What questions should I ask when hiring a carpet cleaner?
- How long have you been in the carpet cleaning business and are you a certified cleaner through the IICRC? (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, Restoration Certification) An internationally recognized training organization.
- What sort of guarantee do you provide?
- Do you have referrals that may be verified?
How often should I have my carpet cleaned?
Many manufactures require their new carpets be cleaned by an IICRC certified technician every 18 months to maintain their warranty. This is a good rule to help keep your carpeting looking it’s very best and make it last the longest. However, we have many clients that have us clean every 2 years and others with more children, pets and parties that need us about every 6 months.
Why do my spots keep coming back?
There are a couple of reasons:
- It could be that the area wasn’t flushed and rinsed well enough, which happens more times than not, or
- If the substance making the spot soaked down to the carpet backing, it cannot be totally extracted (normally) with just one cleaning. The carpet dries from the top down – like candle wicking wax and the substance from way down deep is wicking up during the drying process leaving a small deposit on the carpets surface, allowing soil to collect once again. Generally, after a couple thorough cleanings the spot will stop coming back.
What's the difference between DRY cleaning & WET cleaning?
Dry cleaning of course is drier then our preferred Wet (HWE) Hot Water Extraction system. The dry cleaning breaks the soil down chemically making the carpet look cleaner (for a while) whereas the HWE wet cleaning not only breaks the soil down chemically but actually removes it – allowing the carpets to stay cleaner longer – when performed (cleaned) properly.
How long will it take my carpets to dry?
If the carpets are dry in just 1 or 2 hours, has it really been cleaned or just made to look cleaner? If the carpet wasn’t very soiled maybe 1 or 2 hours dry time would be reasonable, but if like most carpets we clean – they NEED cleaning, meaning a thorough flushing and rinsing that generally requires up to 24 hours for a good thorough drying. The other variables are the type of carpet, the fiber content, the degree of soil, the airflow available and temperature provided.
What about chemical residue left behind to attract more soil?
Very good question. Often times carpet cleaners will precondition the carpet with an alkaline agent to break the soil down chemically and then buzz over it with either clear water or an acidic rinse in an effort to extract both the soil and the pre-conditioner. The problem is they generally do not flush and rinse enough and what’s left behind is excess residue and chemically altered soil. We prefer to work the soil out, using a milder form of cleaning agent, leaving the carpets fresh and clean as can be without hardly any residue.
My carpet has wrinkles. Will cleaning help them go away?
No. Carpet installation over the years have become more and more of a problem, a lot of installers do not power stretch the carpets the way they used to and the carpets are generally not allowed to acclimate prior to installation – meaning that once they do acclimate and relax, wrinkles develop. This often times takes years to become a problem and should be re-stretched as soon as possible to prevent creases on the backside of the carpets.
Is there a way to guarantee 100% odor removal?
Yes, but only with rugs that do not have a latex backing. The reason is – the neutralizers used to attack the odor also breaks down the latex bond between the primary and secondary backing.
Why are there so many different prices?
Many new business owners believe that by charging less, they will attract more clients to build their business – the sad thing is when they charge less they will generally either: go out of business, due to unforeseen cost or cut corners and not do as good as job as they should. The bottom line is you get what you pay for.
Is your price firm or will it change once you are in my home?
A lot of companies like to advertise a low price to get their foot in the door – we choose to not play that game. We’re honest with our estimates and try our best to provide the closest price possible. We believe in having a very happy client as they’re paying for the services we provide and will want us back time after time in the future.