How Much Does Carpet Cleaning Cost?

Professional, certified carpet cleaning provided by a reputable, experienced, and well-trained cleaning firm is not cheap. But it is an investment that pays great dividends. Two common ways of pricing in the carpet cleaning industry are by the square foot or by the room. In either case, there are questions you want to ask…

Carpet Cleaning Cost Questions

1. What method do you use? (Hot water extraction is the most thorough system)
2. Do you pre-vacuum the carpet? (Removing dry soil just before cleaning is vitally important)
3. Do you pre-spot urine and other spots? (This is a very important procedure for many spots)
4. Do you pre-condition the carpet? (This loosens the soil so they don’t have to blast it out)
5. Do you pre-groom the carpet? (This further loosens the soil before extraction)
6. Do you neutralize the carpet? (This balances the pH, leaving the carpet softer and avoiding leaving a sticky residue)
7. Do you post-groom the carpet? (This promotes faster drying reveals any faint spots that may not have been thoroughly removed, and allows the carpet pile to dry in the right position)
8. Do you use air movers to speed dry the carpet? (The faster the carpet dries, the sooner you can use it, and the fewer issues you have after the cleaning)
9. Is all spot cleaning in the price? (This is a biggie!)
10. Is pet odor treatment included in the price? (Be very cleaning on this)
11. Do you give a free bottle of spot remover? (Our company provides a lifetime refill)
12. Do you give a free pair of booties? (This helps occupants avoid re-soiling the carpet after cleaning)

Always ask a company, “What’s Your Carpet Cleaning Guarantee?”

The goal of every great service company is to do the right thing every time. But the real strength of a service company is how to handle things when you feel that you didn’t get what you paid for.

A quality carpet cleaning company should guarantee their work. If you ask the average carpet cleaning technician what their guarantee is they will usually look confused. They might even ask you “what do you mean?” This actually happened in a mystery shopping experience during a “mystery shop” a very reputable consulting firm in the cleaning industry did.

Once the cleaning job was supposedly finished the technician presented the invoice that had a FULL PAGE contract on the back. The consultant asked, “Do you want me to read this whole thing?” “That’s up to you, sir” the technician replied. (By the way, the technician wanted the mystery shopper to sign off on the steps the technician didn’t even do. He made excuses why each step wasn’t needed.)

The mystery shopper continued, “Can you tell me what your guarantee is?” “What do you mean?” “For example, what happens if my spots come back?” “Then we come back.” “And if they come back again?” “We come back again.” “Do I ever get my money back if you can’t completely remove them?” Now prepare yourself for his response! True story: “Naw sir, those are your spots!”

You’ve got to be kidding me! And this cleaning company had a well-known name in the cleaning industry! The problem with this particular company is their residential carpet cleaning department had become something they no longer put any effort into. They obviously sent the most uncaring crew they could fine to do the residential cleaning job.

This is what we are facing out there. So, always ask what the guarantee is and what it includes.

J&S Steamway offers a 100% money back guarantee on our carpet cleaning jobs. Our guarantee is simply this: if you aren’t absolutely thrilled with the service experience you recienve from us, we will rush back to your location at no charge and no obligation. If you are still “unimpressed” we will refund you 100% of your investment.

7 Questions to Help You Choose a Good Carpet Cleaner

Question 4: What kind of Carpet Cleaning Systems do they use?

There is much debate about whether you should go with “dry cleaning” or “steam cleaning” your carpet. As usual, this is only a part of the picture. In this chapter, you will learn about cleaning methods and, more importantly, what steps are required for maximum soil and spot removal without over-wetting the carpet or leaving a sticky residue behind.

Also, you want to know what kind of customer service systems the company has in place. Our world-class customer service means we will show up on time in a clean, lettered vehicle. Our technicians are clean-cut, in uniform, and ready to serve. They will treat you, your family, and your home or office with the utmost courtesy and respect.

We will communicate with you throughout the cleaning process and do our best to answer any questions you have after the job. In fact, we will call you few days after the job to make sure you are 100% satisfied.

The 12 Step Cleaning Program

Have you ever had a carpet cleaner race through your cleaning job? You wonder how he could have possibly cleaned the carpet in such a short amount of time!

