Questions, answered straight

Pricing, prep, the dry method and more. Don't see yours? Call (626) 470-7379 — we're happy to talk it through.

Estimates are free — by phone, virtually, or in person. Your estimate is built on standard room sizes, so treat it as a close approximation rather than a final number. The real price is built at your home on the day, after we measure exactly what we’re cleaning. Price depends on the square footage actually cleaned, the soil level, the fiber, and any specialty treatment the job needs. You’ll hear the final number and approve it before we touch a piece of equipment.

No — and we’d rather tell you that up front than surprise you at the door. Phone estimates are built on standard sizes and your description. On the day, we measure the actual rooms, and the price is calculated from that. Sometimes it comes in lower than the estimate — that happens a lot when people opt for traffic lanes instead of wall-to-wall. Nothing gets started until you’ve heard the final number and said yes.

Never. We measure and bill only for the floor we physically clean. If your bed isn’t being moved, the floor under it isn’t on your invoice. If a room is half-blocked by storage, we measure the open area. That’s a firm company rule, not a courtesy.

Yes — $149. Every job, no matter the size, takes the same travel, setup and equipment, so there’s a minimum that lets us show up and do a complete professional job. It applies to every visit and isn’t waived or negotiated.

Only things we point out and you approve first. The usual ones: carpet that’s more heavily soiled than described and needs extra cleaning passes; pet urine treatment; repositioning heavy furniture; or a natural-fiber rug that needs gentler, slower handling. We show you, we explain it, we quote it, and you decide. Nothing gets added to your invoice without your say-so.

Rug-only visits start at $149. Rugs are priced by the square footage of the rug itself, not the room, and the fiber and condition affect the rate. Fringe isn’t counted toward the size. Because fringe is cleaned by hand, it is $35 per fringed end — most fringed rugs have two ends, so $70.

All rugs are cleaned in your home. Viscose and art-silk rugs require a signed waiver before cleaning, and we don’t clean genuine silk rugs — we’re happy to refer you to a specialist.

We accept all major credit cards (including American Express), checks and cash. Every payment is processed through our secure invoicing system, and you’ll receive a receipt by email or text.

Residential: no. Homeowners pay nothing up front — payment is collected when the job is complete, after you’ve seen the results. If you won’t be home, payment is collected when you approve the final price, before work begins.

Commercial: new commercial clients, large one-time projects, and rush or after-hours bookings require a deposit of up to 50% when you approve the estimate, with the balance due on completion. Recurring and contract accounts pay no deposit and are invoiced per service, and established accounts can set up Net 15 or Net 30 terms. All commercial terms are confirmed in writing before we schedule.

Dry cleaning is the premium method. It lifts deep soil without soaking the backing, it leaves no soap residue to re-attract dirt, and it helps protect your fibers instead of wearing them down. It’s the difference between taking a good garment to the dry cleaner and putting it through a bucket. You’re also paying for a measured, itemized price rather than a lowball ad number that grows once someone’s inside your house.

No. We only use a low-moisture dry extraction process. No soaking, no saturated backing, no soap residue left behind.

Right away. Our low-moisture method means your carpet is walkable before, during and after cleaning. The fibers finish drying in about 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how soiled they were. We recommend keeping heavy traffic off for about an hour. Exact timing shifts with soil level, humidity and fiber, so we describe it as walkable immediately rather than quoting a guaranteed dry time.

No mystery. First we vacuum — always, before anything else, because pulling out the loose dry soil is the foundation of the whole result. Then a light non-soap sanitizing mist. Then the cleaning compound: millions of micro-sponges worked into the fiber, where they absorb dirt, grease and odor. Then motorized brush machines make two passes in a cross pattern. Then we sweep edges, baseboards and around furniture legs by hand. Finally we vacuum again, and the compound and dirt come back out together.

No. Our solution isn’t a soap, so nothing sticky or crunchy is left behind — and our process actually pulls out old soap residue left by previous wet cleanings. Carpet that’s heavily loaded with old residue may need more than one clean to fully release it.

We can’t promise that, and we won’t. Some substances permanently discolor carpet fiber, and no method — ours or anyone’s — reverses that. What we do promise: we’ll point out the questionable spots before we start and tell you honestly what we think will happen, we’ll work each one at least twice, and we’ll walk you back to anything that didn’t fully come out before we leave rather than hoping you don’t notice.

We can make a dramatic difference, and we’ll be straight with you about the limits. We treat the area with our extractor and a bacteria-eliminating solution, and in most cases the improvement is significant. But when urine has soaked through into the padding and subfloor, the only way to fully eliminate it is to replace the carpet and padding. What we do is the best professional treatment available short of that — and we’ll tell you which situation you’re in before you spend a dollar.

