Carpet cleaning seems simple. There are so many companies out there that will clean X number of rooms for a low price. Some even throw in stairs or a hallway to give you more for less. Realize that you get what you pay for in all aspects of life including carpet cleaning. Before you use a seemingly cheap service or rent a carpet cleaner to figure it out yourself, read on about what a real carpet cleaning really entails.
The first thing you must know is that there are many different types of carpet on different types of subfloors. These carpets are different ages with different stains and traffic/wear patterns. Given all this variation, there is not a single cleaning system that works for all carpets in every situation. As a result, ServiceMaster has developed 11 different cleaning systems to give you the best cleaning for your specific type of carpet with your own specific cleaning needs. If your cleaning service does not have options for different types of carpet in houses, apartments, and businesses, you may not be using the best option for your carpet.
Our technician evaluates your carpet upon arrival to know which system is best for you. Once he figures out what you need, he notes the room dimensions of the areas being cleaned, the system used, and any special considerations needed to clean your carpet. This information is kept with your record so you can trust that you will get the same care every time you need a carpet cleaning. After the cleaning is completed, our office follows up with you to ensure that you are satisfied with the carpet cleaning performed. If there were any problems or anything that exceeded expectations, they are noted with your other information to be sure they are given careful attention on the next carpet cleaning to keep your carpets in top condition.
So, once we have a system that is ideal for your carpets, what can you expect from a ServiceMaster carpet cleaning? First, we follow a few preliminary steps to ensure that your carpet is ready to be cleaned. Obviously, we need to move anything that is on the carpet to be cleaned. We can clean around large pieces of furniture such as beds and sofas, but smaller pieces and fragile items should be moved. Our technician first pilates the carpet to loosen dry soil. Next, he vacuums the carpet to remove the dry soil. If you leave out this step, you wet the dry soil and drive it deeper into the carpet.
The carpet cleaning itself varies based on the system that is most effective for your carpet. We can perform a light cleaning or a very heavy one, but one of three types of cleaning is required in most cases.
o Shower Shampoo – In this system, we use a machine with a large rotating disc with an absorptive pad. The machine dispenses a detergent mixture, and the pad scrubs the carpet, deep cleaning it. The detergent we use is designed to crystallize as it dries, so than any soil particles left in the carpet after cleaning are trapped and not allowed to re-attach to the carpet fibers. One advantage to this system is that the carpet dries relatively quickly, usually within a couple of hours.
o Extraction – This system uses a different type of shampoo and different equipment even though the pre-treatment steps are the same as other cleaning techniques. First, we pre-spray the shampoo mixture on the carpet and let it begin to work on the soil for a few minutes. Then, we extract the shampoo and suspended soil, using nothing but hot water. This is normally done with a truck mounted extractor. This system does leave carpet wetter, but in some cases it is the best way to clean the carpet.
o “Dry Cleaning” – We use a couple of “dry” cleaning methods. With them, a moist powder is worked into the carpet by various methods and then vacuumed out. The powder clings to the soil particles and makes them easier to remove. The carpet is usually dry within a half hour. These methods will not work well on heavily soiled carpet, and because of the time required, are more expensive than more traditional cleaning methods. They are designed for carpets which receive regular maintenance cleaning.
Use of furniture blocks helps protect the furniture’s feet and allows more even drying of carpet after cleaning.
After the carpet cleaning is completed, there are a few final steps to finish to make the newly cleaned carpet look its best when dry. First, the technician applies protector if you are using it. Then he pilates the carpet again when appropriate to make the fibers stand up and even out protector applications. The technician goes back over the area to ensure that no trouble spots were missed. Once the carpet cleaning is completed, it will take several hours for the carpet to dry completely. This variation is based on the type of cleaning performed and whether protector was applied to the carpet. It’s best to allow drying time of six to eight hours before you walk on your carpet. If you do need to walk on it, we recommend walking on the carpet in white socks on areas that are not your usual traffic pattern. The socks prevent re-introduction of dirt from your shoes or feet, and the white fibers will not color bleed on your carpet while it is drying. It is best to wait two days before placing heavy furniture back onto the carpet or use carpet cleaning blocks under furniture feet.
Carpet wrinkling is a sign of damage from incorrect cleaning.