It “looks” clean, but what will resurface in the near future?

We have identified 12 vital steps in the carpet cleaning process that result in maximum soil and spot removal without over-wetting the carpet or leaving a sticky residue behind. These 12 steps also ensure that you are satisfied. Most carpet cleaners don’t apply even a fraction of these steps.

When a cleaner rushes through the job, insisting that his “super-duper cleaning machine” does all the work, soil that could have been removed is left behind. In the worst cases, a sticky residue that attracts dirt like a magnet is left on your carpet. And to top it off, it takes three days to dry! That means it is now susceptible to mold and mildew.

Most of the 12 steps are required by IICRC, yet many cleaners ignore the fact, leaving you holding the bag.

J&S Steamway has one of the best systems for carpet cleaning Anchorage has to offer. Call 907 349-0911 for your free cleaning estimate!

7 Questions to Help You Choose a Good Carpet Cleaner

Question 3: What kind of carpet cleaning training do they have?

The number one reason for poor carpet cleaning is technician error. Would you be surprised to learn that most carpet companies have no formal training? That they are not required to be licensed? That there is no requirement to have any certification whatsoever? ls training and certification important? After all, isn’t carpet cleaning a “menial” task that anyone can perform? Actually, a carpet cleaning professional is working with one of your most valuable assets. Should it be

Actually, a carpet cleaning professional is working with one of your most valuable assets. Should it be trusted with just anyone? unfortunately, our industry is full of “rogues” who only care about how much money they can get from you, and who care nothing about the life of your carpeting. They do not care about the industry in which they work.

Have you ever noticed that in many states, air-conditioning companies, plumbers, and pest-control companies are required to be licensed? Not so for carpet cleaners. Fortunately for you, and for me, there are many fine people in the carpet cleaning industry who realize the standard must be raised. Those of us in that process help to police our own industry. In order to do this, associations and certification organizations were created. One such organization is the Institute of Inspection,

One such organization is the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). This organization provides certification courses and exams for the carpet cleaning industry. By attending these courses, carpet cleaners are taught about fiber identification, carpet construction, cleaning chemistry, cleaning methods, and professionalism.

In this training, technicians learn the technical aspects of cleaning assist them in using the proper methods for cleaning specific types of soil from specific types of carpet. A certified firm knows the right way to apply cleaning procedures and chemistry. A certifies firm is working together with other certified firms to raise the standard of carpet cleaning in general, therefore providing you with a higher-quality product.

Special Note: Never use a carpet cleaner that is not certified by the IICRC.

The IICRC is just one entity that provides training. There are many opportunities for advanced training and learning. Be sure to ask questions about the specific training the company has. Our company is certified by the IICRC and is heavily engaged in training in our industry. We are thoroughly trained in each area of services. Be sure to ask us about our designations and certifications.

Cleaning has historically been viewed as a commodity – a menial task that anyone can do. Long before sophisticated textiles and complexly-built indoor environments were created, cleaning may have been a simple task, but that is no longer the case.

Complex flooring systems, sensitive fabrics, and new-age soiling conditions have created a need for advanced education in the cleaning industry. Unfortunately, many cleaners (and consumers) have not understood this concept. We still see ads for $6.95 per room for carpet cleaning and sofa cleaning for $45.00. The cleaner puts the ads out, never intending to clean for those prices, and the consuming public gets the idea that cleaning should be cheap.

These so-called “cleaning” companies also happen to be the ones that don’t educate themselves or their employees.The result is that carpets and fabrics are being ruined every day by uneducated, uninformed and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners.

They are facing soiling conditions they have never seen or heard of due to a lack of education. Or worse, they create a situation on a carpet or fabric that they have no idea how to fix. One example: they leave sticky residues in the carpet that cause the carpet or fabric to re-soil rapidly or to discolor.

