Popular Carpet Cleaning Myths

SIX COSTLY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CARPET CLEANING MISCONCEPTION #1: YOU SHOULD WAIT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN CLEANINGS. Absolutely not. Dirt is abrasive -- just like sandpaper. With each step taken onto your carpet, you are grinding microscopic slivers of dirt against and into your carpet fibers. Leaving dirt in your carpet is like leaving thousands of tiny razor blades in it. You lose a number of fibers with each step, wearing out the dirty carpet faster. Vacuuming helps, however, vacuuming daily or even several times per day -- simply is not enough. Household vacuums just aren't powerful enough to extract all of the harmful elements, and certainly don't remove much of the chemical and biological contaminants as Hot Water Extraction does. The longer you wait between recommended cleanings, the more damage your carpet suffers, the sooner you will have to replace it and the more unhealthy it is to live on. The RECOMMENDED interval may not even be sufficient when conditions and traffic exceed the norm. MISCONCEPTION #2: THE ONLY REASON TO HAVE CARPET CLEANED IS TO REMOVE DIRT. No. As you might suspect, air contains pollens, fungi, mold spores, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, vehicle exhausts, cooking oils and residue -- along with hundreds, even thousands of other chemicals. It's a breeding ground for microscopic organisms of all kinds. Each time you open the door or step inside, you bring in ever more of these contaminants and critters into your home -- in your hair, on your skin, shoes, socks and clothing. These contaminants don't just fade away. They eventually all end up in the largest filter in your home -- your CARPET! (Other filters are your upholstery, drapery, perhaps a furnace filter.) See also: "What the EPA Has To Say About CARPET CLEANING...". MISCONCEPTION #3: CARPET CLEANING IS CARPET CLEANING - METHODS DON'T MATTER. Sadly once more, no. So-called "dry-cleaning" methods - bonnet cleaning, "dry" powder, "dry" foam and "dry" chemical do not rinse your carpet. (All, by the way, use moisture / water to some degree. So the name "dry cleaning" is a misnomer, as much as the term "steam cleaning", which is what Hot Water Extraction has been known as.) They "extract" some of the dirt and cleaning chemical either by absorbent pads, or by normal vacuuming, once the chemical is dry. Though drying is much faster, they also leave a lot of contaminants in your carpet. If done improperly, you can end up with a carpet that is less clean than before the job was started. No wonder then that manufacturers recommend hot water extraction, professionally performed by a certified cleaner, as the only "RESTORATIVE" cleaning method approved for warranty requirements. With properly performed Hot Water Extraction, thorough vacuuming is done to remove loose soils. A pre-conditioner is applied to your carpet and allowed to work, dissolving oils, emulsifying food particles, dirt, chemical contaminants, etc. Hot cleaning/rinse solution is next used in conjunction with powerful vacuum suction, to flush out the emulsified soils, contaminants, mites, animal dander, etc. and extract them from the carpet for proper disposal. If stubborn or unusual stains remain, specialized spotting chemicals are used to remove them, then these are also extracted out. An acidic neutralizer is finally applied to balance the pH in your carpet and it is then groomed. Once clean, most folks elect to have an optional protectant applied to renew and boost stain resistance and make future cleaning by both homeowner and professional easier. Hot Water Extraction is the only method my company uses. And again, not just Hot Water Extraction, but Rotary-Jet Hot Water Extraction, which is many times more effective than the usual hand tool. Sadly, if you require dry cleaning, we currently are aware of no company that we will recommend, based upon reports from other customers we have served. If you require dry cleaning, please seek recommendations elsewhere. MISCONCEPTION #4: AS LONG AS A COMPANY HAS THE RIGHT KIND OF EQUIPMENT, MY CARPET WILL BE PROPERLY CLEANED. Not true. That's like saying because I am holding a scalpel, you trust me to operate on you. Well...Do You? Many companies own Hot Water Extraction equipment, but not all teach employees how to properly use that equipment. Of an estimated 60,000 carpet cleaners in the United States, only approximately 15,000 (25%) are certified technicians. The best cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) AND whose technicians have all been fully certified as well. Before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see proof that the company uses only IICRC-certified technicians. If the technician who shows up to clean your carpet cannot provide proof of training/certification, turn them away! IICRC certified firms and technicians are proud of their achievements and on-going training, and will gladly provide proof of certification upon request. MISCONCEPTION #5: THE COMPANY OFFERING THE LOWEST PRICE IS THE ONE YOU SHOULD CHOOSE. No. The problems that arise from using the "lowest-price" company are so many, that we NEVER suggest hiring one just because it offers the cheapest price. Two of the more common problems are: The price may not be for the services you really want performed. The company may be equipped to remove only the top 1/3rd surface dirt from your carpet, while you actually also wanted them to remove the bacteria, fungus, pollens, dust mites and tobacco residues concentrated in the bottom 2/3rds also. Your carpet will wear faster and will get dirtier again faster. This is a "false economy", which will cost you more in the long run. The price they