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Matching
Price to Service  Important guidelines for determining consistency between carpet cleaning services |
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve called around for quotes and the price differences are huge. Why?
A. The two main factors are the type of carpet cleaning equipment used and the amount of time spent cleaning your carpet. Some companies use modern, well maintained equipment, while others invest less in maintaining and upgrading their equipment. Some technicians are able to keep their fees low by spending a minimal amount of time in your home actually cleaning. Some companies will charge extra for pre-treating and stain removal upon arrival at your home. A thorough cleaning involves pre-treating stains, allowing sufficient time for the thorough cleaning of your carpets, including additional time in high traffic and high soil areas. Q. My carpets got dingy quickly after a budget cleaning. Why? A. Budget cleaning, whether doing-it-yourself with renting equipment or by technician using weak equipment leaves cleaning agents in the carpets. Often home owners and inexperienced technicians use too much or inferior cleaner (in this case more is not better, it’s much worse). Also, low quality equipment does not have the suction power to properly extract the carpet cleaning chemicals. The sticky chemicals left in the carpet literally act like a magnet attracting dirt to your carpet. Have you ever noticed how a spill on a vinyl or wood floor attracts more dirt than any other area of the floor? Soapy residue left in your carpets attract dirt in much the same way. A thorough, professional cleaning is an excellent value because your carpets will stay clean longer and last longer. Q. Aren’t all carpet cleaning methods basically the same? A. There are three main methods of carpet cleaning - portable wet extraction, chemicals and truck-mounted rotary steam cleaning. Portable steam equipment is not able to heat the water to the temperature needed for optimal cleaning nor is it powerful enough to create the suction needed to extract the cleaners, soil and water. Cleaning agents left in your carpet attract dirt and make your carpets dirty quicker. Chemical carpet cleaning leaves a residue and may not be a good choice for chemical sensitive people and pets. Carpet manufacturers recommend professional steam cleaning because it can heat the water to optimal cleaning temperatures and can thoroughly extract the cleaning chemicals, soil and water. Thoroughly removing cleaning agents is key to ensuring your carpets stay clean longer. Q. How is your process better? A. We use the latest tool invented – the rotary steam extractor connected to a truck-mounted machine. It makes 10 times the cleaning and drying passes of the old manual tool called a wand. It agitates and cleans the fibers from all directions without over wetting. It simply overpowers dirt. It heats the water to optimal cleaning temperatures and restores the pile in matted down areas. The powerful vacuum thoroughly extracts the cleaning solution, soil and water from your carpets, ensuring your carpets stay clean longer. Q. How do I know if the carpet cleaner I hire knows what he’s doing? A. Carpet cleaning technicians vary greatly in their skill level and experience. Washington state does not have any competency requirements for carpet cleaners. Voluntary certification is available through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Less than half of the carpet cleaners attend this training and not all pass the testing process. (Carpet Technicians, Inc. is a trained and certified company.) Q. How often should I get my carpets cleaned? A. Carpet manufacturers recommend professional steam cleanings every 6 to 18 months, depending on number of family members and pets in your home. Regular cleanings keep carpets looking their best, significantly extend carpet life and help maintain a healthy indoor environment for your family and pets. Q. How long will it take to dry? A. Usually 2-8 hours, depending on ventilation, air temperature, humidity, and carpet density. Our equipment and cleaning technique extract about 95% of the moisture from the carpet so they can be put back into use as soon as possible. We’re happy to suggest ways for you to speed the drying process. Q. What kind of chemicals do you use? A. Exclusively non-toxic, non-allergenic, non-residue, environmentally safe cleaning solutions are used. If you have young children or pets in your home, do not consider anything less. Children and pets spend a lot of time sleeping, playing and eating on the floor. Chemical residue can adhere to their skin, fur, clothing or food making it dangerously easy to ingest. Q. Can you get rid of foul odors? A. Yes – we have a powerful, enzyme-based deodorizing process that eliminates most pet, smoke and mildew odors. Q. Can you remove all of the stains? A. Most, but not all, spots are removable. There are some substances that will permanently discolor carpet, especially if they have been in the carpet a long time. Stain removal also depends on how stain resistant the carpet is. If the carpet is more than 3 years old, we highly recommend the application of DuPont Teflon Stain Block. A. It’s rare, but it does happen if they are deep – this is called “wicking”. If this occurs, simply spray on some spot cleaner, blot with a towel, place a layer of 3 paper towels and a phone book on it. Leave it for a day or so. Repeat, if necessary. Use this technique on new spills, too. Q. Do you guarantee your work? A. Yes. Every carpet cleaning includes a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We will gladly re-clean any area that does not meet your expectations. |
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