Pet Treatment

We love our pets like children but when they have an accident, urine can cause permanent damage to your carpet and can create an unhealthy indoor environment. The acidic nature of urine serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and will react with the carpet fibers to create a sometimes permanent color change. Urine odor is more noticeable when the humidity is high because the salts attract moisture and put out a greater proportion of ammonia gas.

We offer several pet odor and stain removal processes depending on severity and budget. This can range from thoroughly flushing the carpet, remove the padding and treat the subfloor to a simple topical enzyme pre-treatment.

For that occasion where Mom and/or Dad leaves for longer than expected and their fur-baby has an accident, we can use the localized topical enzyme treatment before steam cleaning. This treatment is sprayed on, left to dwell and then extracted out. These enzymes are bacteria eating machines that do their job by breaking up the molecules in urine and then can be thoroughly extracted out of the carpet. Enzymes work for smaller areas and you can buy these at your local pet supply store between professional cleanings however some of these can further damage your carpet. Another option for between professional cleanings for an odor only removal is using a mixture of vinegar and water on the spot. The A Step Above difference is we can use our powerful extraction equipment to thoroughly rinse the urine and remove the cleaning products. Doing so will help to prevent the area from attracting more dirt and your pet from remarking.

We also deal with the habitual offenders. You know, the fur-baby who hasn’t been fully trained yet, or the strong-willed rebel, who won’t, grasp the whole “outside” concept. Some do it because they are marking their territory. Some do it just because they’re cute and it’s hot outside and they can get away with it. Pets like to go in the same spot, and topical over the counter cleaners don’t remove all the smell. Even if you can’t smell it, they still can. For these guys and gals we offer a pet seal and treat service. Here we apply a higher pH product that liquefies the urine to the front and back of the carpet. Then thoroughly flush the carpet, remove the old pad and replace it with new. Finally we apply a sealer to the subfloor to prevent Fido from identifying his “spot”.

Why won’t they go on my tile/hardwood where it’s easier to clean up instead of my new carpet?? We get asked this all the time. The short answer is carpet is more plush and feels more like grass and doesn’t splash back up on their precious little bottoms like on hard surfaces and it’s a better way to mark your territory. This is can actually be a good thing (okay, not good but better!); urine will ruin your hardwood and break down the sealant on your tile, carpeting just needs a quick removal and thorough professional flushing.Your technician will be honest with you and discuss all your options and expectations.

Rug Cleaning

A Step Above’s rug care staff is well-equipped to provide the best care for our customers’ premium rugs. We will meticulously clean the rugs in a specialized cleaning zone where they will go through a customized cleaning process that is tailored to the fiber needs of your rugs.

We offer on-site as well as off-site cleaning services. The advantage of cleaning your rugs in our facility is the possibility of a thorough rinsing. A thorough rinse ensures the best clean possible. For occasional freshen-up off your rugs, we can do that cost-effectively at your home on some fiber types provided the rug has no major staining or pet issues. For either service, we offer complimentary evaluations and will quote you a firm price either way.

Off-site rug cleaning is highly recommended for the maintenance of fine-quality rugs, such as oriental rugs and others. We do not recommend them to be cleaned on-site like a synthetic, wall-to-wall carpet for many reasons:

The fibers in Oriental and similar rugs are different from those found in residential and commercial carpets. They typically consist of more natural fiber such as wool, silk, cotton, and jute.
Rugs and carpets have very different backings. Natural foundation yarns are found more in rugs compared to the separate synthetic fabrics backing for carpet.
Woven constructions are common in area rugs, and as such are more sensitive to ongoing care.
Cleaning technology varies due to the potential for fiber distortion and dye migration.

Initial Inspection
During our preliminary inspection, we will assess the inherent characteristics and conditions of your rug that may impact the cleaning process. Our company representative will come to your home to transport your rugs and we can deliver them back to you. You can also drop off and pick up your rugs at our facility. We carefully tag the rug at this time to avoid any mix-up while the rug is in our possession. Every rug is thoroughly photo documented and pre-inspected to determine if there are any pre-existing conditions which could affect the cleaning process. We will document these conditions to determine the safest and most effective cleaning method for your rug. In the event that we face any difficulties during the treatment of stains, our cleaning expert will contact you for a discussion before we proceed. After we get consent, we promise to clean your rug with workmanship and expertise that is on par with the standards of care in the industry.

