Consumer Advice

Eco-Friendly Carpet, Upholstery and hard floor cleaning specialists

HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE QUALIFIED CARPET CLEANER

It's a sad indictment of today's society that all unregulated 'service' industries have more than their fair share of rogue traders to contend with. This is particularly the case with the Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning industry, anyone without experience or insurance can purchase (or hire) cleaning equipment and then market themselves as an expert - all in the same day!

Personal recommendation is obviously the best option; alternatively you can go along way to protecting yourself, by choosing a trained and qualified member of one of the following industry organisations:

WHY CARPETS SHOULD BE CLEANED

Simply put, the longer they remain dirty, the sooner they'll wear out. Industry tests show that you can have up to 500 grams of soiling in a square metre of carpet before it even begins to look soiled! This dirt is abrasive and wears down the fibres and substantially shortens the life of the carpet.

Regular cleaning will remove the contaminants besides the dry soiling that gets trapped in your carpet's fibres. The longer you put off cleaning, the longer you and the building's occupants will have to inhale the pollen, fungus, pet odours, dust mites, and toxic chemicals that hide in your carpet.

UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN EXPECTATIONS

A) Is the health of your indoor environment highest on your list, and you only want to work with an honest, reputable company that is using the best equipment and method to help meet your expectations?

B) Do you only need the carpets to 'look' clean and are willing to risk everything by working with a company that just offers the cheapest price - knowing that the company might not be in business tomorrow, and might not even be safe to let into your home?

QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED

The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Below are number of questions to ask a carpet cleaner to help you feel more confident about the one that you choose:

What trade associations do they belong to?
Can they provide proof of current membership to their stated association?
If unable to produce written evidence: what is their membership number?
Do they provide a written, fixed-price quotation?
Do they offer a full money back guarantee?
Can they produce a copy of their current Trade Insurance policy?
What method of carpet cleaning do they recommend for your needs?
What are the names of the chemicals they will use?
Do they charge extra for moving furniture, treating spot stains?
Do they have any references of clients or businesses who you can contact?

Of course these questions are not exhaustive, however; if you are happy with the person's response and answers you receive, it is very likely that you have gone some way to finding a bona fide carpet cleaner.