How to Choose the Right Carpet Cleaner

You've got about a million choices for carpet cleaners.
They all have some kind of huge discount, flashy ads in the Yellow Pages, and trucks that claim they are the best AND the cheapest. So how the heck do you choose the right one?

You've heard the horror stories. Your friend got their carpets cleaned and they were wet for days. Susie from next door didn't want to pay for a professional so she rented a DIY at Walmart. 6 hours, a sore back, and tons of supplies later and the stains are totally gone. Your coworker got the BEST deal from an online site, 6 rooms for the price of 2! But when the carpet cleaner showed up, they claimed his carpets were excessively dirty so there would be an additional charge of $200. There goes the savings.

Here's why you should hire a professional and how to choose:

Carpet cleaning eliminates trapped pollutants from your home including pet dander, dirt, and dust. Your carpets can also house dust mite infestations. This is nasty stuff and you'll never know they are there becuase they're microscopic. But they can leave behind body fragments and feces in your carpet. Professional carpet cleaners heat your carpet to such a high temperture that they kill bacteria and dust mites.

Not all carpets and rugs are the same. A professional is going to know which method will work the best with each type.

You'll eliminate the hassle of renting your own equipment and supplies. And the DIY systems are not nearly as effective. You may even make a stain worse by cleaning it yourself. The systems you buy at the store don't have sanitizing systems which means they won't kill the dust mites and bacteria that get caught in your carpet.

Stains are tough stuff. Professionals know how to treat them specifically.  Hire a professional that has had the training to deal with stains.

When hiring a professional, be wary of discounts that seem too good to be true. As the experts from Angie's List say "Always insist on an in-home estimate to get the estimate possible and remember that even a small area may cost around $79 to be cleaned. Always be careful when you hear promotions for carpet cleaning. Never go with an estimate that sounds too good to be true. You always want to be sure that you're going to get the right estimate so you don't en up with extra charges after you hire someone."

How often should you clean? Good question. It is important to clean at least once a year to remove the dust and allergens. But also know that the dust and dirt in your carpet is not only an allergen, but breaks down the fibers of your carpet. The less particles in your carpet the longer your carpet will last.

And finally, here are some things to do before your professioanl carpet cleaner arrives.

1. Vacuum. You want your carpet cleaner to be working on the deep down dirt, not the stuff you could easily remove on your own.
2. Dust your baseboards and vents so that debris and dust don't contaminate your newly cleaned carpet when the professional leaves.
3. Remove furniture or fragile items that will get in the way.
4. Free up a parking spot outside of your home. Many professionals use truck mounted equipment and they'll need to run hoses from their trucks to your door. 
5. Identify areas that you'll want the professional to focus on including stains and spots.