A guide to finding the right carpet cleaning company for you

Here are some tips to assist you in choosing the right cleaning company as well as some questions you need to ask before inviting them into your home or business premises.

 

Are they qualified?

 

This seems so simple and obvious, but a lot of people just assume that all carpet cleaners are qualified. Sadly this isn't the case. In fact, the more research you do, the more you'll realise how few carpet cleaners actually have the right training and equipment to do the job properly.

First and foremost, there are two main certifications and trade memberships you need to check your carpet cleaner has.

 

IICRC - The Institute for Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification. To achieve this accreditation, your carpet cleaner must prove their competence with study, experience and written exams. By asking your potential carpet cleaner to produce this certification, you can be certain you're working with a qualified professional.

 

The second check is to ensure the company is a member of the NCCA. The National Carpet Cleaners Association is the only dedicated trade association for the UK carpet cleaning industry and are dedicated to honest and ethical business practices, staying informed on the latest carpet cleaning methods and delivering the highest possible level of customer service.

Requirements of the NCCA membership are achieving the necessary standard in their

training course examinations and providing proof of appropriate insurance cover.

 

 

We are proud to have achieved the accreditation of both the IICRC and NCCA.

 

 

 Get to know your carpet cleaner

 

So many people book a carpet cleaner based on just one phone call. It's very hard to know whether a company is any good just from the one call. The very least you should do is meet the carpet cleaners face to face before you trust them with your carpet. Many less scrupulous companies will give a very low price over the phone yet on completion of the job, add a load of ‘extras’ to the bill you then feel pressured to pay - this is not uncommon.

 

You're always better off meeting your prospective carpet cleaner face to face and obtaining a full written quote. This way, you know who you're dealing with, what to expect and exactly what you'll pay.

 

At Cleaner Carpets, we are happy to visit your home or business premises to discuss your cleaning requirements and provide a free no obligation quotation. The price we quote is the price you pay. 

 

Check for guarantees 

 

This is very important.

 

Imagine if you found a carpet cleaner, employed them to clean your carpet and they did an awful job, but you only realised how bad the work was after they left, and after you paid them!

Then when you called them they didn't answer, or flat-out refused to come back and put things right, you would have very little option other than to call trading standards and start a potentially long and arduous complaint procedure with no guarantee of a satisfactory outcome.

 

To ensure this does not happen to you, check that your carpet cleaner offers a full money back guarantee. This means you would be within your rights, if you we’re not 100% happy, to ask for the work to be done again - at no extra cost.

 

If you are still dissatisfied with the result, you could claim all of your money back. This is a very low risk way of doing business and will give you peace of mind.

 

Unfortunately, less scrupulous carpet cleaners will avoid any formal guarantee because they are simply not confident in the quality of their work.

 

We are proud to promote our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and will happily provide proof of valid insurances for any work we carry out.

 

 

The best clean you’ve ever seen or it’s free

At Cleaner Carpets, we guarantee that you will be delighted with the service we provide. If for any reason you are not pleased with the work carried out, we will re-clean your carpets for free. If you are still dissatisfied, we will refund you every single penny, no questions asked.

 

 

Always read reviews and testimonials from previous customers  

 

All respectable businesses will advertise testimonials received from their customers.

When a name and location is provided, you can be confident that these are real customers with genuine feedback.

 

We are happy to provide the written testimonials from all our recent clients, many who are regulars and always have good things to say about our friendly and professional service.  

 

 

Carpet Cleaning Myths

 

Myth: You should wait until your carpet is really dirty before getting it cleaned.

 

The Truth: Dirt is abrasive, like sandpaper, and on a dirty carpet; every step will grind this dirt further into the carpets fibres. Vacuuming your carpet regularly will help, but over a period will not prevent it. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage is being done and it will inevitably wear out much quicker.

 

 

Myth: The only reason to clean a carpet is to remove dirt. 

 

The Truth: Cleaning your carpet will of course remove dirt and make the carpet more pleasing on the eye, however, much more importantly are the health reasons. Our air contains all kinds of chemicals; pollens, fungus, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes and bacteria to name a few. These chemicals and bacteria are carried into your home on your hair, skin, clothes and shoes and inevitably end up on your carpet and upholstery. This builds up over time and in many cases, is the underlying cause of unidentified allergies and breathing problems. At a minimum, you should have your carpets professionally cleaned, once a year.

 

 

Myth: All carpet cleaning methods are the same.

 

The Truth: There are a couple of methods used but one is far more effective than the other.

The least effective way is dry cleaning. A foam compound is sprayed onto the carpet and vacuumed but the carpet is not rinsed. This leaves behind a dirty residue and will assist in rapid re-soiling.

 

The best and most thorough technique is hot water extraction. High pressure hot water is blasted onto pre treated carpet and at the same time, powerful vacuums draw the dirt and solution from the carpet. This ensures a residue-free rinse that stops re-soiling.

 

Myth: An honest carpet cleaning company should be able to quote you over the phone.

 

This would be a productive way to do business but not a fair one. Reputable carpet cleaning companies almost never price carpet cleaning requirements per room but instead, by the square metre. To provide you with the exact cost of cleaning your carpet, the professionals use a digital estimator to measure the size of the carpet area and consider additional factors when estimating the cost of the work to be carried out.