What You Pay For When You Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner
When it comes to many things, if the price is too good to be true, then it probably is. This is never more true than it is with carpet cleaning.
Carpet cleaning may seem like a straightforward process. After all, don’t you clean your carpet when you vacuum, spot clean, and edge a room? In many cases, this is sufficient for many areas in a household, especially those that are less traveled. But as carpet gets older and more feet (canine, feline, and human!) touch an area, the more it wears down, collects and holds particles of dirt, and becomes an unsightly view in your home. This is when you need to call in an expert.
And when we say expert, we mean expert! We don’t mean those bargain basement cleaners. When it comes to carpet cleaning, we believe you get what you pay for. Sometimes this means that your $70 special from the street corner just isn’t going to cut it, and initial cleanliness quickly turns into a moldy, dirty mess once again.
While money does talk, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for the best bang for your buck. A good deal for a carpet cleaner is a price you feel you can afford for a service you’re extremely satisfied with. So how do you know if you’ll be satisfied with the service that will be provided to you?
We suggest only hiring someone that follows what we like to call “The Bristol Clean Promise“! When you hire Bristol Clean, these things will always be included. No matter who you hire, you should never settle for less.
Pre-Vacuum/Grooming
Never, ever go for a company that does not offer pre-vacuuming as part of its services. While a home vacuum cleaner is great for the day to day, a carpet must have as much dirt and debris removed as possible before beginning a professional carpet cleaning treatment. This is best done by you and then a professional who knows what to look for, and knows commonly missed areas. This will help the entire process along immensely, and help stop the carpet from becoming too wet (or, in a worst-case scenario, a muddy puddle!).
Proper Certifications and Knowledge
Anyone (unfortunately) can rent a nice-quality cleaner, bring it to your house, and make a carpet look shiny for a while. Heck, you can even do that! So what sets a professional apart in this department? Knowledge. Even new, properly-trained carpet cleaners can do a better job than a veteran under-educated individual. Here are a couple of things you should look for:
- IIRC Certified
- Foundational knowledge of chemistry
- Foundational knowledge of textiles
- Understanding of different types of materials and their needs, especially common carpet materials
- CRI-approved equipment AND Chemicals
- Proper PH inspection and testing protocols
- Insurance
- Bonus: BBB A+ rated
In addition, if you ask them about the abbreviations above – PH, IIRC, CRI -and get a blank look, you should find a new professional to give you a hand.
Thorough Inspection & Detailed Post-Grooming
One of the biggest things that sets professionals apart from $60 corner-sign folks is attention to detail. While there are plenty of semi-professionals and folks new to the block that pay good attention, not everyone does! Often, true attention to detail comes from a mixture of experience, knowledge, and hard work. A professional that cares about details will:
- Pre-inspect to identify the textile, area wear, and overall condition of what they are cleaning
- Post-groom to make your pile (carpet) look its best
- Take a fair amount of time to both pre-inspect, clean, and post-inspect for missed areas or stubborn stains and spots
An attention to detail will save you TONS of time in the long run, because it’s that attention that makes a good carpet clean last longer than just a few weeks.
Never underestimate a good cleaner and, in turn, a good carpet cleaning. When you’re paying for a carpet cleaner, you’re paying for a cleaner home and a longer carpet life. Often, this is worth what a professional will cost – and they are often not that much more than Joe Schmoe down the road, but the job they do is worth much more than what they charge.
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