How to Hire a Good Carpet Cleaner
Follow these tips from an industry expert to avoid hiring an unprofessional, “bait and switch” carpet cleaning company.
DO #1: HIRE A TRUE PROFESSIONAL CLEANING COMPANY
Ask about credentials
All professional cleaning companies should be insured, trained, and certified through the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) or the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). You can either ask or look at their website to see if they have the IICRC or CRI emblem on their site. Since this company will be working in your home, you should ensure they have the credentials so you and your home are treated properly.
DO #2: HIRE A REPUTABLE CLEANING COMPANY
Research online reviews for real people with real experiences
A good way to see what others have experienced is to search for online reviews. Take some time to do some research about a cleaning company before you hire them. Google, Facebook, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and many more websites/apps should have reviews that will give you a good idea about what to expect from a company. If there are no reviews to be found, this can be a red flag that the business is not legitimate or it is brand new. You can also look at the Better Business Bureau website for any complaints made.
DO #3: ENSURE YOU GET AN ACCURATE ESTIMATE
Tips to ensure you are getting the most accurate estimate possible
Offer to send pictures of your carpet to the company for a more accurate quote. Include pictures of specific stains and inform the cleaner what caused the stain.
Express your expectations when calling. Let the company know what your expectations are up front (budget, specific stains or general cleaning, areas to be cleaned, etc…). Normally you will get an estimate based upon these factors.
DO #4: HIRE A COMPANY THAT USES CARPET PROTECTANT
Carpet protectants extend the life of the carpet
Ask a cleaning company if they use a carpet protectant such as Scotchgard as part of the cleaning process. This protects your carpet from allowing stains to penetrate the fibers. When you buy carpet it has a factory applied protectant. Every time you have it cleaned, 25 percent of the protectant can be removed. Reapplying after a professional cleaning will extend the life of your carpet and you should not have to hire a professional cleaner as often.
DO #5: SAVE MONEY AND PREP BEFORE DAY OF CLEANING
The more time cleaners are in your home cleaning, the more it will cost.
Save the cleaners time by doing a little prep before they arrive. Move your furniture and free your carpets for easy cleaning. Vacuum your carpets thoroughly before the cleaners arrive. Ask for or request to have tabs or blocks left. Be ready to advise cleaners on problem areas and tell them what caused the stain. There is no one thing that gets all stains out. Knowing what they are dealing with will prevent them from trying multiple spot removers, causing the price to increase.
DON’T #1: HIRING A COMPANY THAT TAKES CASH ONLY
Accepting cash only is a red flag
Don’t use a company that only takes cash as a form of payment. This is a red flag that they are not a professional, licensed, certified, and insured business. Remember that they will be in your home so be sure and hire a professional, reputable company.
DON’T #2: FALLING FOR A “BAIT AND SWITCH” COMPANY
Cheap deals and estimates are never what they seem
Beware of coupons with an unbelievable deal to clean a room. Unfortunately in the cleaning industry there are many bait and switch companies. They advertise a great deal, but once they are in your home the price somehow increases drastically.
You get what you pay for and a true, professionally cleaned carpet cannot be done properly for cheap prices. Such a company cannot make money and will go out of business. Bait and switch companies do not have the equipment or supplies to perform the job satisfactorily or they are using poor marketing techniques just to get in the door and charge you more.
Truckmount extraction machines are the industry standard.
DON’T #3: HIRING A CLEANER THAT USES SMALL PORTABLE CLEANING MACHINES
Truckmounts are the industry standard for a thorough cleaning
Don’t use a company that uses small portable cleaners because they can’t clean as well as truckmount extraction machines. Truckmounts are the industry standard for true professional cleaning.
Move outs require you to get a professional carpet cleaning with a receipt in order to get your deposit back. Be aware that a poor cleaning could get denied by your property manager and you may be forced to pay another cleaner to do the job right.
DON’T #4: HIRING A CLEANER THAT DOESN’T PRETREAT HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS
High traffic areas need special treatment
Ask a cleaning company if they pretreat high traffic areas. Do not use a company that doesn’t pretreat. Pretreatment is designed to remove the heavy soil in the high traffic areas of carpet that can cause wear. The cleaner should also apply agitation on high traffic areas. Some companies look for ways to cut corners and this is a common step that is “missed”.
DON’T #5: HIRING A CLEANER THAT DOESN’T PERFORM THE FIVE CLEANING STANDARDS
Every carpet cleaning should have the same five cleaning steps applied every time
According to IICRC, there are cleaning standards that carpet cleaning companies should follow for every cleaning:
1. Vacuuming
2. Pretreating
3. Extraction
4. Grooming
5. Drying
Ensure the company you hire performs all 5 of these steps. Applying a carpet protectant is an additional step that some professional companies practice in order to go above and beyond.
We hope these tips assist you in hiring the best company for your carpet cleaning needs. Move outs require a professional carpet cleaning in order to get your deposit back. Ensure the company you hire is certified, insured, trained, reputable, has the proper equipment, and passes all of the other do’s and don’ts described above. For more information about carpet cleaning, stain removal, carpet repair, tile and grout cleaning, and much more, visit our website and blog; www.ateamcarpetclean.com.
