Frequently Asked Questions

What is a room?
When K&M quotes a “3 room special,” its pricing is based on each room being no larger than 15’ X 17’ – or 255 square feet. Any “room” larger than 15’ X17’ will require extra charges.

Is a living room and connecting dining room one room if there’s no wall separating the two areas?
The short answer is “probably.” Again, any room or area that is 15’ X 17’ or smaller is considered one room.

What comes with K&M Steam Cleaning’s carpet cleaning services?
For every carpet cleaning job, K&M pre-treats, cleans and deodorizes the carpet to ensure the highest quality service.

What is the pre-treatment that K&M uses?
Pre-treatment helps separate dirt from carpet fiber, allowing for the extraction of more dirt from the carpet with K&M’s best-in-class steam cleaning equipment. Just like laundry detergent, the pre-treatment solution used by K&M to help clean carpets is gentle and environmentally safe. The pre-treatment used by K&M has an 8 pH content. Carpet manufacturers recommend cleaning liquids that are never higher than 10.5 pH.

How long does it take for carpet to dry?
In Austin, it usually takes 3-6 hours for a carpet to dry after steam cleaning it. Depending on the humidity, it could take longer. On days that are dry (with low humidity), it may actually take less than 3 hours.

What is the relationship between K&M and its cleaning crews? Are they employees or contractors?
Every person representing K&M Steam Cleaning at your home is an employee of K&M. K&M does not hire independent contractors.

Can you get paint out of carpet?
It’s very difficult. K&M can try to extract paint from carpet fiber, and its technicians have been successful in doing that in some cases; however, paint is very hard to get out of carpet once it dries.

Do you repair carpet?
Yes. Call K&M at 836-8900 for a quote.

Are the chemicals safe?
K&M takes great care in making sure all of its products are safe. Its pre-treatment solution is liquid-based and is similar to the detergent you use in your laundry. The purpose of the pre-treatment is to separate dirt from the carpet fiber. The owner of K&M uses the same cleaning process and chemicals in his own home as his teams use in customers’ homes. Ken makes sure the chemicals are safe for his children. That’s why K&M says they use only “baby-safe” chemicals.

What kind of chemicals do you use?
There are three liquid-based solutions that K&M uses in its services to clean carpets. Those solutions are:

A pre-treatment liquid, similar to laundry detergent
DuPont Teflon® Advanced Carpet Protector, used for post-clean stain protection
Enzyme Disinfectant, used to get rid of bacteria caused by pet urine
The pre-treatment solution is as safe as the laundry detergent you use every day in your washing machine. The stain protection product manufactured by DuPont is the best product of its kind on the market, and the enzyme disinfectant is an organic product that uses a biological-based approach to consume and do away with bacteria that develops around pet stains.

For more information on DuPont’s carpet protection, go to http://www.dupont.com/teflon/carpetprotector/what.html

What does van-mounted equipment mean?
Simply put, van-mounted equipment delivers the power and water temperature to thoroughly clean your carpets. The end result of steam cleaning your carpets using van-mounted equipment is vastly superior to steam clean machines that you see rented at your local grocery store.

How hot does the water get?
In everything K&M does to clean your carpets,it conforms to carpet manufacturers’ recommendations for proper care. The same is true with the temperature maintained for the water and steam during the cleaning process. K&M keeps its water temp at 210° Fahrenheit.

How soon can I walk on my carpet?
In two to four hours, you should be able to walk on your steam-cleaned carpet without any problems. However, you should let your carpet dry thoroughly before walking on it. You can leave track marks on the carpet due to the slight moisture left on the carpet after K&M steam cleans it. Try not to walk on your newly cleaned carpet before it is dry.

Do you go to Round Rock?
We gladly serve the Round Rock area.

What is your service area?
K&M serves the entire Austin Metro area. However, some customer homes require fuel expense charges due to the distance to their addresses and K&M’s office location in North Austin.

Are you insured and bonded?
Yes. K&M has been insured and bonded since it began doing business more than seven years ago.

Do you clean drapes?
K&M does not clean drapes, but we can vacuum they drapes for an extra charge.

Do you clean hardwood floors?
K&M cleans tile floors and carpets but not hardwood floors.