Which Carpet Cleaner Is Best?

You may be surprised by the answer…

With all the carpet cleaners near you, who do you choose to clean your carpets?

 

If you’ve considered getting your carpets cleaned, you may have asked yourself “ who is the best carpet cleaner ?”

You may have found that you’re faced with a wide range of companies, equipment, cleaning materials and prices to choose from.

Some companies are national franchises, some are smaller local businesses and some are single operators or ‘one-man-bands’. Which is best? Does it matter?

With equipment, there are huge multi-thousand-pound van-mounted machines, large plug-in machines, smaller electric machines, and cheap DIY hire machines. Which should they use? Does it matter?

When considering the cleaning materials, the options range from cheap harsh chemicals to super-high quality fast drying, soil repelling products that are more expensive but do an amazing job. Which is right for you?

There are so many options and choices some people just give up and take a gamble.

 

This article is written to help you avoid the confusion and make the choice that is right for you.

 

That choice might not be ACS. And that’s Ok. We’re not right for everyone. And I’ll explain why in a moment.

But first I want to explain why there are so many choices in carpet cleaning.

Carpet Cleaning Is Like Bread

I think of it like this…Carpet Cleaning Is Like Bread!

What do I mean by this?

Well, if you go into a supermarket you’ll find a whole aisle devoted to bread.

There may be literally a hundred choices. There’s white bread, 50/50, brown bread, granary, seeded, thin, medium, and thick-sliced, there’s gluten-free,  batch loaves, cobblers, farmhouse, artisan, cheesy, there are French sticks, batons, rolls, baps, paninis, flatbreads, pitta breads,  wraps, naan bread, chapatti, and many more.

But its all BREAD!

It\’s just the same with carpet cleaning. It’s all carpet cleaning. But there are many different choices.

Despite what some carpet cleaners may tell you, there is no one choice that is the BEST.

Just like with bread, there is no one choice that’s best. You may prefer seeded granary sliced because it is healthy and conveniently ready sliced. Someone else may prefer an uncut farmhouse loaf because it suits them better. And someone gluten intolerant could never eat regular bread without suffering the consequences, and so would choose a gluten-free option.

Just Like With Bread, There Are Many Types Of Carpet Cleaners To Choose From

It’s like that with carpet cleaning. There’s ‘steam cleaning’ (it’s usually not steam but hot water, and sometimes just cold), there’s low moisture or ‘fast-dry’ carpet cleaning, and dry cleaning. There’s wool-safe approved cleaning products and methods, and there are products for man-made fibres too. There are highly trained carpet cleaning technicians, some with a basic understanding and people who know almost nothing about carpets or materials.

The most important thing from the consumer\’s point of view is to think about what you’re trying to achieve first, then find an appropriate firm to do the work. What do I mean by this? Let me explain.

What are you trying to achieve?

Are you the homeowner looking to maintain the beautiful appearance of your expensive wool carpets? If so you should find a company that understands the correct cleaning process for wool. They should use Wool-Safe Approved cleaning products and understand the process of drying and aftercare. You should not use anyone who has super-powerful machines blasting super hot chemicals under high pressure on your delicate wool carpet.

If you’re a tenant moving out of a rental property with low-grade synthetic carpets you may not have the same needs.

You may be someone who wants to remove staining from a carpet, you’ll need someone that understands the chemistry of staining and how to get the best result (stain removal is not the same as carpet cleaning), and the products and methods will be very different.

Or it could be that you have a family member suffers from allergies or sensitivities, you absolutely should not use standard or cheap carpet cleaning products. These can make matters worse.

You should use an allergy specialist who uses British Allergy Foundation Approved products and is able to clean your carpets in a way that actually improves your condition.

If your carpets are made from sisal or seagrass, dry cleaning is pretty much your only option.

Choices, choices!

Here is where you should start

Perhaps the first thing to do is look at your carpets. Are they wool? Is there staining? Is there an odour issue? Odour treatment is not the same as carpet cleaning. Do you need them dry right away, fairly quickly or doesn’t it matter if they’re wet for 4 or 5 days?

Do you want the best possible job done, or do you just want to fulfil an obligation? Can you afford a really great clean, or are you on a severely restricted budget? Do you need your furniture moved or is the room empty, or can you move it all yourself?

These are good starting questions because it will clarify in your mind the kind of carpet cleaning you’ll need.

If you’re on a very tight budget, and the price is your ONLY consideration we’re not right for you. We use very high-quality products that are safe, do a fantastic job, and dry quickly. But these products are expensive. We are very highly trained, and this costs a lot too. We may not be the most expensive, but we’ll certainly not be the cheapest. It’s just not possible to provide an excellent service at the cheapest price.

You may consider using a cheap ‘soak-it-and-run’ carpet cleaner, usually a one-man-band, or you may be better hiring a DIY machine and cleaning your carpets yourself. These are the cheapest options, although you will be taking some risks with your money and your carpets.

If you have extremely compacted greasy soiling or very large areas of very heavy staining, you should choose a firm with the equipment to handle this. It may not be us. We can handle jobs like this, but we are best at providing long-lasting care for keeping carpets looking their best rather than resurrecting carpets that may be beyond restoration.

If you are looking for a carpet cleaner who understands different carpet types and how to clean them properly, and you’re looking for a reliable and experienced service we may be a good fit. Perhaps we should talk.

If you’re a tenant looking to get your deposit back at the end of your tenancy you would be wise to contact me, because we can give you a great clean that will fulfil the terms of your agreement.

If you have a business and need your carpets cleaned safely and effectively with minimal disruption we may be a good fit too.

Whoever you decide to use to clean your carpets, meet them if at all possible. Ask them to show you want they can do.

You should discuss your needs in detail and get a comprehensive quote that includes what will be done as well as the price for the work.

Check out their reviews, and case studies or pictures of their work. Talking to them at length will help you determine their ability, as well as give you a ‘gut feeling’ of whether they the right people for you.

I hope this article helps you find the bread you’re looking for!

My best to you,

Perry Matcham