MISCONCEPTION #1:
You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.
No. Dirt is an abrasive, it’s like sandpaper. Every time you step
on your carpet, you grind dirt into the carpet fibers. This cuts
your carpet, just as if you had used a knife. This cutting causes
your carpet to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last nearly
as long as a clean carpet. And while vacuuming helps by itself,
it’s simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet
cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it
wears out.
MISCONCEPTION #2:
The only reason to clean carpets is to get the dirt out. No. As
you might know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air
pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust and hundreds of other
chemicals. When you come into your home, you carry those pollens,
bacteria and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing and
shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals, pollens and bacteria
wind up, you guessed it in your carpet.
MISCONCEPTION #3:
One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another. No. You can
choose from two primary methods: Dry cleaning or Hot water
extraction.
First, We’ll explain dry
cleaning. Many people believe that dry cleaning your carpet is like
dry cleaning you’re clothing. This is not true. All carpet
cleaning methods use water in one from or another. Here are the
three methods of “Dry Cleaning” carpet.
The 1st method is called “Dry
Foam”. When a carpet cleaner uses dry foam, he applies shampoo to
your carpet, allows it to dry, and then, without rinsing, sucks the
dried shampoo into a vacuum. Can you imaging applying shampoo to
your hair, allowing it to dry and then removing the shampoo from
your head with a vacuum? This method leaves dirty residue in your
carpet, which is one reason why dry foam is not very effective.
The 2nd method is called “Dry
Chem”. The dry chem method is similar to dry foam. The major
difference is that when dry-chem is used, the company sets a large
cotton bonnet on your carpet. Using a machine, the bonnet spins
from side to side, absorbing the dirt that’s in the carpet. After
the bonnet is saturated with dirt, another cotton bonnet is
applied. Bonnet cleaning is like trying to use a large towel to rub
the dirt out our your carpet. If your carpet has very light soil,
fine. But it’s not very effective for deep down dirt.
The 3rd method is called “Dry
Compound”. The dry compound method spreads an absorbent mixture
that looks like wet sawdust all over you’re carpeting. Then the
machine brushes the mixture into the carpet, which in theory causes
dirt to absorb into the mixture. When the mixture has dried, a
vacuum cleaner sucks the material out of the carpeting. Because the
carpet is not rinsed in any way, this method is not very effective.
The second method of carpet
cleaning is called Hot Water Extraction. This is a fancy way of
saying that a hot water cleaning solution under high pressure is
forced into your carpet and then sucked out of your carpet. This
method is also referred to as steam cleaning even though steam is
not used.
The best method includes hot
water rinse extraction. Not all hot water extraction carpet
cleaners use rinse extraction. Be sure to ask your carpet cleaner
if they put any cleaning solution in their water line. If they say
yes, then how will that cleaning solution get rinsed out of your
carpet? It won’t! And your carpets will get dirtier faster than
before you had them cleaned.
No question, the most
effective way to clean carpeting is with Hot Water Rinse
Extraction. It’s the most powerful cleaning method that cleans your
carpet of dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, and
tobacco residue. Some people believe that hot water damages your
carpet, but this isn’t true. By washing and then rinsing your
carpet with hot water, we clean your carpet completely, in the same
way that the person who showers and then rinses off the dirt and
soap will be much cleaner than the person who takes only a sponge
bath.
MISCONCEPTION #4:
Having the right equipment and method is all a company needs to
clean your carpets properly. Not true. Many companies own hot
water cleaning machines, but a large number of employees don’t know
how to use them. You probably know someone who bought the newest
computer on the market but didn't learn how to use it for a year or
more. The same is true with carpet cleaning machines. The company
may own good equipment, but the employees may not know how to use it
correctly. This is why it’s important that you choose your carpet
cleaner carefully.
The best carpet cleaning
companies are those that have been certified. If you want to be sure
you’re hiring a competent professional, make sure he is Certified.
A carpet cleaning company cannot buy this certification. The carpet
cleaner must earn that certification through study, experience and
successful completion of formal, written examinations. In effect,
cleaners who are Certified have earned a degree in carpet cleaning.
Before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of the
company’s certification and also the certification of the technician
who is going to do the job! If they don’t have them, don’t use
them!
MISCONCEPTION #5:
The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should
hire. Maybe, but not always. Here are two important points to
consider.
Point #1: The prices you see
offered may not be for the services you want performed. Before you
select a company, decide what you want to accomplish. If you want
the carpet cleaner to remove only some of the dirt, you can choose
from hundreds of companies that use small shampooers or other
cleaning methods. Or, you can even rent a machine at the grocery
store and do the job yourself.
