Got this article from my EverydayCheapskate.com emails. It's pretty
informative. Kim M
Scam artists are prevalent in many service industries, but the carpet
cleaning industry has more than its share. If you get scammed by an unscrupulous
carpet cleaner you lose your money, but you could also end up with a house lined with
ruined carpet. Carpet cleaning is one area you want to trust only to a professional.
Carpet cleaners that charge "by the room" are the bane of the industry.
They advertise with coupons that promise "Three Rooms and a Hall, just $24.95." Do not
believe this. Those coupons just scream "bait and switch." The cleaners will arrive
and start charging extra for pre-treatment, for every spot, for deodorizer, flea
control, stain protectant and all kinds of unimaginable add-ons. And what happens if
you don't agree to the new price that can be 10 times the price on the coupon?
Vengeful coupon carpet cleaners have been known to soak the carpet with dirty water
and leave without extracting it, or spray sticky detergent on the spots and then have
an unexpected emergency call them away.
Reputable carpet cleaners typically charge by the square foot and usually
don't give you a price over the phone. They measure each room first and then give you
a detailed, written estimate. A cleaner who tries to give you a price over the phone
is not a professional.
Good cleaners include pretreatments and spot cleaning in their price. They
vacuum your carpets before they get started. The cleaners you want will prop your
furniture up on little blocks (for no additional charge) to give the carpets a chance
to dry.
Find out the type of equipment the service will be using in your home. The
most experienced cleaners have truck-mounted equipment with extraction capabilities
that leaves the cleaned carpet nearly dry to the touch. Carpet that remains wet for a
period of time can develop mildew, which will make you yearn for the days when your
carpet was merely dirty.
So how can you find a reputable, professional carpet cleaner that will
give you excellent service and stand behind their work with a money-back guarantee?
Get a referral from a friend or neighbor. Or call your local Chamber of Commerce.
Reputable organizations get involved in their communities and have solid reputations.
Check with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification at
www.iicrc.org to see if those referrals are listed or to find one in your ZIP code. Or
call the IICRC's toll-free consumer help line at (800) 835-4624 to locate a certified
cleaner in your area.
Interview a couple of companies before making your decision. Ask
open-ended questions about the kind of equipment they use, how they charge, what their
estimated dry time is, what products they place under furniture legs after cleaning,
what type and brand of cleaning product do they use, and so forth.
Being a savvy consumer is hard work, but the payoff is worth the effort.
You'll fully appreciate that the next time you have your carpet cleaned, you'll know
exactly what to look for and who to trust.
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