What do you think about your carpets? If you're thinking about them, you are probably not thinking good thoughts. You shouldn't be thinking about what your carpets look like, unless they are not looking so hot. In that case, think about getting a professional carpet cleaner. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Try to do your steam cleaning during the spring, fall or winter. When you perform a professional cleaning the summer, it will take longer for your carpet to dry due to the excessive moisture in the air. This will help to reduce mold and mildew while preventing damage to your carpet.
When hiring a carpet cleaning company, get an in home estimate. It is easy for a company to give you an estimate over the phone, but that estimate will not take into account the current condition of your carpets or the true square footage of carpeted areas. Things like stairs can also cost more, and that is often forgotten in a phone estimate. Avoid surprises by asking the company to come to your home before providing a price.
After completing your steam cleaning session, turn on the humidifier in the room. This will help to suck out the excess moisture from your carpet, allowing it to dry faster. Also, you can turn on the air conditioning unit if it is a hot summer day to have the same effect.
Look for a carpet cleaning company that is bonded and insured. This guarantees that the company does background checks on their employees and they agree to pay for any damages done to your home. You don't want to choose a cheaper company if they cannot offer this type of proof. It will only cost you more in the end.
Pick a carpet cleaning company that has a good reputation. Ask friends for advice. Good word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a good company in any type of business. You probably have plenty of friends who have used a carpet cleaning service before. Ask them who they recommend.
If your carpet requires deep-cleaning, it is best to choose a professional cleaning company. Many people think that just because they can buy a ton of carpet cleaning products at the store that they can effectively clean everything on their carpet. This isn't true. CRI-certified cleaning technicians have the best carpet cleaning training and products to help your carpet look like new.
Ask the companies you plan to hire how long it will take for your carpets to dry. If you're stuck out of your home for 24 hours, you may be very inconvenienced. If the dry time is very long, ask if they have fans you can rent to speed it up.
If you need to get some moisture out of your carpet after cleaning a stain, find a stack of clean and dry towels. Place the towels over the stain and apply pressure or leave a heavy object on top. Wait a few minutes and replace the bottom towel with a drier one.
Make sure that the company you use to clean your carpets guarantees that they can get down to the padding that lays under your carpets. This is where most of the stains settle, so the only way to truly get the carpets clean is to penetrate this layer. If they can not guarantee it, you should find a new cleaner.
Ask how many methods of cleaning the company offers. If it's one, don't use them. A good company knows that it takes a variety of methods to clean a variety of materials, and there are many types of carpet out there. If they try to use the same method on all carpets, they don't know what they're doing.
If you are looking for a professional carpet cleaning company, you need to be very careful about choosing the lowest price. The old saying, "You get what you pay for"