On the other hand, if you want
your carpet thoroughly cleaned, if you want to remove the harmful
dirt, bacteria, pollens, chemicals and tobacco residues, then you
need to hire a company that uses hot water rinse extraction. This
is the only way to assure that your carpet remains healthy and free
from dirt, disease-causing bacteria, and hurtful chemicals. So
remember that the price you see offered may not be for the services
you want performed.
Point #2: The price you see
advertised may not be the price you pay. Many homeowners have
learned that the low price they saw advertised was not the amount
they were charged. And if you’ve ever hired a carpet cleaner, you
too may have been the victim of false or misleading advertising.
You probably learned the hard way that some carpet cleaners offer a
cheap price, usually between $9.95 and $15.95 per room, and then
pressure you into paying a lot more once they get inside your home.
Some of them may even break the law by using illegal bait and switch
tactics.
As a way of improving our
profession, I’ve committed myself to educating the public. The only
way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts
you need.
MISCONCEPTION #6:
Any honest carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an
exact price quote over the telephone. I wish this was true, but it
isn’t.
First, honest, reputable
carpet cleaning companies usually price carpet cleaning by the
square foot. Even though I can’t give you an exact quote over the
telephone, here are things I consider when quoting a price. First,
the type of carpet. Certain types of carpet are harder to clean
than others. So before I can give you a quote, I need to know the
type of carpet you want cleaned. Second, the amount of soiling.
Carpet that hasn’t been cleaned for ten years will take longer to
clean than carpet that was cleaned within the last six months.
Third, the amount of furniture that has to be moved. If we have to
move your furniture, the bid must include that labor. But if you
move your furniture, you’ll save money.
To recap, I consider the type
of carpet, the amount of soiling, and the amount of furniture that
has to be moved. So, as you can now imagine, every quotation is
different. If you’re thinking about having your carpets cleaned, I
offer these four recommendations:
Recommendation #1: Make a
commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they
remain dirty, the sooner they’ll wear out. Plus the longer you have
to breathe all the pollens, fungus and chemicals that hide in your
carpet.
Recommendation #2: List your
objectives. Do you only want some of the dirt removed, something
you could do with a rented machine. Or do you want all of the dirt,
bacteria, fungus, chemicals and dust mites removed, which will
require a Hot Water Rinse Extraction cleaning, like I use. Do you
want to work with an honest, reputable company, or are you willing
to risk working with the company that offers you the lowest price,
knowing that the company might not be in business tomorrow.
Recommendation #3: Ask
questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific
questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are the
questions I suggest you ask:
1. What method of
carpet cleaning do you recommend?
2. What type of
equipment do you use to clean carpet?
3. What will your
equipment remove from my carpet?
4. How often
should I get my carpets cleaned?
5. What training
have you and your employees had in cleaning carpets?
6. Are you a
member of a trade association? And . . .
7. Are you and
your technicians certified and will you show me your
certificates?
Recommendation #4: Once you’re
satisfied that you’re working with an honest, competent
professional, invite him into your home and ask for a specific
quotation in writing. A written quotation gives you the assurance
that you know exactly what your job will cost, no surprises.
By following these four
recommendations, you’ll gain all the information you need to make an
informed, intelligent decision. If you want a quick, cheap carpet
cleaning job, many companies in the phone book can help you. Or you
can rent a shampooer from the grocery store and do the job
yourself. But if you want your carpeting to be completely and
thoroughly cleaned – removing the bacteria, fungus, chemicals,
pollens, and tobacco products – then we invite you to call us. We
will be happy to answer your questions – provide you a cost estimate
over the telephone – or come into your home and give you a free
written quotation – without cost or obligation of any kind. To
reach us call 234-0707. Or, if you prefer, just send us an email
and we’ll be glad to answer your questions.
Here’s one last point: We know
that many consumers are skeptical about carpet cleaning companies.
So in addition to committing myself to consumer education, we do one
more thing as well. We guarantee our work. That’s right we fully
guarantee every carpet cleaning job we do. If you aren’t happy with
our work, we’ll reclean the area for free. And if you still aren’t
pleased, you pay nothing. Not one cent. What could be more fair?
As a matter of fact, we’d suggest adding this question to the list.
“Do you guarantee your work?” Not all companies do, and it’s
important that you have this information before you make your
decision.
If you have questions or
comments, or if you’d like to schedule a free, in-home quotation,
please email or call us directly at 234-0707.
Call Today to
Make Your Appointment !
503-234-0707
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