The questions we get asked most, answered plainly.

We give you a free estimate first, and the estimate is the price. No surprises when the work is done, and no upsells invented on your doorstep. If we think your floors do not need what you called about, we will tell you that too.

No. Estimates are free and there is no pressure attached to them. Call or text us and we will tell you what we can price over the phone and what genuinely needs eyes on it.

Yes. Text is often the fastest way to reach us, especially with a photo of the surface you are asking about.

Most jobs are scheduled within the week. Before-move-in and before-guests work fills up around holidays, so give us more notice if your date is fixed.

We use the safest effective products available for each surface, and we rinse thoroughly so nothing is left behind for bare feet and paws to pick up. Tell us about allergies or sensitivities when you book and we will plan around them.

Yes. We serve real-estate brokerages, professional and medical offices, boutique retail, hospitality, and property managers across Marin, including evening and weekend scheduling where business hours cannot be interrupted.

Typically four to eight hours. Our truck-mounted equipment extracts most of the moisture before it reaches the backing, so carpets are damp rather than wet when we leave. Damp coastal weather and shaded canyon homes sit at the longer end of that range, and we can set air movers where drying time matters.

Every twelve to eighteen months for most homes, and more often with pets, children, or a household that comes in off the trails. Regular cleaning is what keeps grit from cutting the fibers, so it extends the life of the carpet rather than just changing how it looks.

Yes. We clean wool, STAINMASTER®, and other specialty fibers, and we clean oriental and area rugs on location so your rug never leaves your home. Fiber, dye stability, and construction all change the method, which is why we identify the rug before we quote it.

Rarely, because we rinse rather than leave detergent behind. Resoiling and wicking are usually caused by cleaning residue left in the pile. Our process leaves carpets pH balanced and essentially residue-free, which is what keeps spots from resurfacing a week later.

On light-colored carpet, wool, and high-traffic areas, yes. Protector buys you time to blot a spill before it becomes a stain, and it makes routine vacuuming more effective. It wears off with traffic, so it is reapplied at cleaning rather than once for life.

We identify the fiber and the cleaning code first, then match the method — from low-moisture cleaning for delicate silks and linens to hot water extraction on durable synthetics. Testing an inconspicuous area for dye stability is part of every job, not an extra step.

Usually two to six hours depending on fabric and fill. We remove as much moisture as the fabric allows, and we will tell you before we start whether a piece needs longer or should be left uncovered while it dries.

Often, yes, when the source is in the fabric and the surface of the cushion. Odor that has soaked into the foam or the frame is a different problem, and we will say so honestly at the estimate rather than sell you a cleaning that will not solve it.

Yes, on fabrics that accept it. Protector helps everyday spills sit on the surface long enough to be blotted, which matters most on light upholstery and on pieces that get daily use.

For most Marin homes, every two to three years. Kitchens, entries, and bathrooms in busy households can need it closer to every eighteen months. Grout is porous, so once soil works below the surface a mop pushes it around rather than lifting it out — that is the point where professional hot water extraction pays off.

Usually, yes. Most grout that looks permanently dark is not stained through, it is holding soil in its pores. Truck-mounted hot water extraction lifts that soil out and typically brings the grout back several shades. Where grout has been dyed, damaged, or worn below the surface, we will tell you that at the estimate rather than after the job.

Yes, and we recommend it on nearly every job. Most natural stone, all grout lines, and many clay and cementitious materials are porous enough to stain without a sealer. We test sealers and application procedures ourselves, so what goes on your floor is matched to the material. Sealing is best done right after a professional cleaning, while the surface is clean and dry.

A typical kitchen or bathroom floor takes two to four hours. Larger areas, heavily soiled Saltillo, or stone that needs restoration take longer, and we will give you the time estimate along with the price before we start. Sealed surfaces are usually ready for normal use the same day.

In most cases we can restore etched marble back to a uniform finish, then seal it. Etching is a chemical reaction between acid and the stone rather than a stain, so it needs a mechanical restoration, not a stronger cleaner. Send us a photo or let us see it at the estimate and we will tell you honestly what is achievable.

Not with a method matched to the material. We use neutral-pH products and adjust pressure and dwell time by surface — marble, limestone, travertine, slate, granite, terra cotta, Saltillo, and concrete all behave differently. The damage we most often get called in to correct comes from household cleaners: vinegar, bleach, ammonia, and general-purpose sprays.

No, and that is the point. Refinishing means sanding to bare wood: dust, disruption, and days without the room. Our process cleans the existing finish and restores a uniform sheen, which is a practical alternative for floors whose finish is dull or soiled rather than worn through.

Normally the same day. Our cleaning and sheen restoration is low odor and fast drying. We will give you the exact wait before we start, and we plan the sequence so you are not stranded on the wrong side of a wet floor.

We match sheen to the existing floors as part of the job. If a room has been recoated or repaired at a different sheen level, we will point that out at the estimate so there are no surprises when the light hits it.

Every one to two years for most homes. Routine dust-mopping handles the surface, but grit and residue build up in the finish over time. Cleaning and recoating on a schedule is what keeps you out of a full refinish.