point where the number is a fact. A precise temperature quoted at the carpet is describing something that changes minute by minute. The other half of the answer is whether the heat holds. Most vans take heat as a by-product of the engine that's also driving the vacuum and the pump, so three jobs compete for one power source and the system settles at a safe lower setting. Ours is a separate LPG-fired heater, so heat isn't fighting anything else for power. In practice we run it at about half — any more and the hose would mark your carpet.
No — and past a point it's actively worse. Carpet is cleaned somewhere between 200 and 500 PSI — the conservative residential figure is 200–300, typical wand work sits at 400–500, and it depends on the fibre and the soil. There is rarely a reason to go past 500 on any fabric. We work across that range, matched to the fibre in front of us. Push harder than the fibre needs and you stop lifting water out and start driving it into the backing. That's how carpet delaminates, that's how a mark wicks back up to the surface two days later, and it's why an over-pressured carpet is still damp the next morning. So a big pressure figure isn't a better clean — it's a different job. Machines advertising 1,000 PSI and up aren't wrong; that's a tile and grout figure, and hard floors genuinely want it. We don't do tile. We do carpet, and carpet wants control rather than force. There's also a number nobody quotes that matters more than either: vacuum. Suction drops away sharply with every extra metre of hose, and it's what pulls the water back out of your carpet — so we park close and run short, 10 to 30 metres wherever we can. How much water is left behind when we leave is your dry time.
Stains & odour
7Often yes — especially if it hasn't been scrubbed or dried in. We treat the pigment with a targeted, fibre-safe solution and flush it with hot-water extraction. Fresh spills lift best; a wine stain that's been rubbed hard or hit with a supermarket remover is tougher, and we'll give you a straight read before we start.
Often — but it has to be treated all the way down, not just on the surface. Urine soaks through the pile into the backing and underlay, so a surface clean lets the smell wick back. We treat it with an enzyme that breaks the urine down, then extract it from deep in the carpet. Old, repeated accidents are the hardest — sometimes the underlay is the real source, and we'll tell you honestly what we can reach.
Usually yes — even older ones. Coffee and tea are tannin stains; we treat them with a targeted tannin remover and flush with 120°C extraction. The before-and-after on this page is a real Te Atatū lounge of set-in coffee and tea. Very old or previously-bleached marks may only partly lift — you'll get a straight read first.
We treat every stain — but like a doctor with a patient, we can't promise a full cure on all of them. Some have permanently changed the fibre's dye, so no treatment brings it all the way back. Where experience lets us call it, we'll tell you before we start — and we'd rather say so than take your money for a maybe. Others genuinely can't be called until they've been treated and we've seen: how long it's been there, what the fibre is, what was spilled and what someone reached for at the time all change how it responds. Either way you get the honest version — what we tried, what shifted, and what didn't. No false hope, no surprises.
Best thing: blot it gently with a clean white cloth and a little plain water, then leave the rest to us. Please don't reach for supermarket spot removers or bleach — they can react with our treatment later (and sometimes bleach the fibre), and a stain that's already been DIY-treated is much harder for us to shift. A quick blot, and let us know what happened.
We'll give you our honest read before we start — and the truth after. A stain is rarely one simple thing. How long it's been sitting there, what the fibre is, what was actually spilled, and what someone reached for to clean it up at the time — often half-remembered, sometimes not at all. Every one of those changes how it responds, and they combine in ways nobody can read off the surface. We could investigate properly — test it, strip it back, find out exactly what's in there. On a single mark that usually costs more than the stain is worth, and we'd rather not spend your money that way. So we do the thing with the best odds instead: treat it properly. The right chemistry for your fibre, products we trust, and a method built over a thousand-odd jobs — then look at the result with you, honestly. Where experience lets us call it, we'll tell you before we start. Some marks won't lift — dye, bleach, or damage that's changed the fibre itself — and we'd rather say so than take your money for a maybe. Others genuinely can't be called until they've been treated and we've seen. You'll get the honest version either way: what we tried, what shifted, and what didn't. And where we did say a mark would go and it hasn't, we'll re-treat it free — if another cleaner then removes it, we'll refund what you paid us for treating that stain. (Full details in our terms.)
Come back to us — we're not starting from scratch. What usually happened is that the mark went deeper than anyone could see: ink, dye and heavy spills soak through the carpet into the backing and the underlay. What sat on the surface came out. What was underneath is still there, and as the carpet dries it travels back up. We cleaned what a clean can reach — lifting the carpet to find out what's beneath it is a different job, and we didn't charge you for it. So if it surfaces again, tell us. That second visit is charged, because it's genuinely new work — but we're the right people for it: we know what the mark looked like before, how it behaved when we treated it, and what came away. We'll find the root of it, treat what can be treated, and give you a straight answer on whether it'll hold. Sometimes it does. Sometimes the honest answer is that it sits below anything a clean can reach, and the fix is new carpet rather than more cleaning. We'd rather tell you that than keep cleaning it.
Mattress
7Our machine heats to 120°C, and we work to somewhere around 70–90°C at a mattress surface — still well above the ~55–60°C dust mites can't survive. That range comes from experience rather than a laboratory, and it's set for the fabric in front of us — a wool carpet or an olefin pile gets run far cooler, because heat that's right for one fibre will damage another. Just as importantly, it lifts out the sweat and dead skin they feed on, so the population is knocked right back and survivors struggle to recolonise. Regular cleaning is what keeps it that way. One deep clean dramatically reduces them; nothing honestly sterilises a whole mattress, and we won't pretend otherwise.
It's dry before bedtime. We use controlled moisture — never a soaking — so with a little airflow (crack a window or run a fan) you sleep on it the same night. It takes a bit longer on a still, humid day with poor airflow.
