HOW TO CHOOSE A CARPET CLEANER

Hello, and thanks for clicking!  I am grateful for the opportunity to provide you with information about carpet cleaning and help you choose a carpet cleaning company.

My name is Steve Kohl, and my wife Desiree and I have been full time carpet cleaners since 1978, plus I am certified as a senior carpet inspector since 1991 which is the industry’s highest rating.  We decided to offer this consumer education message so that when you select a carpet cleaning company, you can make an informed decision.

Now here are 6 costly misconceptions about carpet cleaning:

Misconception #1:  You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.

No.  Dirt is an abrasive; like sandpaper.  Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers.  This cuts your carpet, causing it to wear out faster.  Vacuuming helps, but its simply not enough, especially here in eastern Washington.  The longer you wait, the faster your carpet wears out.

Misconception #2:  The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the dirt.

No.  As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust – and hundreds of other chemicals.  When you and your family members come into your home, you carry those pollens, bacteria and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing and shoes, and they wind up in your carpet.

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems – one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and chemicals in your carpet.

In addition, as you know, tobacco smoke contains over 4000 different chemical compounds, 43 of which cause cancer.  And even if you don’t smoke, those chemicals get on your shoes, you track them in to your home and you leave them in your carpet.

So in addition to getting rid of dirt, another important reason to clean your carpet is to get rid of pollens, fungus, bacteria, chemicals and the tars and residue from tobacco smoke.

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, I’ll explain dry cleaning.  Many people believe that dry cleaning your carpet is like dry cleaning your clothing.  This is not true.  All carpet cleaning methods use water in one form or another.  The 3 methods of dry cleaning are dry foam, dry-chem, and dry compound; none of which do a thorough job of removing the dirt, pollens, and bacteria.

The second cleaning method is called hot-water extraction.  This is a fancy way of saying that a hot water cleaning solution under high pressure is forced into the carpet and then sucked out of the carpet.  This method is also referred to as steam cleaning even though steam is not used.

Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction and you can choose from two different types:   portable extraction, like a rental machine.  Or truck-mount extraction with a large machine in a van.

Not surprisingly, the truck-mount extraction cleans much better because it heats the water to a higher temperature – and shoots the cleaning solution into the carpet at a higher pressure – which breaks up the dirt, bacteria and pollens.  Then the machine uses high suction to draw the dirt out of the carpet.  This is the method our company uses.

Misconception #4:  Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your carpet properly.

Not true.  It is only half the story, the other half is the technician’s expertise.  This is why it’s important that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully.

Misconception #5:  The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.

Well,…if the service offered is equal in every respect, then this would be true.  But quality work with quality equipment as well as follow up will probably cost more than the quick-shot cleaning will.  Also, some areas have problems with bait-and-switch cleaners who advertise a low price to get into your home, and then “hard-sell” you into paying a lot more.  However, this doesn’t seem to be a problem in our area at the time this was recorded.

Anyway, as a way of improving our profession, we’ve dedicated our business to educating the public.  The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need.  This is why we’ve recorded this message.

Misconception #6:  Any honest carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price quote over the telephone.

We wish this were true, but it isn’t.  Honest, reputable carpet cleaning companies have found that pricing by the square foot is fairest for both them and their clients.  And to get an accurate square footage, we need to measure the rooms involved.  And you’ll be glad to know that the actual square footage is usually about 60 to 70% of the entire square footage of the home.  So even though I can’t give you an exact quote over the telephone, here are things I consider when quoting a price.

The type of carpet, the amount of soiling, and the amount of furniture to be moved.  If you’re thinking about having your carpets cleaned, we offer these 4 recommendations.

Recommendation #1:  Make a commitment to get and keep your carpets clean.  They’ll last much longer, and you won’t have to breathe all the pollens, fungus, chemicals, and dust mites that live in your carpet.

Recommendation #2:  List your objectives.  Do you just want the dirt removed, something you could with a rental machine?  Or do you want the bacteria, fungus and chemicals removed with a hot water extraction machine, and work with an honest, reputable company;  one that will be here tomorrow, not just today?

Recommendation #3:  Here are 7 questions we suggest you ask any carpet cleaning company:

1. What method of carpet cleaning do you recommend?
2. What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet?
3. What does your equipment remove from my carpet?
4. How often should I get my carpets cleaned?
5. What training have you had in cleaning carpets?
6. Are you a member of any trade associations, and, if so, which ones?
7. Are you certified by the IICRC in the areas of carpet and upholstery cleaning?

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.  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 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.

Here’s one last point:  We know that many consumers are skeptical about carpet cleaning companies.  So in addition to dedicating our business to consumer education, we do one more thing as well.

We absolutely guarantee our work.  That’s right.  We fully guarantee every carpet, upholstery, and ceramic tile 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.  The only exception to this is odor problems.  We do NOT guarantee getting all odors (urine, musty, etc) out as sometimes the only solution is to remove and replace the carpet and the pad.  But we'll tell you what we think the chances are of getting the odor out.  Also, sometimes the odor is actually coming from a source other than the carpet.

What could be more fair?

As a matter of fact, add this question to the list.  Question #8 is “Do you guarantee your work?”  Not all companies do – and it’s important that you have this information before you make your decision.

Thanks very much for reading.  We’ll be happy to answer your questions – provide you a cost estimate over the phone – or come into your home and give you a free written quotation – without obligation of any kind. 

To reach me at Rainbow Carpet Cleaning in Moses Lake/Ephrata call us at 762-5326.

On behalf of the staff at Rainbow Carpet Cleaning – Desiree and I thank you for your kind attention.