Misconceptions and Myths About Carpet Cleaning
You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.
No. Dirt is an abrasive - like sand paper. When you walk on your carpet the dirt cuts the fibers causing it to wear out faster. While vacuuming helps, by itself, it's simply not enough.The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the dirt.
No. As you know outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution and hundreds of other chemicals. Not surprisingly all these wind up in, you guessed it, your carpet. Professional carpet cleaning done by well trained technicians with the best equipment does help to eliminate these problems.One method of carpet cleaning is as good as the other.
No. You can choose from two primary methods: Dry Cleaning or Hot Water Extraction.Many people think that dry cleaning is like dry cleaning your clothing. This is not true. Dry cleaning is done by applying a shampoo (foam) on your carpet, letting it dry and vacuuming it out. Dry cleaning can also be done using a dry chemical similar to the foam. Then they set a large cotton bonnet on your carpet and use a machine that spins from side to side. When the bonnet is saturated with dirt another is applied. The third method of dry cleaning is to spread an absorbent mixture that looks like saw dust all over the carpet. Then machines brush the mixture into your carpet which in theory causes dirt to absorb into the mixture which is then vacuumed out of the carpet. Because none of these methods use a rinse there is a residue left in the carpet and while they do have a useful application in some situations we do not believe them to be as effective.
Shaw Industries, the worlds largest carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction. Hot Water Extraction forces a hot water cleaning solution into the carpet under high pressure which is then extracted again with high pressure suction. No question, the most effective way to clean carpet is with hot water unit mounted in a truck. It is the only method that thoroughly cleans your carpet of dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals and pollens.
Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your carpets properly.
Not True. Many companies own good hot-water cleaners but a large number of employees don't know how to use them correctly. The best carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, IICRC. The carpet cleaner must earn this certification through study, experience and successful completion of formal written examinations.The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.
Maybe, but not always! Below are two important points to keep in mind.The price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed. Do you just want some of the dirt removed or do you want professionally cleaned carpets with the bacteria, fungus, and chemicals removed which will require both hot water truck mount equipment and well trained technicians.
Many homeowners have learned that the low price they saw advertised was not what they were charged. Or you may have been pressured into add-ons you did not want. Either way it turns out not to be such a good deal after all.
Any honest carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price over the phone.
There are many variables to take into consideration like: what type of carpet you have and how dirty the carpet is for example. However you should be able to get a close estimate if you give them a good description of what needs to be done. To conserve fuel and manpower cost this is preferable to most companies. Companies that insist on coming out for an estimate feel they can pay for it in add on sales so in the end you pay more. Either way, be certain the technicians review the Work Order and cost to you when they arrive to eliminate any confusion later.
