CARPET CLEANING MISCONCEPTION No.1:

"Should I wait as long as possible before having my carpet cleaned"

No. Dirt is an abrasive, like sandpaper. Every time you step on your carpet, you grind dirt into the carpet fibres. This cuts your carpet. Just as if you had used a knife. This cutting causes your carpet to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last as long as a clean carpet. While vacuuming helps, by itself, it's simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.

CARPET CLEANING MISCONCEPTION No.2:

"The only reason to clean my carpet is to make it look clean"

No. As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust û and hundreds of other chemicals. When you come into your home, you carry those pollens, bacteria and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals and toxins wind up in your carpet.

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems û one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, smoke and chemicals in your carpet.

CARPET CLEANING MISCONCEPTION No.3:

"One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another".

No. The dry cleaning methods, which are dry foam, dry chemicals, and dry compound, do not rinse your carpet in any way. Instead, they may leave a dirty residue. These are good maintenance methods to keep clean a carpet clean, but you have to use them every few weeks. The most effective cleaning method is hot water extraction, which is the most popular method used today.

Hot water extraction means a hot water cleaning solution, under high pressure, is forced into your carpet and then sucked out of your carpet. Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction as the primary method of cleaning carpets. Always choose a carpet cleaning company member of the NCCA.

Carpet cleaners use one of two types of hot water extraction. If they use a large unit that operates from a van or truck outside your facility, it's called 'Truck-Mount' extraction. If they use a smaller unit that can be brought inside, its called a portable extraction unit. We would only recommend the larger portables such as our 'Twin Vacuum machines which are much more powerful than the item you can hire from stores.

Our 'Twin Vacuum' and 'Tripple Vacuum' portable extraction systems clean much better because it uses hot water, which breaks up the dirt, bacteria, chemicals and pollens in the carpet. Then the machine uses high 'Air-Flow' not just suction to draw the dirt and chemicals out of your carpet.

CARPET CLEANING MISCONCEPTION No.4:

"Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean my carpets properly".

Not true. Many companies own hot-water cleaners but very few companies teach their employees how to use them properly. This is why it's important that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully. The best cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the National Carpet Cleaners Association, known as the NCCA. Before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of the company's NCCA certification. If they don't have it, don't use them!

CARPET CLEANING MISCONCEPTION No.5:

"I should use the company that offers the lowest price"

No. I've seen so many problems arise from very low-bid companies that I suggest you NEVER hire a company that quotes a very cheap price. The two most common problems are:

1. The price may not be for the services you want performed. The company may be equipped to remove only the dirt from your carpet, but you want bacteria, fungus, pollens, Dust Mites and tobacco residues removed also.

2. The price you may see advertised might not be the price you pay. Many homeowners have learned that the low price they saw advertised lasted only until the carpet cleaner got into their home. Then they were pressured into paying a lot more for a variety of add-ons. (Some carpet cleaners even break the law by using illegal bait and switch tactics).