Pick a Professional
How to pick a professional carpet cleaner and avoid the scams
Like any industry nowadays, carpet cleaning has its cowboys who do a job and then disappear with no guarantee or receipt of works or an invoice given to you.
If you choose your cleaner on price alone and so go for the lowest price, you may be receiving the lowest service. There is a world of difference between good and bad carpet cleaners. Carpets cleaned using the wrong method with inferior products will leave soil attracting residue in the carpet, which is the cause of rapid re-soiling. A pre-test or inspection is always necessary to determine the correct solution needed.
I hope the information below will help you in choosing a professional, ethical service.
Worm & Bar-B-Q
Worm = leaflet.
Bar-b-q = now they are in your house, they cook you.
Leaflet says, for example, hall stairs and landing £10, through lounge £15 the worm.
You ring the advertised company up and book them in to do the above work.
In they come with hoses or hired carpet machine. Sorry did I forget to mention they trample on your carpet with their outside shoes. They start their work. On goes on the machine. Oops, they have not vacuumed up their mud or your dog hairs. They get out their one bottle of cleaning solution, pour it in the holding tank of the machine, but hold on there was no pre-inspection done. Do they move all the furniture? No. OK, do they put protectors underneath wood furniture so it does not stain your carpet?
Then the bar-b-q begins. They have to move furniture (extra charge), spot clean (extra charge), the hall carpet is dirtier than they expected (extra charge) the furniture has lots of cushions (big extra charge) and so it goes on. (All of which they should have checked the week before upon their visit or before they start the job, or perhaps should have asked you over the phone to give them an idea as to how cluttered or sparse the room is.)
When the job is finished you are presented with your invoice with all the 'extra unforeseen charges'. Your £58.00 job is now £200-£400 or whatever they can get away with. To save embarrassment or confrontation you pay as they are in your house and you want them out.
Yes, now you are the burnt fish on the bar-b-q!
Swimming pool affect
Splash water all over the carpet. Job is completed as quickly as possible. No customer satisfaction.
Apply as much water as possible, over goes the wand (implement used for extracted water from the carpet) once in the direction toward the door ready for their sharp exit. Oh sorry should I say shark exit.
They leave. Yes you get your 45:00 job. You now have to wait two days before the carpet is dry. By which time fluff, grime, from around the house has lodged itself in to your “clean” carpet. Cash in hand, no invoice, no receipt, yes the mobile you have called is an unregistered one, so there we go, you need new carpet or a real carpet cleaner.
A cheap clean - will result in a cheap job.
Sheen Services say Stop the Sharks, bar-b-q them instead! (No animals were harmed in the writing of this document).
How do you pick a professional?
10 questions you need answered before booking a carpet cleaner:
- Do they offer a money back guarantee?
- Can they provide me with a written fixed price quotation (not an estimate)?
- Will they do a pre-inspection?
- How long will it take for my carpets to dry (hrs maximum time)?
- Will they make it clear to me what is expected of them in order to carry out a good clean?
- Do they have training from a professional carpet cleaning body, if so which one?
- Do they use approved products only and can they produce Material Safety Data Sheets if necessary?
- Do they have insurance?
We hope this helps.