Our Services
Sky Carpet Cleaners runs six services, and most houses need two or three of them on the same visit. This page explains what each one does, which one your floor actually calls for, and what happens from the first call to the follow up.
The six services and how they fit together
Six services cover almost everything in a house. Most visits use two or three at once, because a floor is rarely one problem.
- Carpet cleaning: wall to wall carpet in bedrooms, family rooms, stairs, and hallways.
- Steam cleaning and hot water extraction: the method behind most carpet jobs. Hot water and solution go down under pressure and come back out with the soil.
- Rug cleaning: loose rugs, a different animal. Wool, silk, cotton foundations, and dyes that bleed if a rug is treated like carpet.
- Upholstery cleaning: sofas, sectionals, dining chairs, headboards. Fiber content decides the method, checked before anything is sprayed.
- Curtain and drapery cleaning: panels cleaned on the rod where fabric and lining allow it, so pleats and length stay put.
- Pet odor and stain removal: treatment for urine and other accidents, added to a carpet or rug job rather than replacing one.
Working out which one you actually need
Start with the surface. If it is fastened down and runs to the walls, it is carpet cleaning. If you can roll it up and carry it outside, it is rug cleaning. If you sit on it, it is upholstery.
Then ask what the problem is. General traffic and dull lanes call for a straight cleaning. A smell that returns on humid days is a urine problem, and cleaning the surface will not fix it: the treatment has to reach the backing and the pad.
If you are not sure, say so on the phone and it gets settled at the walkthrough.
What a visit looks like
- You call (540) 628-5274 or send the form. We ask about rooms, stairs, fiber if you know it, and pets.
- Free walkthrough, about fifteen minutes, looking at the floors rather than photos of them.
- The scope agreed out loud before any water goes down, including anything that will not come out.
- Pre inspection, pre spray, and agitation where the pile needs it.
- Extraction, spot work, then grooming.
- A walkthrough with you at the end, dry times explained, and a follow up call once it is dry.
What is included in every job
Whichever service you book, all of this is part of the work:
- A walkthrough before and after, with you there if you want to be.
- Pre inspection of fiber, backing, seams, and existing damage, pointed out before we start.
- Furniture handling. We move what two people can move safely and set protectors under the legs. Beds, pianos, loaded bookcases, and electronics stay where they are.
- Grooming of the pile after extraction, so it dries standing up.
- The honest conversation. Bleach spots, sun fade, filtration lines along the baseboards, and some old dye stains are permanent. You hear that before we begin.
What changes how long a job takes
Condition, fiber, and access set the shape of the day, which is why the walkthrough exists. Heavy lanes want a longer dwell and a second slow pass. Wool wants lower heat and gentler agitation. A room that has to be emptied first, a long hose run, or a tight stairwell adds time before any cleaning starts.
The area runs across Northern Virginia, from McLean and Tysons to Ashburn, Leesburg, and Haymarket.
The six things we clean
Not sure which one you need? Call and describe the room. It takes a minute to work out.
- 01 Carpet Cleaning Rooms, stairs, hallways and traffic lanes, cleaned with truck mounted extraction.
- 02 Steam Cleaning and Hot Water Extraction The method itself: hot water at pressure, pulled back out with the soil.
- 03 Rug Cleaning Wool, silk, oriental and antique rugs, washed by hand off site.
- 04 Upholstery Cleaning Sofas, sectionals, chairs and headboards, cleaned to the fabric code.
- 05 Curtain and Drapery Cleaning Panels, sheers and lined drapery, cleaned in place or taken down.
- 06 Pet Odor and Stain Removal Treated down at the pad and the subfloor, not sprayed on the surface.
Recent work
Photographed on the job in Northern Virginia homes.
Questions about booking a job
Do you move the furniture?
We move what two people can move safely, and we set protectors under legs that need them while the carpet dries. Beds, pianos, loaded bookcases, china cabinets, and electronics stay where they are. If you want the room completely clear, move the small items ahead of time and we will handle the rest when we arrive.
How long does carpet take to dry?
Most carpet is dry to walk on in a few hours and fully dry within a day, depending on humidity, air movement, and how heavily the carpet was soiled. Running fans and the house air handler speeds it up. Upholstery is usually slower than carpet, and a heavily treated pet area is the slowest thing in the house.
Can you get every stain out?
No, and anyone who says otherwise is selling. Traffic soil, food, most drinks, and general dulling come out. Bleach spots, sun fade, some pet dye stains, permanent marker, and filtration lines along the baseboards are damage rather than dirt. You will hear which category your spot falls into during the walkthrough, before any equipment comes off the truck.
Should I vacuum before you arrive?
It helps but it is not required. A quick pass over the traffic lanes pulls out loose grit so the pre spray has less to fight. We vacuum problem areas ourselves as part of the job. What matters more is picking up toys, cords, shoes, and anything small enough to disappear under a moving wand.
What is the difference between carpet cleaning and steam cleaning?
Steam cleaning, properly called hot water extraction, is the method used for most carpet cleaning jobs. Hot water and solution go into the pile under pressure and come straight back out with the soil. Low moisture methods exist for delicate fibers and fast turnaround, and the walkthrough decides which one your carpet should get.
Do you clean rugs in the home or take them away?
It depends on the rug. Machine made synthetic rugs on a floor that tolerates moisture can often be cleaned in place. Hand knotted wool and silk, cotton foundations, and anything with dye that moves under a test are handled properly rather than wand washed flat on your floor. We check with a water test first and tell you which it is.
Can you do more than one service on the same visit?
Yes, and most visits do. Carpet and stairs, a rug out of the dining room, and a sofa in the same family room are one trip and one setup. Tell us everything you want looked at when you book. The walkthrough is where the order gets set, because rugs and upholstery are usually handled before the carpet underneath them gets wet.
What do you need from the house on the day?
A parking spot reasonably close to the door for the hose runs, access to a water source and a standard outlet, and pets kept out of the work area. If the house has a gate code, an elevator, or a difficult stairwell, mention it when you book so the schedule accounts for it rather than surprising both of us on the day.
Have a look at it in person
Walkthroughs are free and take about fifteen minutes. We agree the scope together and point out anything that will not come out before a hose comes off the truck. Over a decade in Northern Virginia and that has not changed.