Steam cleaning, the right name for hot-water extraction done right.
"Steam cleaning" is what everyone calls hot-water extraction, and it's the method carpet manufacturers actually recommend. Our truck mount heats water to 230°F, injects it into the carpet with a detergent, and extracts it immediately with high-CFM vacuum, no dwell time for mold. That's the difference between a real deep clean and renting a machine that leaves carpet wet for two days.
What's included in this service?
- Truck-mounted hot-water extraction (industry term for "steam cleaning")
- 230°F water temperature for maximum soil release
- Commercial vacuum pulls 15+ inches of mercury
- Detergent pre-spray matched to carpet fiber (wool, nylon, polyester, olefin)
- Rotary scrub on heavily soiled traffic lanes
- Hot clear-water rinse pass to remove all detergent
- Upholstery and tile hand-tool available same visit
- Optional sanitizer pass for post-illness deep clean
When do you need this service?
- You've been renting grocery-store machines and the carpet is getting worse
- The last "cleaner" used a spray-and-go machine that left residue
- Wall-to-wall carpet that has never been professionally cleaned
- Post-construction dust and drywall powder ground into fibers
- Post-illness deep clean, flu, norovirus, or stomach bug in the house
- Annual manufacturer-required cleaning to keep carpet warranty valid
What do homeowners ask about Steam Cleaning?
Is steam cleaning actually steam?
It's a misnomer. The industry term is "hot-water extraction." We inject hot water (not steam) under pressure, then immediately vacuum it back. Real steam (212°F+ vapor) is used for some sanitation, but it doesn't clean carpet fibers deeply on its own, the extraction is what lifts soil.
What temperature does your truck mount run?
230°F at the wand on a good day, 210°F on longer hose runs up to a second-story condo. Grocery-store rentals top out around 120°F, they call themselves "hot water" but they're not hot enough to cut through body oils and dirt emulsified in the pile.
Does steam cleaning kill dust mites?
High heat plus extraction eliminates the vast majority. Dust mites die at 130°F, our rinse water exceeds that easily. Combined with the mechanical extraction of the mite bodies and their waste, post-clean allergen counts drop significantly. We can add a sanitizer pass if an allergist has recommended it.
Can you steam clean tile and grout?
Yes. Our truck mount has a dedicated tile tool, spinning jets plus vacuum in one head. It extracts rather than just spreading the dirty water around the way a household steam mop does. See our tile & grout page.
Where do we offer Steam Cleaning in San Diego County?
We provide steam cleaning in every city and community in San Diego County. Pick your city for local notes and service specifics.
See steam cleaning in all 67 cities
Homeowners who hired us for this
Examples of the kind of feedback we work to earn on every job. Verified reviews from real customers live on our Google Business Profile and Yelp pages.
Truck-mount made a night-and-day difference vs. the rental machine I had been using. Carpet looked brighter, dried in 4 hours, and no soapy feel underfoot. Clear price up front. Booked them again for October.
Inherited a house with a cat-urine problem. Other cleaners said surface clean only, these guys did UV inspection, found spots we didn't know about, replaced pad in the worst room. Smell is actually gone. A year later, still gone.
Had a hand-knotted Persian rug my grandmother gave us. Every other cleaner wanted to extract in place, they picked it up, did an in-plant wash, delivered it back in 5 days. Fringe looks new, colors look brighter. Careful work.
Need steam cleaning in San Diego County?
Call for a free quote. Most work scheduled within the week.