Consumer Message

False. Dirt is an abrasive—like sand paper. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers. This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife, causing it to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean one. And while vacuuming helps, by itself it’s simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more permanent the traffic lanes become, the more damage you do to your carpet, and the faster it wears out.

Carpet that gets dirty fast usually has residue from the previous cleaning in it. Many companies, in an effort cut costs in their process, use inferior equipment, poorly trained personnel, or cheap detergents. Homeowners who do their own carpet cleaning can also contribute to residue left in a carpet. This residue turns carpet into a dirt magnet. The only way to solve this is to have the residue removed by a trained carpet cleaning professional.

If carpet is properly cleaned and stain protected it will stay cleaner and stain-free longer than with cleaning alone.

False. As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollen, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and hundreds of other chemicals. When you and your family members come into your home, you carry those pollens, bacteria, and chemicals on your skin, hair, clothing, and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals pollens and bacteria end up—you guessed it—in your carpet.

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems, one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, dust mites, and chemicals in your carpet.

Sorry, this one’s false too. That’s like saying anyone with a set of wrenches can fix your car.

Many companies own professional equipment, but a large number of their employees don’t know how to use the machines. These companies use similar equipment and produce very different results in the quality of their cleaning. The company may own good equipment, but the technician may have only two weeks’ experience. Employee turnover with large companies and  franchise-type operations is very high. Many of our clients have told us how they used to use a large company or franchise cleaning company in the past and their service was always dependent on who was sent out to the job. Sometimes it was okay and other times a nightmare—they never knew what to expect.

This is why it’s important to choose your carpet cleaner carefully.

Maybe… but not always. A couple of points to consider:

The price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed

Before you select a company, decide what you want to accomplish. If you just want your carpet cleaned the old fashioned way where each fiber receives just a quick millisecond spray of water which is sucked right back out and that leaves the carpets wet all day you can choose from hundreds of companies that use soaking processes and other cleaning methods. You can even rent a machine at the grocery store and do the job yourself.

On the other hand, if you want your carpet thoroughly scrubbed and powerfully deep cleaned—if you want to remove the harmful dirt, bacteria, pollens, chemicals and tobacco residues—and have it dry in 1-2 hours, then you need to hire a company that uses oxygen powered, low moisture, commercial equipment like we use.  (When you clean your pots and pans do you simply spray them with hot water or do you scrub them?)

So remember that the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed.

The price you see advertised may not be the price you pay

Many homeowners have discovered after the fact that the low price they saw advertised was not the price they were charged.

If you’ve ever hired a carpet cleaner, you too may have been the victim of false or misleading advertising. You probably learned the hard way that some carpet cleaners advertise a cheap price and then pressure you into paying a lot more once they get inside your home. Some may even break the law by using illegal bait and switch tactics.

This is the sales gimmick most carpet cleaners don’t want you to know about. They know that a low price quoted over the phone will get them in the door more often than not. Then once their technician/hustler arrives, they tell you that the low price quoted was for a single-process cleaning. If you want a dual-process, well, that’s extra. And if you have any soil spots, pre-treating each one will be an additional cost per spot. If you want them to clean with detergent rather than just warm water, that’s going to cost more too. Next thing you know, their $79 special is $279!

As in all businesses and professions, the carpet cleaning industry has its share of bad apples—some unethical and a few dishonest. By their misleading advertising and false promises, they cast a dark shadow on our entire industry. The good news is that there are also honest carpet cleaners—professionals like us who work hard to earn your trust and respect.

As a way of improving our profession, we’ve dedicated Complete Carpet Care to educating the public. The only way you can make an informed decision is to have all the facts you need. With that in mind, the best way to determine if you’re dealing with an unethical company or one you can count on is to follow these 4 tips:

1. If the company is offering an unbelievably low price, you can bet it’s a bait-and-switch operation.
2. Do your homework, see how long the company has been around, unethical companies don't last long.
3. Make sure the company provides a solid money-back guarantee.
4. Read some of their reviews. While no company bats 1000, a high average rating says a lot. But be skeptical of companies who have hundreds of reviews all averaging 5 stars.  Some companies hire services that produce fake reviews and some companies offer to enter customers names into drawings to win an ipad if they give a 5 star review. (Even Nordstrom only averages 4.4 stars)

The best way to tell if you’re getting a good deal or getting ripped off is If the company actually gives you a firm quote beforehand and then actually cleans for that amount without trying to charge more for pre-spotting, dual-process, or deep cleaning. Everything needed to clean your carpet thoroughly should be included in the quote.

Also keep in mind that like most services you tend to get what you pay for. You just can’t get Nordstrom quality and service for a Wal-Mart price.

Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they remain dirty, the sooner they’ll wear out and the longer you’ll have to breathe all the pollens, fungus, chemicals, and dust mites that live in your carpet.

List your objectives. Do you only want surface dirt removed, something you could do with a rented machine? Do you want wet carpets for 24 hours? Or do you want a powerful deep cleaning and sanitized carpet, dry in 1-2 hours, which will require powerful commercial equipment, like the one Complete Carpet Care uses? Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company? Or are you willing to risk working with the company that offers the lowest price, or sends out a guy they just hired last week?

Once you’re satisfied that you’re working with an honest, competent professional, get a firm quote and book an appointment. When you book your cleaning, a reputable firm will email a copy of the work order which gives you the assurance that you know exactly what your job will cost—no surprises.

By following these recommendations, you’ll gain all the information you’ll need to make an informed, intelligent decision.

At Complete Carpet Care, we’re happy to answer your questions or come to your home and give you a free quotation, without any obligation.

We hope this consumer information has been helpful. If you have questions or comments, feel free to call us at 425-802-3103.