Short version: in most homes you barely need to do anything. Clear the small, loose and fragile bits, and leave the heavy furniture to us.
You do not need to move your furniture. Clear the small, light and fragile items, and we take care of the rest as part of the job.
The few minutes of prep that genuinely help are lifting breakables, clearing small clutter off the floor, and a quick hoover if you have time. Sliding sofas and shifting beds is ours to do, and ours to do safely. We confirm exactly what we are moving before we start, so there are no surprises on the day.
Jump to a section
The short answer
What to do before we arrive
What we move for you
What stays put
What to expect on the day
Our prepare-and-protect process
The Golden Guarantee
The Short Answer
You have booked a clean, and now you are wondering whether you are meant to empty the room, drag the sofa into the hall, and have it all looking like a removal van turned up before we knock. You do not. That worry is the most common one we hear, and it is the easiest to put to rest.
Here is how it actually works. You handle the small and the breakable. We handle the heavy and the awkward. A few minutes of light prep on your side helps us work faster and reach more of the carpet, but nothing about it should feel like a chore.
The rest of this page walks through exactly what to clear, what we move, and what your day looks like from the moment we arrive.
What To Do Before We Arrive
None of this is essential, but a few minutes here helps us reach more of the carpet and get you a better result.
Think of your part as clearing the surface, not clearing the room. The aim is simply to get the small, loose and precious things out of the way so we can work cleanly and quickly. If you are short on time, just do the first two and we will sort the rest with you on the day.
- Lift breakables and valuables: vases, ornaments, lamps, anything you would not want knocked
- Clear small clutter off the floor: toys, shoes, magazines, charging cables, plant pots
- Pick up rugs that sit on the carpet, unless you would like those cleaned too, in which case just tell us
- Give the carpet a quick hoover if you have time, it lets us focus on the deep clean rather than loose surface bits
- Make sure we can park nearby and reach a tap and a power point, our machine runs off your supply
- Pop a note in your booking about anything heavy, fragile, or awkward to access, so we plan for it
If you do nothing else, get the small loose items up off the carpet. That single step lets us move straight into the deep clean. The heavy furniture is genuinely our job, and we would always rather move it ourselves than have you risk your back or your floor.
What We Move For You
The heavy, awkward furniture is part of the service. You do not lift it, and you are not charged extra for it.
As standard, we move the everyday furniture that sits on the carpet so we can clean properly underneath and around it, then we set it back in place.
We slide sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, dining chairs, side tables and the like, lifting where it is kinder to the floor rather than dragging. Where furniture goes back onto a damp area, we place protector pads under the legs so nothing marks the carpet while it dries.
We Move These
- Sofas, armchairs and footstools
- Coffee tables and side tables
- Dining chairs and lighter dining tables
- Beds, where access allows, to clean beneath
We Leave These In Place
- Full wardrobes and heavy fitted units
- Electronics: TVs, hi-fi, computers
- Pianos, antiques and very heavy items
- Anything you would rather we did not touch
We clean right up to the edges of whatever stays put, so the room still looks its best. If you would love a particular heavy piece moved, just ask when you book.
We will tell you straight whether we can do it safely, and if it is not sensible to shift, we will say so rather than risk your floor or the furniture.
I’d cleared half the house ready, and they told me to put it all back. They moved everything that needed moving themselves.
Worth Checking When You Compare Quotes
If a company does any of these, the prep is being pushed onto you. It is worth asking the question before you book.
- Expects the room emptied before they arrive
- Charges extra to move everyday furniture
- No protector pads under legs on a damp carpet
- Vague about the arrival window
- Will not confirm what they move and what they leave
What Stays Put
A few things are better left exactly where they are, and that is a deliberate choice rather than us cutting a corner. Heavy fitted furniture, full wardrobes, and anything with electronics inside is safer untouched, both for the item and for the people moving it. Pianos and genuine antiques fall in the same bracket.
The good news is it makes almost no difference to how the finished room looks. We clean cleanly up to and around these pieces, and because the open floor is where wear and traffic show most, that is where a deep clean does its most visible work anyway.
Not Sure What Needs Moving?
