Choosing a Carpet Cleaning Contractor
When choosing a carpet or upholstery cleaning company, most customers have no idea what questions to ask. Inevitably the only question you can think of to ask is can you get the dirt out and how much does it cost? Well any cleaner is going to answer yes to the first question and shopping by price can be a big gamble. So what should you look for?
Is the company certified?
There are several certification organizations available to carpet cleaners. The largest is the IICRC or the Institute for Cleaning Restoration Certification. A company that is certified by one of these organizations is more likely to have proper training and participate in ongoing education.
Do they offer a guarantee?
Most companies will offer at least a 14 to 30 day guarantee. If you have any problems with the work they should agree to come back to re-clean your carpet at no charge.
Whats included in their price?
Prices should include all of the basic steps in the process. Some cleaners may not include vacuuming in their price and that is okay, but the price should include pre-spraying or pre-treating the carpet and basic spotting. Services like pet odor removal, wax removal or tough stains may be at additional cost.
Who will do the work?
Find out if the owner themselves does the work, if they use employees or if they use subcontractors. If they use employees find out if they are uniformed and if they run background checks on them. If they use subcontractors you may want to determine how they choose them and who is ultimately guaranteeing the work.
What method do they use?
There are a variety of different carpet cleaning methods. Some have advantages over others but all will get the job done. Here are the basic carpet cleaning methods.
Steam Cleaning: The most common method in which a detergent solution is sprayed onto the carpet, allowed to dwell for a few minutes and then extracted with hot water. The cleaner may either use a portable unit which they bring into your home or a truck mounted unit where they bring only hoses into your home. Some consider this to be the most thorough method. Drying time is generally between 4 to 6 hours.
Bonnet Cleaning: The second most common method in which a pre-spray is applied to the carpet and then is absorbed with cotton or synthetic bonnet pads attached to a floor machine. This method is often superior to steam cleaning on berber carpet. Drying time is generally between 1 to 2 hours.
Dry Powder Cleaning: A semi moist natural or synthetic powder is applied to the carpet and agitated with a machine with counter rotating brushes. The powder is agitated and then vacuumed up. Drying time is usually less than 1 hour.
Shampoo Cleaning: A shampoo is applied to the carpet and then agitated with a brush mounted on a floor machine. The solution absorbs soil and crystallizes as it dries. Soil and shampoo are then removed through vacuuming at a later time. This method is also referred to as encapsulation. Drying time is generally between 1 to 2 hours.
As you can see, there are many important things to ask when choosing a carpet cleaner. You can significantly improve your chances of finding a qualified company by just asking a few questions.
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