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Misconceptions of Carpet Cleaning1. You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet. 1. You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet. False. Dirt is abrasive, like sand paper. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers causing it 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 carpets cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet, and the faster it wears out. » top 2. The only reason to clean carpets is to get out 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 contaminates on your clothes and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals, pollens, and bacteria wind up -- you guessed it -- in your carpet. Pet owners will also have pet dander. If you have allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems, one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, chemicals, or dander from your pet 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, the tars and residue from tobacco smoke, and pet dander. » top 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 clothes. This is not true. All carpet cleaning methods use water in one form or another. Here are the various methods of dry cleaning: When a carpet cleaner uses dry foam, he applies shampoo to your carpet, allows it to dry, and then sucks the dried shampoo into a vacuum. Can you imagine applying shampoo to your hair, allowing it to dry and then removing the shampoo from your head with a vacuum? This method can leave residue in your carpet, which is one reason dry foam is not very effective. 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 is saturated with dirt, and another cotton bonnet is applied. Bonnet cleaning is like trying to use a large towel to rub the dirt out of your carpet. Like dry foam, it's not very effective. The second carpet 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. Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction and you can choose from two different types: Portable extraction, which is done with a small machine; or truck mount extraction, which means the larger cleaning machine is mounted in a truck or 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 All American Carpet and Tile Care uses. No question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with hot-water unit mounted in a truck. It's the most powerful cleaning machine on the market and the only machine that thoroughly cleans your carpet and rids it of all contaminants. » top 4. Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your carpets properly. Not true. Many companies own hot-water cleaners, but a large number of employees don't know how to use them. This is why it's so important that you choose your carpet cleaners carefully. The best carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, known as the IICRC. A carpet cleaning company cannot buy this certificate. The carpet cleaner must earn the certification through study, experience, and the successful completion of formal, written examinations. Cleaners who are certified by the IICRC have, in effect earned a degree in carpet cleaning. » top 5. The company that offers the lowest prices is the company you should hire. a) The price 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, then you need to hire a company that uses hot water cleaner mounted in a truck. This is the only way to assure that your carpet remains healthy and free from dirt, disease-causing bacteria, and harmful chemicals. So remember that the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed. » top b) 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 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 in all business professions, the carpet cleaning industry had its share of bad apples. I take no pleasure in telling you this, but some are unethical and sadly, a few are dishonest. By their misleading advertising and false promises, they cast a dark shadow on our entire industry. Then you'll find other carpet cleaners, professionals like me who work hard to earn your trust and respect. As a way of improving our profession, I've dedicated my business to educating the public. The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need. » top 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. Consumers often think that if they want to clean four rooms and the price is $6 per room, then the price is $24. But this isn't always true. First, honest, reputable carpet cleaning companies usually price carpet cleaning by the square foot. So if you'd like me to tell you the exact cost of cleaning your carpet, I need to know the exact number of square feet that you want cleaned. To get an accurate measurement, I have a measuring wheel I use to calculate the exact size of the carpet area. You'll be glad to know that the carpet area to be cleaned is not nearly as great as most people think. The result is that the actual area to be cleaned is usually only about 60% of the square foot 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. First the type of carpet - certain types of carpet are harder to clean than others. Second, the amount of soiling. Carpet that hasn't been cleaned for 10 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. With this in mind, you can imagine every quote is different. » top
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If you are thinking about having your carpets cleaned, I offer these 4 recommendations: Recommendations for hiring a carpet cleaner1. Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. 1. Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they remain dirty, the sooner they'll wear out. 2. List your objectives. Do you want only the dirt removed, something you could do with a rented machine, or do you want the contaminants removed, which will require a hot water truck mount cleaner, like I use. Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company or are you wiling to risk working with the company that offers you the lowest price, knowing that the company might not be in business tomorrow. » top 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: Questions to ask a carpet cleaner: 4. Request a written quote. Once you're satisfied that you're working with an honest competent professional, invite him into your home and ask for a specific quote in writing. A written quote 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, 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 carpets to be completely and thoroughly cleaned, then I invite you to call me. I'll 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 quote, without obligation of any kind. I 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 re-clean the area for free. What could be more fair. » top To get your free quote, call (858) 483-5300 or click here to schedule an appointment. |
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