Dusting
The woven rugs have a tendency to conceal significantly more soil as compared to wall-to-wall carpets. According to studies conducted by the Eureka Company, a rug that is 9 x 12 could hold up to 87 pounds of particulate soil. We use various techniques for dusting the rug. Our specialized machine imitates how our grandma would “dust” the rug; carrying out gentle beating motions for the backside of the rug. This step is essential as it helps with the removal of soil particles that can harm the delicate fibers and lead to premature wear. Next, the upside of the rug will be vacuumed to remove any fine particles on the surface.

Dry soil removal from rug

Color fastness test and Dye locking
Dye migration or bleeding are the worst scenarios that can occur during rug cleaning. Since majority of the fine rugs are made with silk or wool which is dyed with acid dyes, dye migration is always a concern.

We will determine the best cleaning method with a prolonged colorfastness test to avoid any color migration issues without compromising the cleaning results. Problem rugs will be treated with a dye locking agent to help inhibit any bleeding problems.

Pre-spotting
Any potentially troublesome spots will be pre-treated with special products to help increase the chances of removal.

Fringe Cleaning and Grooming
Oftentimes, the fringe will need special treatment too. It is treated with a special fringe cleaner to maximize soil removal, and hand brushed.

The Most Important Part — Cleaning!
Our rug specialists will evaluate your rug’s fiber content, colorfastness and delicacy to choose the best cleaning procedure possible for maximum soil removal. These methods may range from really low moisture to entire submersion cleaning combined with with intense scrubbing to remove soiling. Depending on the type of the rug, soils will be washed from your rug thoroughly using extraction equipment or they can be flushed with a specialized wand in the rug bath designed especially for rugs.

rug

Drying
After soil removal, the rug may be laid flat on our rug drying platform to dry or hung to dry on our special rug tower. Inadequate or incomplete drying or wet cleaning on-location could cause prolonged drying, texture change, browning, dye migration, mold growth, dimensional change, and/or dry rot.

Grooming and Final Vacuuming
When the rug is completely dry, it is groomed using a soft bristle brush exclusive for rugs. A final vacuuming removes dry soil and loose fibers that may have emerged during the drying process.

Application of Fabric Protection
Fluorochemical protectors resist water and oil-based stains, as well as particle soiling. The application of fabric protectors enhances our rug’s performance and helps keep it cleaner longer. Since these coatings may be worn off gradually by passage and maintenance such as vacuuming, reapplication is recommended periodically following professional cleaning.

Post Inspection
Our rug cleaning specialist will conduct a final inspection on the rug before releasing it for pick-up or delivery. We will notify you at this time that your rug is completed and schedule a delivery time that is convenient for you. We will wrap the rug for ease in handling and to protect it from dirt, rain, etc. during the delivery process. It is not meant to be stored in these temporary bags.

Rug Pad
Rug pads bring comfort and cushioning to your rugs and they’ll also add durability to make them last longer. Rug pads create a safer environment by reducing trip hazards of your area rug, which also makes it easier to vacuum. Whether you need a rug pad for a hard surface or carpet, we have the selection for you.
Most rugs are not the exact size stated, for example, an 8×10 may be 7’9″x9’9″. We offer a premium, non-slip rug pad that we will custom fit to your rug while it’s in our facility to ensure the rug will fit perfectly on top of the pad.

Upholstery Cleaning

Upholstery and mattresses can bear a lot of staining and damage, and in time debris and dirt will accumulate on the surface. Mattresses can hide a lot of dust on the surface and even worse, they can hide dust mites. Regular sheet changes will not prevent this from happening. Your mattress needs to be vacuumed regularly and also steam cleaned yearly to remove perspiration and debris that can possibly embed into the surface of your mattress. We have enzymes that we can use to treat your mattress or furniture to help with odor control.

