Guide to Carpet Cleaning....

In this section we'll share with you six costly misconceptions about carpet cleaning. Plus we'll offer four recommendations. And we'll give you ten questions you should ask a carpet cleaner before you invite them into your home.

Misconception # 1: 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 scratches your carpet fibers, just like sandpaper, causing it to wear out faster and look dirty, even when it isn't. 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 carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.

Misconception # 2: The only reason to clean carpets is to get the dirt out.

No. Remember that your carpet is a big filter. The outdoor environment 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 in your carpet.

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems - one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and animal allergens in your carpet.

Tobacco smoke, as you may know,  contains over 4000 different chemical compounds, 43 of which cause cancer. If you smoke, those compounds are all in your carpet, upholstery, and draperies.  And even if you don't smoke, those chemicals get in your shoes; you track them in to your home and leave them in your carpet.

If you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, you might find that you'll 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.

Misconception # 3: One method of cleaning is as good as another.  
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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 that is pulled into your home, or truck-mount extraction which means the large cleaning machine is mounted in a truck or van.

Hot water extraction is a term used to describe the method where a hot water solution is sprayed at high pressure unto the carpet and simultaneously sucked out of the carpet. This method is also referred to as steam cleaning even though steam is not used.

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Not surprisingly, the truck-mount extraction cleans much better because it heats the water up. (Once water reaches 120 degrees, every 15 to 17 degree temperature rise doubles the water's ability to clean; at high temperature the water itself becomes a very powerful cleaner, the higher the temperature, the less water needed to rinse, and the less water used to rinse, the faster the carpet dries.) It then rinses the cleaning solution out of the carpet at high pressure - which breaks up the dirt, bacteria and pollens. Then the machine uses high suction to simultaneously draw the dirt out of the carpet. This is the method Healthy Clean uses.

No question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with a hot-water extraction unit mounted in a truck or van. It's the most powerful cleaning machine on the market and the only one that thoroughly cleans your carpet of dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, allergens, and tobacco residue.

Methods that use cold or even warm water remove some dirt - but are not nearly as effective as the hot-water truck mount method.

Some people believe that hot water damages your carpet, but this is not true. By applying our cleaner and then rinsing your carpet with hot soft water, we clean your carpet completely - in the same way that a person who showers and then rinses off the dirt and soap will be much cleaner than the person who soaps up and then wipes off with a towel with out rinsing off. 

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Misconception # 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 have not been trained properly to use them. You probably know someone who bought the newest computer on the market - but didn't learn how to use it. The same is true with carpet cleaning machines - the company may own good equipment, but the employees may not use it correctly. This is why it is important that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully.

The best carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institution of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, known as the IICRC. A carpet cleaning company cannot buy 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 IICRC provides written credentials to the company it certifies, so before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of the company's IICRC certification.

Misconception #5: The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.

Maybe - but not always. Here are two important points to consider.

Point # 1: 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 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 to be thoroughly cleaned and dried quickly, and if you want to remove the harmful dirt, bacteria, pollens, chemicals and tobacco residue, then you need to hire company that uses a 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 hurtful chemicals.

So remember that the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed.

Point # 2: 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 businesses and professions, the carpet cleaning industry has its share of bad apples. Some cleaners are unethical, and a few are downright dishonest. By their misleading advertising and false promises, they cause problems in our entire industry.

Misconception # 6: Any honest carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price quote over the telephone.

We wish this were 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 will be $24. But this isn't always true. 

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First, honest, reputable carpet cleaning companies usually price carpet cleaning by the square foot. So if you'd like to know the exact cost of cleaning your carpet, we need to know the exact number of square feet that you want cleaned.

So even though we can't give you an exact quote over the telephone, here are things we consider when quoting a price.

First, the type of carpet. Certain types of carpet are harder to clean than others. So before we can give you a quote, we need to know the type of carpet you want cleaned.

Second, the amount of soiling. Carpet that hasn't been cleaned for ten years will take longer to clean than a carpet that has been cleaned in 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.

The following are our recommendations:

Recommendation # 1: 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, chemicals and dust mites that live in your carpet.

Recommendation # 2: List your objectives. Do you want only some of the surface 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 we use? 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 may not be in business tomorrow?

Recommendation # 3: Ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are the some questions we suggest you ask:

1. What method of carpet cleaning do you recommend?
2. What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet?
3. What does your equipment remove from my carpet?
4. What type of chemicals do you use? Are they safe?
5. How often should I get my carpets cleaned?
6. What training and experience does the person coming to my home have?
7. Are you a member of any trade associations and if so which ones?
8. Are you certified by the IICRC and will you show me your certificate?
9. Do you guarantee your work?
10. Do you have general liability insurance and workers compensation? (very important)

Recommendation # 4: Once you're satisfied that you're working with an honest, competent professional, invite him into your home and ask for a specific quotation in writing. A written quotation 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 cheap surface 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 the carpet to be thoroughly cleaned - removing the bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, dust mites, and tobacco products - then we invite you to call us.