Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Choosing A Carpet Cleaning Company

So you are tired of looking at your dirty carpet, but you don’t know who to trust to get it clean for you.   Here’s a few tips and questions to ask to be able to get a good reliable company.

When looking for a cleaning professional, be careful of any company that contacts you by phone or that advertises a cleaning price by the room.  Room sizes vary and charges should be based on the square footage of carpet cleaned.  Also, ask if they offer free on-site written estimates.  Never go strictly by television ads or newspaper inserts or jump at the lowest price.  And don’t accept quotes over the phone.  Have the cleaning representative come to your home or office for an inspection.  Obtain a written agreement before any work is done.  Usually there will not any charge for furniture moving (unless it is really large or difficult).  There should also be no charge for routine spot removal or preconditioning.   Get a written contract with the total price and statements of guarantees that the cleaning company offers. This way you know to the penny what you will spend before the cleaning is actually performed. 

Make sure that you select a cleaning professional with certifications from an organization that certifies professionals, such as the IICRC ( Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) or the RIA (Restoration Industry Association).  These are the two most recognized certification groups.  The technicians as well as the company itself should be certified.  Also, at least one technician on the job should be certified in the cleaning job that is being performed, whether it is carpet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, upholstery, etc. 
Here are a few questions to ask. What method of cleaning do you use and what type of equipment? Steam cleaning or hot water extraction is the most preferred method.
Are you certified? What certifications do you have?
Do you guarantee your work?
How quickly will the carpets be dry?
Can you reapply the stain protection?
How long have you been in business? The answer can speak volumes about a company’s reputation and experience.
 Does the business have references for you to call?
Are they a member of the local Chamber of Commerce or other professional organizations?  A business that is involved in the community is usually concerned about their image and wants happy customers. 
Make sure to ask if the company uses employees or sub contractors. Company employees are always best.  Ask if a uniformed employee in a lettered company truck will show up to clean your house. There are some carpet cleaning companies who are really not carpet cleaning companies they just do the advertising and book the jobs then sub it out to an independent carpet cleaner. In this situation the actual company who books the job has little if any control over the sub contractor entering your home. 
Remember you get what you pay for and if you do your homework, ask a lot of questions and hire a good reputable company you should be more than satisfied with the work.

Kevin Pearson is a Master Cleaning Technician with the IICRC and has over 17 years experience in the carpet cleaning industry.   Kevin is presently working on a committee to rewrite the carpet cleaning standards in the industry.  For information Call Pearson Carpet Care at 281-548-7200 or visit our website at http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com.  

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Removing candle wax from carpet

Since there a lots of candles sold and used around Christmas time each year, here are a few tips for removing any wax that drips on your carpet.

First use a blunt object to gently scrape off excess wax.  To remove any remaining wax you can finish up using a warm iron or wallpaper steamer. If using an iron I highly recommend that you set the iron on low heat and be very careful. A synthetic carpet can melt if the iron is too hot and stays in one place too long.  Place a moist white terry cloth towel over the wax spill and iron over it using the warm iron. Keep moving the iron so you don't get an iron-shaped burn mark in your carpeting. Do this in 10-12 second intervals and rotate the towel to a clean spot each time.

You could also use a wallpaper steamer to get the wax hot and then blot it up with a white terry cloth towel.

For more information on cleaning and restoration go to pearsoncarpetcare.com