Yes — sofas, sectionals, recliners, dining chairs and ottomans. Upholstery is cleaned with hot-water extraction, a different process from our carpet method, so it needs 1–3 hours to dry before you sit on it. Your technician will set the cushions up to dry and walk you through care before leaving.

We don’t currently clean mattresses, leather or leather-look materials, and we don’t apply fabric protector. Delicate fabrics like viscose or silk may require a signed waiver.

Fiber decides the protocol, so we check the tag before we touch anything. Wool is cleaned with a modified, gentler process and no surface spray, because wool browns and shrinks when it takes on direct moisture. Sisal, coir and jute are cleaned completely dry, with no liquids at all. Viscose, rayon and “art silk” are extremely moisture-sensitive and often already permanently crushed by foot traffic before we arrive — we can clean and sanitize, but the soiled appearance may not fully resolve, and we require a signed waiver. Silk we decline; it needs a specialist. If there’s no tag, we test a corner first.

That usually means it needs re-stretching, often after a high-pressure water system loosened the latex backing. We recommend having it stretched as soon as you can. It isn’t required before we clean.

Not necessarily. Many of our customers aren’t home during service. Here’s how it works:

Before we arrive: arrange how our technician will get in — a lockbox code, a key left somewhere safe, or a neighbor or building contact — and let us know how to lock up when we’re done.
When we start: we measure the space and call or text you the final price. No work begins until you approve it, and payment is collected at that time.
When we finish: we send before-and-after photos and call you about any stubborn spots or areas that need special attention.

If you are home, we walk through every area with you before we leave, and payment is collected at the end instead. Either way, you approve the price before any work begins, and you see the results before we consider the job done.

One thing: access to a hot water source — usually a kitchen or utility sink deep enough to fill our tank. If your sink is shallow we carry a faucet hose and can work around it. Just let us know at booking if hot water access is going to be a problem so we can plan for it.

No. A thorough vacuum is the first and most important phase of our process, and it’s included on every job — we vacuum one to three passes depending on soil level before any product touches the carpet. You don’t need to do anything.

Please put away small and breakable items — toys, lamps, plants, décor and anything on low shelves. We take care of the furniture.

Light items: dining chairs, side tables and floor lamps are moved at no charge.
Heavy items: sofas, dressers and entertainment centers start at $35 per piece, with the rate increasing based on size and weight. Your technician quotes each piece on site and you approve it before anything is moved. We photograph every piece first.
Beds: we clean around and under beds as far as we can reach. A full bed move is available when the frame can be slid safely.
Prefer not to move something? We can clean one section, shift the piece over and clean the rest. You’re never charged for floor we don’t clean.

Please note: we do not move pianos, electronics, antiques, heirlooms, china cabinets, pool tables, fully loaded cabinets or shelving, or anything that requires disassembly. Our technicians may decline any piece they can’t move safely. The DRY Carpet Cleaner is not responsible for damage caused by pre-existing conditions such as loose joints, prior repairs or fragile finishes — please point out any concerns before service begins.

Plan on about 45 minutes per room or item. Traffic-lane-only cleaning goes faster, and heavily soiled areas take longer. For larger homes, we’ll give you a time window when you book so you can plan your day.

We’ll ask first, always. Good airflow while we work keeps the air fresh and helps everything finish drying quickly. If it’s too hot out, fans work fine instead.

Yes — the carpet stays safe to walk on the whole time, and you’re welcome to come see the before-and-after. We’d just ask that kids and pets stay clear of the machines while they’re actually running, and note that we’ll have exterior doors and windows open for airflow — so if you have a door-dasher, it’s worth crating them for the visit.

Very little. Keep heavy traffic off for about an hour so everything settles. Skip shoes on the carpet today especially — shoes track in the oils and grit that go straight back into fresh fiber, and shoes-off is honestly the single best habit for keeping it looking like this. If you vacuum in the next few days and pick up a little residual material, that’s completely normal.

We’re based in Pasadena and serve the surrounding San Gabriel Valley. Travel is free within 15 miles, $25 for 15–25 miles, and $60 for 25–35 miles. Outside that range, call us — for commercial accounts we travel further by arrangement.

Most homes do well on two to three times a year, and most of our customers come back every 6–12 months. Step that up to every 4–6 months if you have pets, kids, or a shoes-on household — high-traffic homes benefit from a shorter cycle to keep dust and allergens down.

Professional deep cleaning for offices, churches, restaurants, hotels, schools, country clubs and convention centers — carpet, area rugs and upholstery, cleaned on your schedule including after hours. Because our method is low-moisture and walkable immediately, your floors don’t come out of service.

Yes — commercial service is available 24/7, 365. After-hours work is typically scheduled 3–7 days in advance, and up to two weeks out for larger jobs, depending on availability.

Absolutely. Call (626) 470-7379 for a complimentary estimate and we’ll build a recurring program around your traffic patterns and hours. Deposit and billing terms for commercial and recurring accounts are arranged directly with you.