Volume GUIDANCE FOR THE PUBLIC/CONSUMERS. Consumer Guide to Carpet Cleaning. Consumer Guide

Transcription

1 Volume 1 GUIDANCE FOR THE PUBLIC/CONSUMERS Consumer Guide to Carpet Cleaning Consumer Guide

2 What distinguishes a reputable carpet cleaning company from another? I n this guide we provide you with information about carpet cleaning and advice to help you choose a reputable & industry approved carpet cleaning company. We will also share with you six costly mistakes about carpet cleaning and offer you four recommendations. And finally, we will provide you with ten questions you should consider asking any carpet cleaning company before you invite them into your home. Six Costly Mistakes About Carpet Cleaning Mistake 1: You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet. No. Dirt acts like an abrasive similar to sandpaper. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibres. This abrades your carpet, causing it to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean carpet. And while vacuuming helps - by itself it is simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet, leading ultimately to a costly replacement which could have been avoided. Mistake 2: The only reason to clean carpets is for appearance only. No. As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungal spores, bacteria, air pollution, car exhaust - and hundreds of other contaminants. When you, your family and other people come into your home, you carry; pollen, bacteria and other impurities on your clothing, shoes, hair and on your skin. Dirt and pollution also enter your home via windows and doors. Not surprisingly, all those impurities wind up in your carpet. If you have allergies, such as asthma or other breathing problems - one major source could be the allergens (pollen, dust mite droppings) found in your carpet. Mistake 3: All cleaning methods are equal and are as effective as each other. 1

3 Not true. There are two primary methods of cleaning: dry cleaning or hot water extraction. First, we'll explain what methods constitute dry cleaning. A lot of 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 the three methods of dry cleaning carpet. When a carpet cleaner uses dry foam, they apply shampoo to your carpet and let it dry, and then extract 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 why dry foam is not the most effective method. The low-moisture method is similar to dry foam. The major difference is that when low-moisture 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 your carpet. This is not very effective for deep down cleaning. The dry-compound method spreads an absorbent mixture that looks like wet sawdust all over your carpeting. Then the machine brushes the mixture into the carpet, which in theory causes dirt to absorb into the mixture. When the mixture has dried, a vacuum cleaner sucks the material out of the carpeting. Because the carpet is not rinsed in any way, this method is not the most effective. However, in certain cases e.g. Sisal carpeting, it is probably the only satisfactory way to clean these types of carpets safely. The second carpet cleaning method is called hot water extraction. This is a term to describe that a hot water solution is sprayed at high pressure into the carpet and simultaneously rinsed and extracted out. This method is commonly referred to as steam cleaning even though steam is not used. Carpet manufacturers throughout the world and trade associations recommend hot water extraction as being the most thorough form for cleaning carpets. Firstly, you carpet is pre-sprayed with a detergent to emulsify the dirt and other contaminants. It is then rinsed out of the carpet at high pressure - which breaks up the dirt, bacteria and impurities. The machine uses high suction power to simultaneously draw the dirt and most of the moisture out of your carpet. This is the main method our company uses. Using an analogy, it is similar to putting your clothes into a washing machine. As you know this is the most thorough way to clean your clothes! No question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with a hot-water extraction unit. It's the most powerful cleaning machine on the market and the 2

4 only one that thoroughly cleans your carpet deep down removing dirt, bacteria and other impurities. Some people believe that hot water damages your carpet, but this is not true. By applying our cleaner and then rinsing your carpet with 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. Mistake 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 National Carpet Cleaners Association ( and/ or The CLEANTRUST. 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 NCCA or the CLEANTRUST are qualified to the highest standards. The NCCA in association with the BSi (British Standards Institute) published PAS 86, the only government recognised code of practice for carpet cleaning companies. The NCCA and The CLEANTRUST provides written credentials to the company it certifies, so before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of their company's certification. Mistake 5: The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire. Maybe - but not always, here are two important considerations. 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 your local supermarket 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 and other impurities then you need to hire company that uses a high powered hot water 3

5 extraction cleaner. This is the only way to assure that your carpet remains healthy and free from dirt and other impurities. So remember the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed. 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 to get a foot in the door 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. A recent case highlighted by the BBC s watchdog programme, investigated a company for these so called unscrupulous tactics. If you want to learn more about these tactics visit: 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 us who work hard to earn your trust and respect. As a way of improving our profession, we've dedicated our business to educating the public. The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need. This is why we have published this guidance. Mistake 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 40 per room, then the price will be 160. But this isn't always true. First, honest, reputable carpet cleaning companies usually price carpet cleaning by the square foot. So if you'd like us to tell you the exact cost of cleaning your carpet, we need to know the exact number of square feet that you want cleaned. To get an accurate measurement, we use electronic measuring devices, or a measuring wheel to calculate the exact size of the carpet area. That way we never overcharge you. 4

6 So even though we can't give you an exact quote over the telephone, here are things we consider when quoting a price. 1. We need to identify the type of carpet. Certain types of carpet are harder to clean than others and require different cleaning products. So before we can give you a quote, we need to know the type of carpet and fibre composition. 2. How soiled the carpet is and if there are any spots & stains. 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. Similarly, some individual stains will require specific attention and take additional treatment time. 3. The amount of furniture that has to be moved. A room will be less expensive to clean if there is no furniture to move. If we have to move your furniture, the quote must include time & labour. To summarise, we consider the type of carpet, the amount of soiling and any specific staining, and the amount of furniture that has to be moved or worked around. So, as you can imagine, every quote is different. Four Recommendations for Consumers when considering having your carpets cleaned 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 pollen, dust mite impurities and other contaminants that live in your carpet. Recommendation 2: List your objectives. Do you want only some surface dirt removed, something you could do with a rented machine or do you want the bacteria and other impurities removed which will require a high powered hot water extraction cleaner, like we use? Do you want to work with an honest reputable company - or are you willing to work with a company that offers the lowest price knowing that the 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 and can you explain the associated processes and benefits? 2. What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet? 3. What type of detergents do you use? Are they safe? 5

7 4. How often should I get my carpets cleaned? 5. Are you a member of any trade associations and if so which ones? 6. What training and experience does the person coming to my home have? Can you show me your training certificates from a recognised professionally body preferably the NCCA or The CLEANTRUST? 7. Are you certified by the NCCA (national certifying body) and/or registered with The CLEANTRUST (international certifying body), can I see your certification? 8. Do you guarantee your work? 9. Do you have public liability & treatment risk insurance and can I see evidence of your insurance certificate? (very important in the unlikely event of something going wrong or the item being cleaned is damaged!) 10. Can you show me testimonials for previous work you carried out? Recommendation 4: Once you're satisfied that you're working with an honest, competent professional, invite them into your home and ask for a specific quotation in writing. A written fixed price quotation gives you the assurance that you know exactly what your job will cost - no surprises on the day the cleaning is carried out! By following these four recommendations, you'll gain all the information you need to make an informed 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 from a supermarket and do the job yourself. But if you want the carpet to be thoroughly cleaned - removing the bacteria, impurities, pollen & dust mite allergens - then we invite you to contact us. We'll be happy to answer your questions, and come into your home and give you a free written fixed price quotation - without obligation of any kind. We don t use sales people so you are never put under any pressure whatsoever. You can contact us for more helpful advice and information: Tel: Text: enquiries@cleanerhomes.co.uk Web: 6