Questions To Ask The Carpet Cleaners
Taking the step to hire professional carpet cleaning services is a wise decision. Not only do you get to avoid the workload, but you also get the task done in a fraction of the time that you would have taken had you gone the DIY route. While it can save you lots of time and effort, this is only the case if you deal with a reputable company. A carpet cleaning firm that has a track record in good service delivery, with feedback from previous clients that you can look up. There are some questions that you can ask to help you sift through the different companies, and wind up with the right one for your needs. These include:
- Which carpet cleaning method do you use?
These can be broadly categorised into two: dry and wet methods. For the dry cleaning there are aspects like encapsulation and foam cleaning, while for the wet carpet cleaning methods processes like hot water extraction come into play. Each has their pros and drawbacks. For instance, with the dry carpet cleaning, you can go back to using the same carpet immediately it has been worked on. However, it usually just removes the surface soiling, leaving the rest of the grime that is buried within the fibres. On the other hand, hot water extraction gets to the soiling deep in the carpet, flushing it out with high pressure. Due to the increased levels of moisture used, it will take longer to dry – though the carpet cleaning company can incorporate drying processes to reduce this to as little as three hours. Even with the hot water extraction, there are two kinds: portable extraction and cases where truck-mounted units are used to clean the carpet. Have a detailed discussion with the company representatives about the particular approach that they want to take for your carpet, and what you should expect during the process.
- How long with the carpet take to dry?
This is in line with the previous question. While variables like the type of carpet fibre and the environmental condition including the humidity affect the drying time, there are measures taken by the carpet cleaning companies to shorten it. For instance, wet vacuums can be used to extract the moisture – and with high-performance units, it can remove so much moisture that carpets can take less than a single afternoon to dry, which would mean that you can have the carpet cleaned and resume using it the same day. Air movers can also be used. On your part, there are additional measures as that you can put in place to speed up the drying, such as ensuring that there is sufficient ventilation in your home, including opening up the windows, and even cranking up the AC. All this comes together to reduce the disruption to your normal activities, and to prevent cases of mould and mildew growth which would result from the carpet remaining wet for too long after the carpet cleaning.
- Are there extra charges for pre-spraying the carpet or spot-treating it?
This should be covered when dealing with the carpet cleaning methods to be used, but it is recommended important that you bring it up just to be certain.
- Are you insured?
- While the professionals take steps to prevent accidents from happening, including following stringent safety protocols, no path is ever 100% safe. There is still the possibility of an accident during the carpet cleaning process, and it can be a caused by a number of factors, be it human error, machine faults or issues in the environment like pets dashing into the room and tripping up cables when the equipment is being used on the carpet. Whichever the case, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re having liabilities that you need to foot from your own pocket. This is why insurance coverage has become an industry best practice for those providing the carpet cleaning services. The companies usually pay premiums for this, and this often leads to some service providers skipping out on it to avoid the costs. While it would translate to them offering you cheaper carpet cleaning services compared to the market rates, remember that you will be exposed to liabilities in the event of an accident. Avoid the risks by getting a carpet cleaning company that has insurance coverage.
If the carpet cleaning company has been providing satisfactory services, then there should be a couple of references that you can look up. You can check out its website and social media platforms, to see what other people have to say about the services that they received from the company. A company that doesn’t have an online presence or testimonials to go over is a pointer to something being amiss.
Guarantees are becoming common in the carpet cleaning industry, such as 30-day guarantees should there may any missing spores after the services that have been provided. Different companies come with various conditions, so you should get this clarified on beforehand.
When getting the quotation for the carpet cleaning service, it is recommended that you have an in-person visit carried out to assess the particular condition of the carpet. While a price quote over the phone can give you the range to expect, the specifics will need to be fine-tuned, such as the degree of soiling in the carpet, its actual square footage, the kinds of stains that are to be dealt with all through to the amount of resources that will be required for the task. When the representative of the carpet cleaning company visits your residence, you will be able to get an accurate rate, and even bring up any issues that you want particularly addressed for your carpet. In addition, the carpet cleaning quotation should be provided in writing. This assures you that you will know the exact costs to be incurred, and that there won’t be any hidden surprises cropping up. This also enables you to avoid bait and switch tactics.
