It’s easy to think that everything can be done at home, especially when it comes to something like cleaning your carpets. However, professional carpet cleaners can clean your carpets much more thoroughly than a single person can and for far less than you would pay if you did it yourself. So is it worth getting your carpets professionally cleaned?
That depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you want a cleaner carpet, then the answer is yes. If you want a carpet that no one will ever suspect has been cleaned, the answer is not.
Here are some things to consider when deciding whether it’s worth getting your carpets professionally cleaned.
Expense
The cost of having your carpets professionally cleaned will vary greatly depending on the company you use and what kind of service you request from them. Most professional carpet cleaning companies do a combination of the following:
- Spot Cleaning - removing dirt or debris from small areas to cleaning the whole carpet.
- Steam Extraction - is generally not available in those places where local health departments have banned steam, but, if available, this can be a great way to get rid of stains and odors caused by food. Steam is used in commercial kitchens because it's effective at killing bacteria.
Technology
Not all professional carpet cleaning companies in Jersey City use the same techniques or take the same amount of time and care to get the job done. Some use specialized equipment and techniques that others don’t, so you should be wary if a company you’re considering working with won’t tell you what kind of equipment they’re using.
When it comes to time and care, ask how long they expect their cleaning process to take and how long it will be until your carpet is completely dry. You can expect to be without carpet for several days for some jobs.
Odor Removal
You may have a terrible odor in your carpet that no single product on the market can get out. That’s where the technology in professional carpet cleaning comes in handy. Some companies offer ozone treatments that help remove odors and help sanitize your air, especially if they’re working with hardwood and carpeted floors.
Safety
The average homeowner doesn’t have the privilege of using the same equipment professional cleaners use. The equipment found in many professional carpet cleaning companies includes:
- Rental Machines - not all carpet cleaners have their equipment, so they will rent from a company specializing in renting out machines and then return it with cleaning fluid still in them.
- Chemical Machines - many types of chemicals can be used in cleaning. Many carpet cleaners use an "aqueous" solution, a mix of water, and a unique chemical known as a surfactant that can be used to clean virtually anything.
- Specialized Machines - some companies have their equipment and machines they rent from companies like carpet reconditioning or wet/dry vacuums.
Customer Service
You really can’t get any more personal with a professional carpet cleaning service than when you meet your employee. They’ll probably be able to give you an honest opinion of what their company is capable of cleaning and how much time it will take to do it. Talk to them about how they clean carpets and ask if they’re certified under quality control standards like the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The ASTM certification assures you that they’re using the most advanced methods to clean carpets.
Honesty
Customer service isn’t just about how employees treat you. Professional carpet cleaners are usually hired to clean carpets after a big party, a house fire, or something else that has left a mess for them to clean up. When you’re looking into hiring someone, find out if they have examples of their work that you can see first-hand, and ask them to show you pictures of the other jobs they’ve completed.
Principal Damage
The main thing that makes professional cleaners different from one another is their ability to remove stains and odors caused by smoking, pets, food, poor housekeeping, and more. Not all companies can get rid of everything you might expect a professional cleaner to be able to remove, so never assume your carpet is safe simply because a professional cleaner was unable to remove an odor or stain that’s been there for years.
It’s easy to think that everything can be done at home, especially when it comes to something like cleaning your carpets. Unfortunately, it’s just not true. If you want your carpets professionally cleaned, then the answer is yes. When you pay for professional cleaning, you’re hiring someone to remove dirt, stains, and odors that your methods can’t handle.