Top-notch education is readily available in our industry. There is no excuse for cleaners to not educate themselves (and provide fallen education to their clients). Part of the problem is since they have fallen into the trap of viewing cleaning as a commodity themselves, they can’t afford to educate themselves. Education is expensive, but the result of not getting the necessary knowledge is much more costly. Our company invests a great deal in education. Not only do we spend thousands of dollars per year on education, we are heavily involved in our industry, making us well connected with our industry leaders This way, if a unique situation arises in the field, we have experts that we can call on, thereby bringing the cutting edge of cleaning

Our company invests a great deal in education. Not only do we spend thousands of dollars per year on education, we are heavily involved in our industry, making us well connected with our industry leaders. This way, if a unique situation arises in the field, we have experts that we can call on, thereby bringing the cutting edge of cleaning

This way, if a unique situation arises in the field, we have experts that we can call on, thereby bringing the cutting edge of cleaning technology to you.

Our industry provides courses in carpet cleaning, repair, fabric cleaning, marble and tile cleaning, area rug cleaning, marketing, management, and other related subjects.

Many of the organizations offer certification programs that involve testing and ethics requirements. There are trade publications, websites, bulletin boards, and a variety of other opportunities to stay plugged in.

We attend every course we can in order to bring you the very best. Many of these courses require travel across the U.S. and can, therefore, be quite costly. However, we believe, as fiber technology changes and as floor coverings become more complex, proper education, becomes even more important.

The bottom line is that you have a tremendous investment in your textiles and flooring systems and it is our duty to know how to best care for them. Understanding cleaning technology at the highest level helps to reduce cleaning residues and creates a healthier indoor environment by eliminating invisible germs and bacteria. It also empowers the cleaner to remove more soil, thereby creating a longer-lasting fabric or floor.

7 Questions to Help You Choose a Good Carpet Cleaner

Question 2: What kind of experience do they have?

A number of situations that arise in professional cleaning experience to get the best cleaning and avoid problems.

First, the cleaner must understand what type of carpet they are working on. The of soiling and how the carpet is used are important factors. Are pets and/or children present? What kind of traffic does it get? What about cooking oils and other environmental soils?

Second, experience is a factor in knowing how to handle other situations that aren’t even related to cleaning, but have to do with customer service. Do the carpet cleaners know how to treat me and others they may come in contact with during the service experience? More about this in Chapter 5.

Training is a good start towards understanding these factors, but nothing replaces the right kind of experience. And I do stress the right kind of experience. Practicing something the wrong way for years just means that doing it wrong becomes a habit.

One thing you want to ask is “how long have you been in business?” If they have been in business for a while and the references check out from Chapter 1, then you are most likely on your way towards a good fit.

Finally, your professional cleaners need to understand and be experienced in the reason you are cleaning. There are actually six reasons people clean, and many times the cleaning is for more than one reason: What prompted you to have cleaning done at this time?

The Six Reasons

Reason 1

Events

Experience proves that events drive more carpet cleaning than any other reason. Whether it is getting ready for Thanksgiving or mother-in-law is coming, events create a sense of urgency that doesn’t exist otherwise. Although entertaining guests or family on clean carpet is a fantastic idea, don’t let this be the only reason you clean.

Reason 2

Visible Soil

The second most common reason for cleaning is some type of visible soiling. Whether it is a spot or a traffic area, it just becomes unsightly. Many times, waiting until your carpet is visibly soiled is waiting too long. Traffic area damage may have occurred, and spots may have become permanent.

Reason 3

Maintenance

This is one of the best reasons to order cleaning. By properly caring for your carpet, you will dramatically increase the useful life of your carpet and it will look better all the time even when mother-in-law springs a surprise visit!

Reason 4

Health

This is also a great reasons to clean. As your carpet does its job as a

“sink” or a “filter” it eventually becomes “full.” is cat It bacteria, insecticides, asphalt, and many other contaminants that need to be cleaned out.

Reason 5

Problem Solving

Occasionally something happens to a textile that appears to be a defect but can actually be corrected through professional cleaning. Usually before they send out a representative, carpet manufacturers will require your carpet to be serviced by a certified professional cleaning firm.

Reason 6

Odor Problems

Pet odors, cooking odors and others make their way into carpets, rugs, fabrics, and floors. There are a variety of new techniques and products available today to treat odor problems. Get a complete evaluation from one of our consultants. Regardless of what your reason is for cleaning, our company at your service. We are available for the most routine or complex questions you have.