Carpet Cleaning 101
My Goal
Tru-Pro Steamers is an environmentally friendly company. The entire purpose of the carpet cleaning industry as a whole is to promote and maintain a healthy interior environment. My goal here is to arm you with the information you need to be fully prepared and feeling confident when having your carpet professionally cleaned. I want you to know why it is important to have your carpet professionally deep cleaned, and how often you should do so. I want you to know what kind of DIY carpet cleaning approaches to take, and what kind to stay away from. I want you to know the different methods professional carpet cleaners use, and when they should use them. And even if you don't use my company, as a true professional I want you to know what kind of carpet cleaning company to look for and what kind to avoid like the plague.
Why Deep Clean
Carpet is the biggest filter in our homes. That's right, it's not the AC filter. A common misconception is that people with asthma and allergies should avoid carpet in the home. But because carpet is a filter that traps dust, pollen, and pet dander the exact opposite is true. Studies have shown that properly cleaned carpet helps reduce symptoms and is the best flooring choice for those dealing with asthma and allergies.
Another reason is that manufacturers often require proof of steam cleaning at least once every 18 months to maintain the warranty on carpet. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends having carpet professionally steam cleaned no less than once every 12 to 18 months at the latest. In households with children or pets or in households with people that suffer from allergies or asthma, I recommend having your carpet professionally deep cleaned every 6 to 12 months.
What to Do Yourself and Why
The absolute best thing you can do for your carpet is to vacuum weekly. Regular vacuuming extends the life of carpet.
On occasion use a pile brush to agitate the carpet before vacuuming, especially on high traffic areas. This will bring embedded soils up to the top of the pile and ready them for removal when you vacuum.
The more often you vacuum, the less likely sands and soils will be able to penetrate deep into the pile where they can cause irreversible damage to carpet fibers. Vacuum less frequently and your carpet will look dull, but the beauty of your carpet can usually be restored with a professional carpet cleaning. Rarely or never vacuum and your carpet fibers can be damaged to the point that they will never look clean again, even if they are.
What Not To Do Yourself and Why
Never rub spills. I know it's tempting. Most people are inclined to scrub a spill out so that it doesn't stain. But by rubbing or scrubbing you are actually pushing the spill deeper into your carpet. That could cause a stain to set in. If you have a wet spill, the best thing to do is place a dry towel over the spill and lightly dab the area. If you have a spill that sits on top of the carpet, scoop it up with a spoon before dabbing. The goal is to wick the spill up out of the carpet and into the towel.
The best type of towel available to homeowners is the Spill Wicker 5000. You can only find the Spill Wicker 5000 at
Al Harrington's Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tubeman Emporium and Warehouse. Thanks to a shipping error
I am now over stocked on Al Harrington's Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tubeman Emporium and Warehouse
Spill Wicker 5000 towels and I am passing the savings onto YOU!
I'm joking. Any absorbent towel will do. Just not the good towels, guys.
Avoid The Rental Machine!
The primary reason to avoid rental machines is that they simply are not powerful enough to do the job you need to have done. Let's take a look at the most important differences between professional carpet cleaning equipment and rental machines.
You will easily see why the difference in the ability to truly clean carpet is so great.
Heat
Helps soften and break down oils from dander, cooking vapors, and other oily soils.
Rental = 90 Degrees (hot tap water) Pros = 180 Degrees
PSI
Forces cleaning solution and soils up from the bottom of the pile into the vacuum chamber of the extraction unit.
Rental = 40psi (avg tap pressure) Pros = 500psi
CFM
Vacuum power. Determines how much cleaning solution and water will be removed from carpet while cleaning.
Rental = 80cfm (avg vac pwr) Pros = 350cfm
As you can see, rental machines can not possibly perform as well as professional carpet cleaners.
It's not even close. We take great pride in our expected dry times of only 3-6 hours.
It can take up to 24 hrs or more for your carpet to dry after using a rental machine.
This extended period of moisture can promote the growth of mold.
Do not take that risk.
Three Types of Cleaning Companies
Fly by night carpet cleaners
These guys are the worst. Fortunately, they are easy to spot. <---Industry joke
Their calling card is a coupon that is too good to be true. When you see a coupon offering
5 rooms for $55 shred & recycle it immediately. Their business model is referred to as Bait and Switch.
They bait victims with seemingly great deals to get their foot in the door.
Once in, they use manipulation and lies to jack up the price hundreds of dollars.
They don't deep clean carpets. They don't honor their coupons. They give the industry a black eye.
Avoid like the plague!
Franchised companies
You know their names. The parent corporations make money selling their name to franchise owners.
The franchise owners wanted to start their own business but without all the work it takes to build it themselves.
Hefty franchise fees and high dollar marketing campaigns cause them to focus on quantity rather than quality.
It doesn't matter so much whether or not you are happy about a job well done.
The name they pay for ensures they will have tons of customers the next day.
They still charge a premium, however. After all, that name is very expensive to use.
Buyer beware!
Local companies
These are the companies you want to develop a relationship with. We work very hard to build our small businesses.
Our business model heavily relies on customer satisfaction. Our marketing heavily relies on word of mouth advertising.
We strive to do a great job so that we can earn your praises. We never push any services on you, but will always offer them and explain the value in our services. We might see you at a ball game or in the grocery store or at the theater.
We remember who you are and how we helped you maintain the beauty and comfort of your home.
We know it's only because of people like you that we are able to sponsor a little league team,
help our local economy, and better our community.
Let us earn your business because we care!