Our upholstery cleaning process is a steam clean that uses equipment and cleaning solutions specifically manufactured for sensitive surfaces. While most upholstery can be steam cleaned, some natural fiber furniture is to be dry cleaned only and we also have the specialty products to clean those as well.

Our method will remove germs, normal staining and skin cells from your upholstery effectively in accordance with the industry standards. Did you know that you shed up to a million skin cells in a single day? This makes up most of the dust in your home! Want to experience it for yourself? Cover any piece of upholstery with a black cloth, then vacuum. Now, turn the black cloth over gently and look at the upholstery side of the cloth. You will be amazed or maybe disgusted!

To ensure that we remove the maximum debris possible, we clean all surfaces of the upholstery. Your upholstery will smell fresh and fabulous!

While it is the best option for your upholstery when it comes to long-term maintenance, we understand that there might be budget constraints and can offer an option to just clean the areas your body touches, which would include the pillows, armrests, and seating areas of the bottom and back cushions.

We also offer fabric protection for your upholstery. This will help keep small spills from turning into stains. Ask your technician for more information about fabric protection to help protect your investment.

Tile and Grout Cleaning

Tile can look amazing in any setting. Whether it’s in an entry way, kitchen, or a custom bathroom. The tile itself is usually easy to maintain with routine cleanings, but the grout is another story. Simply mopping your tile is just going to swirl dirt around and cause dirty water to soak into your grout. So, save your back and let your mop rest, let us do a thorough cleaning on your tile and grout!

Tile floors requires the same kind special attention and care as the rest of your floors. As much dirt, bacteria and debris as a carpet or rug may carry, tile floors may have the same embedded in the pores of the surface. Normal mopping is only going to pick up the dirt that attaches to it, and it allows dirty water to set in the grout because it is lower than the tile and is not wiped as well. The grout is very porous, unlike the tile, so overtime this can lead to filthy, dirty grout.

Our tile cleaning process consists of using a high-powered steam cleaning tool to blast and agitate your tile and grout as well as cleaning solutions made for your tile type and soil level. We are careful to protect the surrounding areas as we clean so those specialty products used stay on the tile. We can clean ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tiles. For an additional charge we also offer grout sealing on the ceramic and porcelain tile cleanings. This will help keep your grout from getting dirty as quickly in between cleanings, and help keep stains from setting in if spills occur. It is still possible for the grout to be stained if liquids absorb into the grout, so those still need to be gotten up as soon as possible.

Don’t neglect your showers either! We have a smaller tool to clean tighter spaces and showers. We can remove years of soap buildup and mildew with specially designed products and high pressure steam cleaning. Our specialty tools are specifically designed for this type of work, so please don’t hesitate to call us to take care of all of your hard surface cleanings.

We always do a complementary test spot to ensure your satisfaction before beginning the job.

Carpet Repair, Stretching and Dyeing

We offer a wide range of carpet repair services. Our highly trained staff is trained in carpet repairs and dyeing, further lowering your replacement cost, and helping you get more life out of your carpets. We are your one-stop shop for all your carpet care needs.

Common repairs we provide are:

Carpet Stretching (Both kick stretching and power stretching are available) – over time your carpet can become warn, or if it wasn’t installed properly, it can get small humps. This will wear your carpet unevenly in those areas, decreasing the life and appearance of your carpet. We will stretch your carpets out in the best way possible and do what is needed to keep your carpets looking the best they can.

Seam Repairs (If carpet starts to split at doorways) – seams are mostly found in doorways where two pieces of carpet are joined together with special glue. In high-traffic areas, those seams can sometimes start to come apart. We can help repair those and keep the carpet from unraveling and coming apart at the seams.

Patching (For set stains or missing carpet) – there are many reasons a carpet may need a patch. Animals can claw carpet up, furniture can get wet and cause a permanent stain, or an iron can tip over and melt the carpet. Whatever the case may be, our trained technicians can cut out the damaged carpet and replace it with an undamaged piece from spare carpet, or from an inconspicuous place ( i.e. behind a closet door )

Burn Plugs (To prevent replacing small areas) – small burns don’t always need a full-sized patch. We can remove the melted fibers and pull fibers from an inconspicuous place and transfer them and glue them in with specialty glue to hold them in place.