advertise may not be the price you end up paying. Many homeowners learn the low price that is advertised only lasts until the company gets into your home. Once in your home, such companies may pressure you into paying much more for any variety of "add-on" services. Services that are STANDARD for more reputable companies, such as: pre-conditioning, spot-cleaning, use of proper extraction chemicals, the use of neutralizer during or after extraction, thorough pre-vacuuming before cleaning, actual vacuum extraction (AND REMOVAL) versus sopping some dirt up with a towel or bonnet, or vacuuming up powder after it dries, etc. Companies employing such tactics are more interested in making some fast money, rather than providing a truly beneficial service. Be careful and watch out for possible illegal bait-and-switch tactics. READ THE FINE PRINT ON ALL ADS. Armed with information like you are now reading, ask lots of questions before choosing! MISCONCEPTION #6: ANY CARPET CLEANING COMPANY WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE EXACT COST BY TELEPHONE. If only this were true, but it isn't. Honest and reputable carpet cleaning companies almost never price carpet cleaning by the "room"**, but instead, by the SQUARE FOOT. If you'd like us to tell you the EXACT cleaning cost of your carpet, we need to know the exact number of square feet you want cleaned. To get an accurate measurement, we use either a mechanical tape measure, or a digital, infrared or sonar-type measuring device. To get an idea of how we quote the cost to clean, here are some considerations: The type of carpet, materials used, type of installation. Certain factors make one carpet harder to clean than another. The age of the carpet, whether it's vacated or furnished, location and condition of seams, existing wear or damage also may have a bearing on final price. The total area of carpet to be cleaned also determines chemical needs. The amount of soiling. Carpet that hasn't been cleaned for 5 or 10 years will take longer to clean than carpet we cleaned 6-18 months ago. Carpets frequented by snacking children often has far more specialized spotting necessary than carpet in a little-used formal dining room. While most spots are included at no extra charge, certain stains - such as kool-aid, may cost more to remove, since more expensive chemistry and highly-specialized techniques are required. Some companies, such as TACH Cleaning Company charge the same square foot rate, without regard to the degree of soiling, or the existence of such stains (unless a stain is the only reason for the call, incurring a reasonable minimum service charge). The amount of furniture that you may want moved. You can save money here in two ways. First, you can move the furniture out of the rooms to be cleaned yourself. Secondly, you may request not to have the carpet under the furniture cleaned ("Traffic Areas Only"). Many companies that price cleaning per room do NOT charge you LESS if the room is half-full of furniture which you do not want moved**. Because our business is carpet cleaning and not furniture moving, we do have a different rate for clients who require more than a couple of pieces moved. (We are not allowed to move items such as antique pieces, hutches, electronic entertainment centers, objets d'art, grandfather clocks, pianos or large screen TV's due to obvious liability reasons. On the other hand, we do NOT charge you extra to move just a couple of pieces of furniture that may be in the room - sofas, chairs, tables, etc. If there are more than an average of two items per room to be moved, you should expect an extra charge.) A rough method of estimating: Most homes have about 60% of the total floor area carpeted. If you have an 1,800 square foot home, you can use about 1,080 carpeted square feet as an approximation. Multiply that by the applicable "per foot" charge to arrive at your estimate. Once the company arrives, they SHOULD measure the rooms to give you an ACTUAL total and price. **Though they advertise price per "room", read the fine print. Almost all "one price per room" ads include a practically illegible limitation which guarantees you will get less than you pay for. Some say "up to 200 square feet" -- which means a 450 sq. ft. family room will cost you 3 "rooms" worth of (single process) "service". Others may call an L-shaped hallway area of 75 sq. ft. -- TWO "rooms" -- one "room" here, and another one around the corner! So, when such a company comes to clean JUST your family room and hallway, you may very well end up being charged for 5 rooms at $19.95 - or $99.75, for example. This is probably for a company that doesn't vacuum, doesn't prespray, won't spot, and usually won't even groom before they leave. UNLESS you buy their "dual process", in which case all bets are off. What little they WILL do is often done by a very low-time "technician" who has had little to no formal training, and may not even know WHY he is doing what he is doing when he does it. More than likely, they will instead "Bait-n-Switch" you, costing you far more than you expected. But, since you've already taken the time off from work, or made arrangements for the kids to be away for the day, or moved all of your furniture into the kitchen, you're stuck. Oh, if you grumble, they may give you a few dollars as a "goodwill" discount. And you'll end up paying about what you WOULD HAVE PAID to a full-service, fully-complying company that DOES perform ALL INDUSTRY-STANDARD steps. Your (natural) attraction to low prices just cost you a lot of money, for a little service. As always - BUYER BEWARE. Ask plenty of questions when evaluating companies. * * * Return to Main Guide Page All Site Contents Copyright ©1997-2007, Frank Nihei, TACH Cleaning Co.