Mistakes
to Avoid
Mistake#1
Choosing a
carpet cleaner based on equipment alone.
No question, your carpet cleaner needs first-rate equipment. But
he also needs something else. He needs employees who are skilled at operating
that equipment. Many companies own hot water extractors, but very few companies
teach their employees how to use them properly. The best way to know that the
carpet cleaner’s employees have been properly trained is to make sure the
cleaner has been certified by the Institute
of Inspection, Cleaning
and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask
to see written proof of the company’s and the technician’s IICRC certification.
MISTAKE #2:
Low price
could be a problem in three ways:
(1) Low price can be the bait that attracts your phone call. But
once the cleaner gets into your home, he pressures you into a much more
expensive job. (2) Low price can be for single-process cleaning. Rarely does
the consumer know what this means and, when told, asks s for dual process cleaning
instead, which costs much more. (3) Low price means the carpet cleaner has
cheap equipment, which will not effectively clean your carpet.
MISTAKE #3:
Choosing a
carpet cleaner based on a single telephone call.
Instead, invite the person to your home and ask for a specific written
quotation. Then you’ll know exactly what the carpet cleaner recommends – and
you won’t be the victim of high-pressure tactics when the technician steps into
your living room.
What to Expect from a Good
Cleaning Company
Knowing what questions to ask is essential in avoiding problems.
The Institute of
Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification is a non-profit
certification body
that sets and promotes high standards and technical proficiency
within the cleaning
industry.
Here’s what
they say you should expect:
•
No hidden costs. Expect itemized costs for services
and firm prices before
technicians begin each portion of the work sold. Consumers should
never feel
pressured to accept anything more than the services they request.
• Customer satisfaction. Cleaning firms
should offer workmanship guarantees in
writing.
•
Vacuuming. The cleaner should start by vacuuming
high traffic and open
areas where soils accumulate.
• Moving furniture. Unless clearly
specified, moving of most furniture to clean
carpet underneath should be considered part of the normal cleaning
job.
•
Spot-cleaning. Special attention to spots is included in normal job
performance. However, time-consuming specialized spotting may
incur an
additional charge. Customers should be advised of additional charges
before
extensive spotting procedures are undertaken.
•
Preconditioning. Special treatment with
“preconditioning” agents in heavily
soiled entry, traffic and general areas should be included in the
cost of the
cleaning.
•
Minimal drying time. It is the cleaner’s responsibility to ensure that the
carpet is dried and returned to normal use within a reasonable
time frame.
The amount of time required for drying will vary with different
methods, the
degree of soiling and the aggressiveness of cleaning necessary.
But under no
circumstances should drying require more than 24 hours with proper
ventilation. However, the consumer’s cooperation in providing
continuous air
flow and/or ventilation to expedite drying cannot be
overemphasized.
NORMAL VS. SPECIAL
There should be no differentiation between a “normal” cleaning job
and “special”
cleaning job. Cleaning is cleaning. Diligent effort must be made
to remove as much
soil as possible from the carpet. And technicians must take steps
to leave fibres as
residue-free as possible to prevent accelerated resoling.
Do not expect an exact price quote over the phone. Honest,
reputable carpet
cleaning companies almost never price carpet cleaning by the room.
Carpet cleaning
is usually priced by the square foot; if you’d like to know the
exact cost, you need to
know the exact number of square feet you want cleaned. To get an
accurate
measurement, cleaners should use a measuring wheel or tape measure
to calculate
the exact size of the carpet area.
Other variables affect the price
as well:
• The type of carpet. Some are harder
to clean than others.
• 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 past six
months.
• The amount of furniture that must be
moved. In many cases, if you move
your furniture, you’ll save money.
DIFFERENT METHODS AVAILABLE
In shopping around for a cleaner, you’ll find out that there are
several different
cleaning methods offered. Obviously, each company will be biased
toward their own
method. And each method does have advantages. But most carpet
manufacturers
recommend only hot water extraction cleaning (steam cleaning), so
check your warranty before
making a final decision.
