The most common question we get from a first-time customer isn't about price, it's "how long is this going to take, and what do I need to do before you arrive?" Fair question. Letting someone into your home to run water-extraction equipment near your furniture is a bigger ask than it sounds like once you've booked, so here's exactly what happens, in order, with real timings.
How long a visit actually takes
Pick what you're booking and get a realistic estimate for your appointment window.
These are on-site working times, not counting travel. Because Singapore's humidity sits around 82% on an average day,[1] the final dry-extraction pass matters more here than it would in a drier country: it's the step that gets an item safely usable again within hours instead of leaving it damp overnight.
Before the visit: what to prepare
There's very little to do. This covers it:
- Clear loose items off the sofa or mattress, cushions, throws, bedsheets, remotes, anything that isn't the furniture itself.
- Let us know about pets in advance so we can plan around them; most pets are fine in another room during the clean.
- Clear a path to the item so equipment can be wheeled in without squeezing past furniture.
- Mention any known stains or odours when you book, it helps us bring the right pre-treatment and quote accurately.
You don't need to be dressed for a mess, empty the room, or take the day off. Most bookings happen while the rest of the home carries on normally.
Do you need to be home for it?
Someone needs to let the technician in and confirm the job at the start, but you don't have to hover for the full hour. A common pattern for working households: be home for the first 5 to 10 minutes to unlock the door and point out the item, then work from another room, run an errand nearby, or step out briefly while the clean happens. The technician will let you know before leaving.
For HDB flats, a lift lobby or unit number is usually enough; for condos with a security desk, letting the guardhouse know a technician is expected on your booking date avoids a hold-up at the lobby. If you live in a rental or a unit where someone else usually handles bookings, any adult present who can grant access and confirm the item works fine, the booking itself doesn't need to be made by the person who'll be home.
During the visit, step by step
- Arrival and quick walkthroughThe technician confirms the item, material, and any stains or smells you flagged, and sets expectations for timing before starting.
- Dry pass firstA vacuum pass lifts loose dust, hair, and grit before any liquid touches the fabric. This step alone takes out a surprising amount.
- Cleaning solution and gentle agitationA measured, pH-appropriate solution is worked into the fabric, never soaked or drenched.
- Water extractionThe machine draws the solution straight back out, along with the dirt and dust it loosened. This is the step that actually removes what's inside the fabric.
- Zero-residue rinse and dry extractionA clean-water pass removes any leftover detergent, then a final extraction pulls out most of the remaining moisture.
- Hospital-grade sanitising passHospital-grade sanitisation is applied again at the end of the cleaning, leaving a protective film that may last up to 30 days. All our solutions are child and pet friendly.
Throughout, the room stays usable. You can watch, work in another room, or step out briefly; there's no requirement to vacate the home.
Right after: what your home looks like
The item is damp to the touch, not wet or dripping, when the technician packs up. There's no strong chemical smell; the process finishes with a clean-water rinse specifically so nothing lingers. A fan or the room's aircon speeds up drying, and most items are fully dry and safe to use within a few hours, sometimes up to a day for a very thick rug.
The technician will point out anything worth knowing before leaving, a stain that lifted only partially, a spot that needs a second pass on a future visit, or a reminder to keep the item off direct sun while it dries. You'll also get a rough sense of when it's safe to sit or sleep on again, which is usually a "give it a few hours" rather than an exact countdown, since drying speed depends on the room's airflow and how humid the day is.
If a company tells you to leave an item wet overnight, that's too much water for Singapore's humidity. Anything left properly soaked in this climate is a mould risk. A finish that's damp and dry within hours is the correct outcome, not an inferior one.
Pricing is confirmed before the technician starts, based on the item and size you booked, so there's no surprise add-on once the visit is underway. Full rates for every item are on our services and pricing page, and our buyer's guide covers the questions worth asking any company before you book, ours included.
