Carpet Cleaning Recommendations & Questions

RECOMMENDATION #1 – Make a commitment to yourself to have your carpets, upholstery and leather cleaned.

The longer they remain dirty, the sooner they wear out. As they wear out the longer you have to breathe the pollutants, mites and chemicals which live in them.

RECOMMENDATION #2 – List your objections. What are looking for in a cleaning? Is it price? Is it appearance? Is it assurance, reliability or possibly health: Only you know what it is that you want, but you need to know what that is before you start calling around. If renting a machine at your local supermarket will produce your desired results then you probably do not need a professional carpet cleaning company, but of course, you will not get a professional cleaning either.

RECOMMENDATION #3 – Ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen to see if the answers are acceptable.

A few questions that I think are very important are: What method of cleaning do you use? Why? If a company does not share this information to you, does that make sense to you?

QUESTION – What training do your technicians have to be able to clean my Carpets, upholstery, leather, tile & grout. Are they certified by any organizations? Do your technician’s clean after 1 week of training or 3 months of training?

QUESTION – What kind of guarantee do you offer and where will you be if I am not happy with your cleaning job? We Offer “The Most Thorough Cleaning Ever Or It’s Free”

QUESTION – How long will it take for my carpets, upholstery or area rugs to dry?

*** Note *** Extended drying time can cause stains to reappear and can encourage microbial growth. It can also be an indicator that cleaning agents have been left behind which can promote quick re-soling.

QUESTION – Are there any hidden charges?

Low prices are often used to get in your door and then charge extra for this and for that. You need to know ahead of time, within reason, what to expect. While you are considering the cost of cleaning you should also ask yourself  “Should I have a stain guard applied to my carpets, upholstery and area rugs or not ?”

Most cleaners will ask you this once they are in your home. Some customers feel there is no value to protection and the cleaner is just trying to up-sell. This is sometimes true, but then again, sometimes not. If you furnishings and carpets are of high-value to you and looked upon as part of your investments, considering protection may hold some worth for you.

Stain guard creates an invisible shield which allows you to vacuum soil away quickly and easily, and as we both know now, proper vacuuming is crucial. This invisible shield also provides you with a “window of opportunity” in removing common household stains. Carpets that are unprotected can absorb spills so quickly that even your best efforts to remove them are fruitless.

The stain guard will help keep the stains from becoming a permanent part of the carpet fibers. While no carpet is bullet-proof, this will give you a fighting chance. Over time and with regular wear, factory applied stain resistant treatments experience a reduction in effectiveness. DuPont, maker of the popular StainMaster brand of carpets, offer this advice about stain guard. Stain guard refreshes the performance of stain resistant carpets, fortifying its ability to resist soiling and staining. DuPont Carpet Care Products recommends the regular application of  protectant on all nylon carpets to help maintain soil and stain resistance.

Applying protection to your furnishings and carpets will not only help them look fresh and new, but can actually add years to its life. Is protection the way to go for you? It is certainly something for you to consider before you feel the pressure of up-selling.

QUESTION – Are you insured and licensed?

By asking these questions and following my recommendations you are well on your way to making a wise a decision for your cleaning needs.