8 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Carpet Cleaner

Mistake #1

Choosing a carpet cleaner based on equipment alone.

No question, your carpet cleaner needs first-rate equipment. But he also needs something else. He

needs employees who are skilled at operating that equipment. Many companies own state of the art

equipment but very few companies either teach their employees or have employees stick around long

enough to learn how to use them all properly. The best way to know that the carpet cleaner‟s

employees have been properly trained is to make sure the carpet cleaner‟s employees have been

trained and certified. Before you choose a carpet cleaner ask to see written proof of the technician‟s

independent Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) certification.

Mistake #2

Choosing a carpet cleaner based on low price.

Low price could alert you to a problem in three ways: (1) low price can be the bait that attracts your

phone call. But once the cleaner(s) gets into your home they pressure you into a much more

expensive job. (2) Low price can be for a ‟single-process‟ cleaning. Rarely does the consumer know

what this means and, when told, they realize it‟s worthless and must choose the much more

expensive „dual-process‟ cleaning. (3) Low price means the cleaner must use cheap equipment,

cheap products and spend a little time as possible doing the cleaning to be able to make a buck – all

of which will not effectively clean your carpets and may even leave them in a worse state than before

the cleaning took place.

Mistake #3

Choosing a carpet cleaner based on a single telephone call.

As with choosing any service provider it is always a good idea to check the credentials of the carpet

cleaning company before you invite them into your home. How long have they been in business, are

they a member of the Better Business Bureau, do they offer firm, written quotations prior to

performing any services are all important considerations to avoid becoming the victim of high-

pressure sales tactics when the technician steps into your living room.

Mistake #4

Choosing a carpet cleaner that doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee.

In my view every carpet cleaning company should be fully accountable for their work. If you aren‟t

pleased with the job in every way you shouldn‟t have to pay for it. Period. Not all carpet cleaners

offer guarantees. If they do, the guarantee may be “limited”. Ask the carpet cleaner if they offer a

money-back guarantee and then make sure it‟s simple, easy to understand and available in writing.

If you're looking for professional Carpet Cleaning Ottawa then call Chem-Dry Ottawa at (613)

228-1696. We also operate our sister company for Carpet Cleaning Whitby in Durham, ON.

Mistake #5

Choosing a carpet cleaner without getting comments from their other clients.

Any carpet cleaner can say anything about their past jobs. And, sadly, some of what they say may not

be true. Make sure you ask for references or read comments from current customers so you can

depend on the carpet cleaning company, their technicians and their work.

Mistake #6

Choosing a carpet cleaner not certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)

If your carpet cleaner isn‟t a close friend you may not know whether he has the knowledge or

experience to clean your carpet well. If you want to be sure you‟re hiring a competent professional,

make sure he is CRI certified. A carpet cleaner must earn this certification through study, experience

and successful completion of formal, written examinations. In effect, cleaners who are certified by

the CRI have earned a college degree in carpet care and maintenance.

Mistake #7

Choosing a carpet cleaner who isn’t a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Chamber of

Commerce and EthicalServices.com

These business and trade associations are known to promote and in fact demand honest, ethical

business practices from their membership. EthicalServices.com is a trade association for carpet

cleaners that are dedicated to setting a high standard for the industry. It has been profiled on such

news programs as ABC‟s 20/20, and promoted on their website as a resource consumers should use

to find an honest, professional carpet cleaning firm. You‟re making a wise decision when you have

your carpets cleaned by a member of these noteworthy associations.

Mistake #8

Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn’t use safe, natural cleaning solutions that are free of soaps,

detergents and harsh chemicals.

You might expect this from me, since my employees and I use this type of system but there are

several good reasons. Although soaps and detergents work great to clean our laundry it‟s actually the

multiple rinse cycles that remove the sticky soaps and harsh cleaners used to clean our clothing. If

the same amount of rinsing were used to remove carpet cleaning “shampoos” your house would take

weeks to dry!

With all the pollutants and contaminants that get trapped in your home every day the last thing

you need to do is hire a cleaner who leaves behind their own phosphates, enzymes, perfumes,

detergents and harsh chemicals. Hot Carbonating Extraction (HCE) is the Rolls Royce of carpet

cleaning. Compared to shampooing and steam cleaning methods HCE uses safer products, less

moisture and leaves no unhealthy, sticky residues. So all the way around you get a much better

job. No two ways about it.