Unfortunately there are people in every trade who cut corners and don’t have the experience, equipment or training required to provide the level of service you thought you were paying for. Read on for some useful tips that will help you to find a reliable carpet cleaner.
A good cleaner will happily answer any enquiries you have before you decide to employ them, so it’s important to know which questions are the right ones to ask, or what to look for on their website.
Do they have any professional training?
If you have limited knowledge of carpet cleaning it might seem like you just need the right equipment to do a decent job, but this is far from true. There are many things that can go wrong with carpet cleaning, and if the cleaner doesn’t know what type of carpet they are dealing with or they aren’t using the correct techniques or cleaning products, irreversible damage such as shrinkage could occur.
A good way of identifying whether a cleaner is professionally trained is whether or not they are a member of a trade association like the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) or if they’re affiliated with The Approved Carpet Cleaning Alliance (TACCA). These groups require certain levels of training from their members so they provide a useful seal of approval, and they should also indicate that the cleaner is fully insured, which is also essential. If you aren’t sure what insurance they have, ask!
What equipment do they use?
Truck-mounted Hot Water Extraction (HWE) systems generate much more suction, pressure and heat than machines plugged into the mains. They contain waste tanks so nothing is poured down your sink or toilet, potentially causing a mess in other parts of your home or business.
With some types of carpets it might be better to use techniques such as Very Low Moisture (VLM) cleaning, but in most cases if the cleaning company doesn’t have a truck-mounted system like this they are best to be avoided. Other machines simply don’t have the power required to remove enough water from your carpets during the cleaning process which can lead to long drying times or permanent damage to your carpets.
Do they offer a free, no-obligation quote?
You should only accept a job after the cleaner has carried out a free survey, which will mutually benefit both parties. The cleaner needs to know what the job is before they accept it, and they need to explain what they will be doing and why, as well as providing a breakdown of how much it will cost. Make sure they provide a fixed price and that there aren’t any hidden charges. Any cleaner who attempts a rushed sales job with no free survey should be avoided! Contact us today for a free no obligation quote.