Spot Dyeing (for stains such as bleach) – some cleaning products and bleach can result in a color change or complete removal of the dye when they accidentally get on the carpet. Our experienced technicians can salvage the situation by neutralizing the affected spot and applying color to your carpet fibers. Our aim is to reinstate your carpet as close as to its former glory.

Carpet Cleaning

We are committed to providing you with the best carpet cleaning possible at a reasonable price. We offer two different types of carpet cleaning. We offer the traditional hot water steam extraction cleaning, as well as an encapsulation cleaning. The encapsulation cleaning will dry faster and will get out your normal spills and stains, but we do not recommend this method for heavily soiled and pet-stained carpets. We will be happy to help you choose which method will best fit your needs. As an IICRC certified firm, we follow industry-leading standards to ensure you get the best clean possible. Don’t be deceived by “splash and dash” practice, we ask that you please allow ample time for your appointment as your technician will need time to walk them home with you, inspect your flooring, followed by setting up equipment including corner guards that will protect your walls, properly clean your flooring, and do a final walkthrough to ensure your satisfaction with our services.

Our multi-step process provides a carpet cleaning that is A Step Above the rest:

Pre-inspection – Our technicians will walk your home with you before they begin cleaning to inspect your areas of concern, discuss pricing and procedures, and answer any questions you may have.

Vacuuming – The first important step of the cleaning process is vacuuming. Mud forms when the dirt is mixed into water and it is indispensable to remove as many dry particulates as possible before the clean begins. This does not substitute your regular vacuuming but ensures that the carpet is liberated of dry soil before we begin cleaning.

Pretreatment – Just like soaking dishes with stubborn stains, we apply a pre-treating solution and allow soils and stains to loosen. Some specialty stains such as wine, ink, certain foods, etc. will need additional treatment during this process.

Encapsulation Cleaning – An encapsulation solution will be sprayed on all carpeted areas to be cleaned. This will scrub your carpet leaving behind a minimal amount of soiling and encap cleaning solution. As the solution dries it will bond to the soiling which will be removed after the solution dries and the carpet is vacuumed.

Steam Cleaning/Hot water extraction – Depending on fiber type, we generally clean around 200°, our powerful equipment weakens the physical stain’s bond leaving your carpet clean and sanitary. Pressure and heat are regulated to prevent overwetting and heat is adjusted for natural fiber carpet such as wool. This process improves your air quality by eliminating the pollutants, dust mites, pollens, etc. from the carpet.

Waterless Passes– The technician will glide his wand over the cleaned areas using a vacuum only to help remove any excess water. Almost all of the water is removed after the dry strokes, leaving your carpets slightly damp. Small fans are used in certain areas where airflow may not be as good to ensure drying.

Post clean spot treatment – Some stains that didn’t come out during the clean may require an additional treatment after the clean. We have different spotting agents for different types of stains. Although we do use an anti-wicking agent to keep spots from coming back if they are in the pad, some spots may return and need a second treatment.

Protectant applied – An optional additional charge but highly recommended– Most carpet has protectant added in when being made at the manufacturer, however, it is removed with normal wear and needs to be put back in regularly. The time frame of protectant lasting depends on your lifestyle; i.e. do you have pets, kids, or little traffic? Protectant helps lengthen the time between your cleaning and makes cleaning up spills easier. Protectant fills the extra dye sites in fiber and helps to keep dyes from spills from penetrating the carpet fiber. It also resists dry soil and prevents bonding to the carpet, therefore facilitating the vacuuming. It also extends the life of your carpet, saving you thousands in replacement costs. Our protectant comes with a 6-month limited warranty. If anything is spilled on your carpet within 6 months, we take care of it at no charge. Some restrictions apply (such as normal wear, pet, flood, fire, etc. ) Ask your technician for more details.

carpet

Final walk-through – We don’t leave until you are happy! Your technician will walk with you to ensure your satisfaction with our work. After completion, you are given a satisfaction survey, a carpet care tips guide, and a goody bag that includes a complimentary bottle of stain remover. You will also receive a call from the office within 1-3 days to ensure your complete satisfaction.