Below is a Consumer Information Message which can save you time, trouble and expense.
Don't call any carpet cleaning service until
you have read this or listened to the free recorded message by dialing
• 6 Common Misconceptions about Carpet Cleaning,
• Hear 4 Steps to select the right Carpet Cleaning Service,
• Get 7 Important Questions to ask before
inviting any carpet cleaning technician into your home.
We are grateful for the opportunity to provide you with some information about carpet cleaning and help you choose a carpet cleaning company.
Craig Peters, owner of First Quality Carpet Cleaning, has been in the carpet cleaning business for over 25 years. And in that time, he has learned that carpet cleaning is the subject of much confusion. In fact, people have so many misconceptions about carpet cleaning that he decided to offer this consumer education message so when you select a carpet cleaning company, you can make a informed intelligent decision.
In just a moment, we will share with you six costly misconceptions about carpet cleaning. Plus we will offer four recommendations. And we will give you seven questions you should ask a carpet cleaner before you invite him into your home.
You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.
No. Dirt is an abrasive – like sandpaper. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers. This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife, causing it to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean carpet. While vacuuming helps – by itself, it’s not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.
The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the 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 those pollens, bacteria and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals, pollens and bacteria wind up – you guessed it – in your carpet.
If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems – one major source of you problem could be the pollens, fungus and chemicals in your carpet.
In addition, as you may know, tobacco smoke contains over 4000 different chemical compounds, 43 of which cause cancer. Even if you don’t smoke, those chemicals get on your shoes, you track them into your home and you leave them in your carpet. If you are sensitive to cigarette smoke, you might find that you will breathe easier after you hire a company to get those harmful chemicals out of 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 and the tars and residue from tobacco smoke.
One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another.
No. You can choose from two primary methods: dry cleaning and hot water extraction.
First, I’ll explain dry cleaning. Many people believe that dry cleaning your carpet is like dry cleaning your clothing. This is not true. All carpet cleaning methods use water in one form or another. Here are three methods of dry cleaning carpet.
Dry Foam: 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 a residue in your carpet, which is one reason dry foam is not very effective.
Dry-Chem: 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 spins from side to side, absorbing the dirt that’s in the carpet. After the bonnet is saturated with dirt, another cotton bonnet is applied. Bonnet cleaning is like trying to use a large towel to rub the dirt out of you carpet. Like dry foam, it is not very effective.
Hot Water Extraction: This is a fancy way of saying that 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 even though steam is not used.
Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacture, 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 large cleaning machine is mounted in a truck on 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 to the carpet. This is the method First Quality Carpet Cleaning uses.
No question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with a 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 of dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens and tobacco residue.
Methods that use cold and even warm water remove dirt – but are not as effective as the hot-water truck mount method.
Some people believe that hot water damages your carpet, but this isn’t true. By washing and then rinsing your carpet with hot water, we clean your carpet completely – in the same way that the person who showers and then rinses off the dirt and soap will be much cleaner than the person who takes only a sponge bath.
MISCONCEPTION #4: Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your carpets properly.
Not true. Many companies own hot-water cleansers – but a large number of employees don’t know how to use them. You probably know someone who bought the newest computer on the market – but didn’t learn how to use it for a year or more. The same is true with carpet cleaning machines. The company may own good equipment, but the employees may not know how to use it correctly. This is why it’s important that you choose your carpet cleaner 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 by this certification. 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.
: The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.
Maybe – but not always. Here are two important points to consider.
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 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 – if you want to remove the harmful dirt, bacteria, pollens, chemicals and tobacco residues – then you need to hire a company that uses a hot water cleaner mounted in a truck. This is the only way to assure t hat your carpet remains healthy and free from dirt, disease-causing bacteria, and hurtful chemicals.
So remember that the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed.
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 het 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 that hard way that some carpet cleaners offer cheap price – usually between $3.95 and $9.95 per room – 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 businesses and professions, the carpet cleaning industry has its share of bad apples. We 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 Craig Peters at First Quality Carpet Cleaning who work hard to earn your trust and respect.
As a way of improving our profession, Craig Peters has dedicated his business to educating the public. The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need.
: Any honest carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price quote over the telephone.
I wish this were true, bit it isn’t, consumers often think that it hey want to clean for rooms and the price is $6.00 per room, then the price will be $24.00. But this isn’t always true.
There are many factors considered in pricing your carpet cleaning job. First, remember what you have asked the carpet cleaner to accomplish in cleaning your carpet. Here are some important things that are considered when quoting a price.
The type of carpet. Certain types of carpet are harder to clean than others. So before you can be given a quote, the cleaner needs to know the type of carpet you want cleaned.
The amount of furniture that has to be moved. If the cleaner has to move your furniture, the bid must include the labor. But if you move the furniture, you’ll save money.
Where you are located. Are you located within the standard service area of the carpet cleaning company you have called? And, are you located in any type of high rise building, whether commercial or residential?
To recap, the carpet cleaning company considers the type of carpet, the amount of furniture to be moved, and both aspects of location. So, as you can now imagine, every quote is different.
If you’re thinking about having your carpets cleaned, Craig with First Quality Carpet Cleaning offers these four recommendations:
Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they remain dirty, the sooner they’ll wear out. Plus the longer you have to breathe all the pollens, fungus, and chemicals and dust mites that live in your carpet.
List your objectives. Do you want only the dirt removed, something you could do with a rented machine. Or do you want the bacteria, fungus and chemicals removed, which will require a hot water truck mount cleaner, like First Quality Carpet Cleaning uses. Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company – or are you willing to risk working with the company that offers you the lowest price – knowing that company might not be in business tomorrow.
Ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are the questions Craig with First Quality Carpet Cleaning suggests you ask:
What method of carpet cleaning do you recommend?
What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet?
What does your equipment remove from my carpets?
How often should I get my carpets cleaned?
What training have you had in cleaning carpets?
Are you certified by the IICRC and will you show me your certificate?
: Once you are satisfied that you are 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 will gain all the information you need to make an informed, intelligent decision. If you want a quick, cheap carpet cleaning job, 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 carpeting to be completely and thoroughly cleaned – removing the bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, and tobacco products – then you are invited to call us at First Quality Carpet Cleaning. We will be happy to answer your questions – provide you a cost estimate over the telephone – without obligation of any kind. To reach First Quality Carpet Cleaning, call (972)422-4567.
Here is one last point: We know that many consumers are skeptical about carpet cleaning companies. Before Craig got into the business, he was skeptical too. So in addition to dedicating his business to consumer education, he does one more thing as well.
What could be more fair?
As a matter of fact, add this question to the list. Question #7 is “Do you guarantee your work?” Not all companies do – and it’s important that you have this information before you make your decision.
Proverbs 21:3 says, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. We hope you found this consumer message helpful. If you have questions or comments – or if you would like to schedule a free, in-home quote, please give
On behalf of First Quality Carpet Cleaning – thank you for your kind attention. God bless you!
Call 972.422.4567 Today!