Tell us what is in the room, anything heavy, fragile, or awkward, and we will tell you exactly what we will move and what is best left in place. Take your time deciding.
What To Expect On The Day
From the knock at the door to the moment we leave, here is how a clean actually unfolds.
We arrive in the agreed window, walk the rooms with you, and confirm what we are moving and what is staying. Then the clean follows the same sequence we use on every job. We inspect the carpet and spot test a hidden area first.
A Kirby dry vacuum lifts the loose, dry soil, we agitate the pile to release what is ground in, then a pre-spray goes down and hot water extraction with the Enforcer 400 flushes it all out along with most of the moisture. Any specific marks get spot treatment by hand.
That sequence is also why a proper clean reaches further than a quick once-over with a cheap domestic or hire machine. In our experience those tend to wet the carpet and pull little back out, which is what leaves a floor damp for days.
Strong extraction takes the soil and the bulk of the water with it, so the carpet is left clean and merely damp, not soaked.
Once we have finished, we set dry pods going to speed the drying, finish with our Gold Musk deodorise, and groom the pile so it dries evenly. If you have asked for Gold Guard protection, we apply it before that final groom. The furniture goes back with protector pads under any legs sitting on a damp patch, and we tell you how long to keep off it.
Opening a window helps it dry, and it does one more thing: Asthma and Lung UK advises keeping your home well-aired to lower humidity, which helps keep dust mites down.
- Keep children and pets off the cleaned area until it is dry, usually around four hours, though it can range from one to twelve depending on the material and the airflow
- Pop pets somewhere comfortable for the day, ideally a room we are not working in
- If timing is tight, ask about our same-day dry as a priority
You do not need to move furniture or empty the room. Clear the small, loose and fragile items, give the carpet a quick hoover if you can, and leave the heavy lifting to us. We move what needs moving, protect it as it dries, and leave the room genuinely refreshed.
Our Prepare-And-Protect Process
It is a simple sequence, built so you do as little as possible and nothing gets damaged along the way.
You Clear The Small BitsLift breakables and clear loose clutter off the floor. A quick hoover helps if you have the time.
We Move The FurnitureWe slide and lift the sofas, chairs and tables, confirming first what stays put.
Deep CleanInspect and spot test, Kirby dry vacuum, agitate, pre-spray, then hot water extraction with the Enforcer 400.
Replace And ProtectDry pods on, Gold Musk deodorise, a final groom, and protector pads under the legs while it dries.
Why Prestige Refresh
When customers tell us why they chose us, the same four reasons come up. They are the standard we hold every job to, carpets, upholstery, rugs, mattresses, hard floors and tiles and grout alike.
What Customers Say
We could tell you we make it easy. It means more coming from the people we have actually cleaned for. We are rated 5.0 from 338 Google reviews, and these come straight from them, unedited.
Our Golden Guarantee
The Golden Guarantee
We work carefully, openly, and with respect for your home. We move what needs moving, protect what we set back, and tell you what to expect, backed in writing.
Quick Answers
Do I need to move my furniture before the clean?
No. You move the small, light and fragile items, and we move the everyday furniture that sits on the carpet, sofas, armchairs, coffee tables and dining chairs, so we can clean underneath and around them.
There is no extra charge for it. Very heavy items like full wardrobes, pianos and electronics are left in place for safety, and we clean cleanly around them.
How should I prepare the room?
Lift breakables and valuables, clear small clutter off the floor, and pick up any loose rugs unless you would like those cleaned too. A quick hoover beforehand helps if you have time.
Make sure we can park nearby and reach a tap and a power point, as our machine runs off your supply. If anything is heavy, fragile or awkward to access, pop a note in your booking so we plan for it.
What furniture do you not move?
We leave full wardrobes and heavy fitted units, anything with electronics inside such as TVs and computers, and pianos or genuine antiques. These are safer untouched, both for the item and for the people moving it. We clean right up to and around them, so the finished room still looks freshly done.
How long until the room is back to normal?
Drying usually takes around four hours, though it can range from one to twelve depending on the material and the airflow. We set the furniture back with protector pads under any legs on a damp patch, then you just keep off the carpet until it’s dry and keep a window open. Same-day dry is available as a priority where it matters.