Yes — our pre-sprays are low-tox and pet- and kid-friendly, safe once dry, and we finish low-residue, so there's nothing harsh left where you sleep. Heat does the real work, not a fog of chemicals. A deep steam clean for deep-sweat sleep.
Most mattresses do well with a professional clean every 6–12 months — sooner if someone has allergies or asthma, there are pets on the bed, or after a spill or illness. Regular cleaning stops sweat, dead skin and the dust mites that feed on them from building back up.
Often, yes — we treat the stain and the smell at the source with an enzyme pre-treatment, then flush it with high-heat extraction rather than masking it. We give you a straight read first: fresh marks lift best; older or previously DIY-treated stains may not fully clear, and we'll tell you before we start, not after.
Yes — we match the method to the mattress. Controlled moisture, never a soaking, so foam, spring, latex, hybrid and pillow-top mattresses are all cleaned safely and dried before bedtime. If a mattress has a care label or a delicate top, we work to it.
If you spend a third of your life on it, yes. A mattress quietly collects years of sweat, dead skin and the dust-mite allergen a vacuum can't reach — a deep high-heat clean — up to 120°C at the machine — resets the surface you breathe on for eight hours a night, and helps protect a mattress you'll want to keep for years.
Upholstery & leather
7Most suites are touch-dry in 2–4 hours with a little airflow — crack a window or run a fan and it moves along nicely. It takes a bit longer if we've done an odour treatment, or on a still, humid day with poor airflow. We keep the moisture controlled so cushions are never soaked.
Usually a big improvement, often gone. We treat odour at the source with an enzyme treatment rather than masking it with fragrance, and lift marks with a fabric-safe stain treatment. Deep-set or long-standing pet odour can need more than one pass, and we'll give you a straight read on the day about what will and won't fully lift.
We match the method to your fabric, not the other way round. We check the care label, test a hidden patch first, and set the heat to suit the fibre. Some fabrics are marked "dry clean only" — those we won't hot-water clean, and we'll tell you straight rather than risk it.
Upholstery is priced per piece — you only pay for what you have, and you'll see the exact number before you book. A quick photo of the suite and any marks gets you an accurate quote in about 90 seconds, with no on-site markup.
Often most will — but not always, and you'll get a straight read rather than a promise. Fresh marks lift best; old, set-in, sun-faded or dye-lost areas won't come back to new. Some of those we can spot before we start, and we'll say so. Others we can't call until we've tested them — fabric, age and whatever was used on it first all change how it responds. You'll hear what we tried, what shifted, and what didn't. No false promises either way.
Leather, yes — cleaned and then conditioned to feed the hide so it stays supple. Suede and delicate specialty fabrics we assess by the care label first and tell you honestly what's safe — some are genuinely "dry clean only" and we won't risk them.
Every 12–18 months for a family sofa — sooner if you have pets, allergies, or light-coloured fabric that shows the everyday body oils and dust it soaks up. Regular cleaning stops the grime setting in and keeps the fabric feeling soft.
Rugs
6We clean wool, synthetic and modern area rugs beautifully on-site — including many oriental and wool-pile pieces. Genuine antique, hand-knotted Persian or pure-silk rugs are usually safer with a full-immersion specialist hand-wash, so we colour-test and read your rug first and tell you honestly which yours needs — rather than sell you a clean that could risk it.
In your home — on-site hot-water extraction, so your rug never leaves the house and there's no days-long wait. We can clean it in the same visit as your carpet. For delicate pieces that genuinely need immersion washing, we'll point you to a specialist instead.
Priced by size and fibre — you see the number before you book. A small hallway runner and a big lounge rug aren't the same job, so the price follows the rug. Send a photo and rough measurements and you'll get an accurate quote in about 90 seconds; specialty and antique pieces are quoted on inspection.
Every 1–2 years for a family rug in a living area, and every 3–5 years for a low-traffic decorative piece — sooner with pets, allergies or spills. A rug quietly collects the grit and dust that get walked in, so a regular clean keeps the pile soft and the colours fresh instead of letting grime grind in.
We colour-test a hidden corner first, before any clean touches the rug. If a rug's dyes aren't stable enough for on-site cleaning, we'll tell you straight and recommend a specialist — better an honest answer than a bleed. On colour-fast rugs, a proper fibre-matched clean brings the colour and softness back.
Often yes — we treat the spot with an enzyme-based product, then flush it with hot-water extraction to lift what's soaked into the pile. The fresher the accident the better the result; urine that's dried deep into the backing can be more stubborn, and we'll give you a straight read on what to expect before we start.
Flood & water damage
5Often, yes — if we get to it fast. We extract the water and dry the carpet and underlay properly, and a lot of carpet comes back fine. But not always: if the water's been sitting for days, or it's contaminated — sewage, or flood water off the ground — replacing it is the safer call. We give you a straight read on the day rather than dry something that should really go.
With water, hours matter — so we move fast. We answer 7 days, including after-hours for a genuine emergency, and we'll give you the first steps to limit the damage while we're on our way. The sooner the water's out, the more of your carpet and home we can save.
If it's safe to: stop the water at the source, switch off power to any wet areas at the board, and lift furniture off the wet carpet — or slip foil or plastic under the legs so they don't stain or rust the pile. Lift what you easily can, but don't run a household vacuum over standing water. We'll talk you through it when you call.
We make the claim easy to back up. You'll get clear before-and-after photos and a written record of the work, so you've got what your insurer needs. You deal with the claim itself; we give you straight, tidy documentation to support it.
Our focus is getting the water out, drying and sanitising. Any repairs, re-stretching or re-laying we organise through trusted trades — so it's one point of contact and no runaround. We line it up; you don't have to chase anyone.
No questions match that search. Text us and we'll answer it straight.