Frequently Asked Questions

All of the ingredients in Chem-Dry’s primary cleaner, The Natural®, are based on Mother Nature.  It is a great solution for your carpets, home, and family. Like the name states, The Natural® doesn’t contain any harsh soaps or chemicals.

No, Chem-Dry of Riverside is not a steam cleaner. We use carbonation to lift up dirt and grime from your carpets so we do not need to use the gallons of water that typical steam cleaners use.

Yes. Typical steam cleaning uses a process of dumping large amounts of soapy water into your carpets and then trying to suck it all back out. Because the heavy amount of water results in an extended drying time, usually 1-2 days, this method can actually cause carpets to rot or grow mold.

Chem-Dry uses up to 80% less water than typical steam cleaning because its carbonated cleaner, The Natural, relies on millions of microscopic bubbles to release dirt and grime from the fibers of your carpet and raise it to the surface where it can easily be swept away. This low water approach is healthier for your carpets, allows your carpets to dry in only 1-2 hours.

Chem-Dry uses an advanced cleaning product called The Natural as our primary cleaner. The Natural, doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals or soapy detergents. By contrast, most steam cleaners use soaps, detergents and harsh chemicals in their process.

This is not necessary. Chem-Dry’s professionally trained carpet and upholstery cleaners will vacuum your carpets with our commercial, HEPA-filtered vacuum when they arrive as a standard part of our service.

Chem-Dry of Riverside suggests that homeowners clean their carpets every 3-6 months especially in homes with kids or pets, or if someone in your family is sensitive to dust and dander. Regular cleaning will not only improve your home’s appearance, but it will eliminate non-living allergens*, improve your home’s indoor air quality and extend the life of your carpeting.

Drying time depends on humidity levels, airflow to the room(s) cleaned, and the type of carpet. In general, turning on your air conditioning or fans will help accelerate dry times. After a Chem-Dry professional cleaning, it typically takes 1-2 hours for the carpet to dry. Sometimes carpets can take longer to dry for various reasons.

Pet odors can linger on for months if not treated properly. As urine dries in the carpet and padding, what’s left are millions of concentrated urine crystals that become even more pungent. Many companies just mask this odor. Chem-Dry uses a patented system, P.U.R.T.® (Pet Urine Removal Treatment) to explode the urine crystals and break down the enzymes which gets rid of the pet urine odor forever*.

Most new carpets come with a factory-applied protectant but this wears off over time. Reapplying a protectant on your carpets can help resist stains and soiling, so your carpets will stay cleaner longer. Another reason protectant is a smart investment is that it slows the aging and wearing process and can extend the life of your carpets.

Traditional steam cleaning saturates your carpet with an excessive amount of water filled with soaps and detergents. So you’re left with wet carpets for 1-2 days, which can create a breeding ground for mildew and bacteria. Plus, the soapy detergent can cause your carpets to get dirty much faster.

Chem-Dry’s process is different. We employ millions of microscopic bubbles to explode dirt from deep in your carpet fibers, which is why we only need to use a fraction of the water that typical steam cleaning uses. After the carbonation releases and lifts the dirt, our high powered equipment extracts the dirt and moisture from the carpet.

No, Chem-Dry is not a steam cleaner. Chem-Dry uses carbonation to lift up dirt and grime from your carpets so we do not need to use the gallons of water that typical steam cleaners use.

Many store-bought products give the appearance of cleanliness, but only cover up the dog urine. To fully remove old dog urine stains, the Chem-Dry process breaks down the source of the contamination and tackles even the parts of the stain that you can’t see.

In homes that have carpet, up to 80% of the dust and dirt brought into the home can end up in your furniture and upholstered fabrics.

We use our proprietary hot carbonating extraction cleaning method, featuring our core cleaner The Natural, then cleaning upholstery as well. The carbonated cleaning bubbles release dirt, soil, non-living allergens* and spots from the upholstery fibers. Then, we use our extraction equipment to remove the cleaning solution, dirt, soil, and non-living allergens* from your furniture, leaving it with a deeper, healthier clean than other alternatives.

Yes, after the upholstery cleaning, you can have the furniture stain guarded with Chem-Dry’s Protectant.

In most cases, the furniture dries within just a couple of hours, but in some cases it may take overnight to fully dry depending on the fabric and soil condition.

Our effective, yet gentle, area rug cleaning and drying process preserves the dye within the fibers of your rug, leaving the colors of your rug vibrant and fresh. Our cleaning products don’t leave behind any soapy detergents and help your area rugs stay cleaner longer, providing a gentle and healthy home environment for your family and pets.

Most store products mask odors on the surface. P.U.R.T.® is designed to penetrate deeper, targeting the crystals and molecules that contribute to strong odors. This provides a more thorough solution for homes with pets.

Pet accidents can seep below the carpet fibers, so Chem-Dry of Riverside can perform a moisture or UV light inspection to identify where deposits are located. This allows our team to treat the exact areas that need attention.

Yes! P.U.R.T. was designed to eliminate odors from both dog urine and cat urine. It can be applied to other types of urine stains as well, including human urine.