Most of the commercial cleaners that advertise the cheap multi-room carpet cleaning specials are using a light cleaning solution or just hot water to extract dirt from your carpet. This will help loosen and remove surface dirt making the carpet temporarily look cleaner than before, but the deeper dirt and problem areas are not really cleaned. This means that not long after the carpet dries, it will look dirty again since the deeper dirt can now come to the surface. Worse still, there are several types of carpet in use today that do not fare well under that style of cleaning resulting in color bleeding, wrinkling or shrinkage. Since many cleaners do not pilate as part of the low-price service, wear spots and matted carpet are also potential problems that can occur.
There are problems that can occur by renting a carpet cleaning machine to do it yourself. You may pick the wrong cleaning solution for your carpet, get the carpet too wet while trying to extract, or not give proper attention to problem areas. Also, these machines are notorious for not removing all of the detergent from the carpet. Finally, most people do not know how to pilate carpet properly to ensure even cleaning and drying.
Protector is a product that is applied to carpet after cleaning to coat the carpet fibers and protect them from dirt and stains between cleanings. The protector will help extend the life of your carpet by creating a barrier, helping to preserve the carpet’s appearance and color. Since regular use of the carpet and the cleaning itself will help break down the protector, it should be applied after every carpet cleaning. Most carpets sold today have a protector applied during the production of it at the plant. If we cleaned your carpet previously, we have a record of whether we applied carpet protector during the carpet cleaning process. If you used another cleaning service, you won’t really know if protector was applied unless you specifically discussed this with the technician doing the cleaning. Even if you do not know, now is always a good time to start using it. The cost is minimal compared to the benefits of having carpet protector on your carpet between cleanings.
The recommended interval for carpet cleaning is 6-12 months for maintenance cleaning. You can schedule cleanings as needed in between to deal with problems such as pet stains, food and/or drink spills. If you should get a stain, try these steps to minimize the damage until you can get a cleaning scheduled. Step one is to gently blot up as much as possible before it can soak in or start to dry. The next steps should be tested on an inconspicuous area first to make sure they will not discolor or damage your carpet in visible areas. Try a basic hot water and gentle dish soap mixture (only one teaspoon per gallon of water) applied with a rag to work at the stain. Blot, don’t scrub. Rinse the spot with clean water and let air dry. If the dish soap is not getting any of the stain out, try vinegar with baking powder (not baking soda) to clean the same way as the dish soap and water. You can try ironing a damp towel over the stain to use the steam to help loosen the material and blot it up from the carpet. If you do this, avoid walking on this area until the carpet is completely dried. Of course, situations such as this are why we recommend the carpet protector.
Whenever you call, we always have a live person available to talk to you instead of an impersonal answering machine.
When you call to schedule a first carpet cleaning appointment with ServiceMaster of Gwinnett or ServiceMaster 5 Points, the staff asks what type of carpet you have so she can let the technician know what to expect for carpet cleaning. A few tips on identifying your carpet are outlined here. Cut pile means that the tops of your carpet fibers are cut making it soft and fluffy. This is also referred to as plush carpet. Loop pile, or Berber carpet, is carpet that has the fibers bent into loops to be more durable but less soft and cushioning. Commercial and outdoor carpets are not as common so customers that have them usually know it. In addition to the type of fiber, there is also the material. Nylon is the most common because it is strongest. Nylon tends to stand up better as a result as well as being more durable and stain resistant. Polyester fibers are resistant to water soluble stains making them easier to clean. Olefin is a polypropylene fiber. It keeps color well and repels moisture and mildew better than other fibers, so it is very popular for high traffic areas. Wool is softer to the touch and very dense. It is a natural fiber as opposed to the others which are synthetic. It is not as easy to determine the material as the type of carpet fiber. Many customers do not know unless they picked out the carpet themselves before installation.
When choosing your next carpet cleaner, make sure you know if that company is offering the bulk cleaning special or a cleaning specialized to your individual needs. Our name declares that we are the Service Master, and we are. Remember that ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points have been cleaning carpets for over 30 years. The technicians will be selective about what they use on your carpet and how they do it. This ensures you get the best carpet cleaning possible without damages that can shorten the life of your carpet. Since customer service is a top priority, our technician will take the time to explain what he is doing and answer any questions you may have. A little extra spent on the best cleaning now will save money in the long run because your carpet will look better and last longer while doing it. Choose the carpet cleaner that has options and information instead of the multi-room special that uses a single process no matter what type of carpet is there and whether any special considerations are needed.
