Rip-off #1: UNBELIEVABLY LOW PRICE.
To some degree, all of us are attracted to low prices because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as the bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price - and then, once they're in your home, they pressure you into buying "add-ons." It's as if you were buying a car and found that the dealer was charging you extra for the tires and steering wheel. Carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some unethical carpet cleaners would like you to believe.

Rip-off #2: BAIT AND SWITCH.
Dual process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing or heavy preconditioning, followed with hot water extraction cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use dual process as a bait and switch technique. Here's how it's done: first, they "bait" you with a basic cleaning (single process) at an unbelievably low price. Then, when you call, they try to "switch" you to more expensive dual-process cleaning. If you don't fall for their switch and choose their basic service, you'll most likely receive poor workmanship using little or no cleaning solution and they will not guarantee their work.

Rip-off #3: UNSUPPORTED CLAIMS. "THIS CLEANING METHOD IS THE VERY BEST."
You'll read this in almost every ad. You'll hear this from virtually every carpet cleaner. Remember this: The method that's best for you is the method that achieves your goal. If you want a method that dries quickly, then a method that takes a long time to dry isn't the best for you. So before you choose a carpet cleaner, identify your objectives.

Rip-off #4: OUT DATED BELIEFS. "HOT WATER DAMAGES YOUR CARPET."
Years ago, many people believed this was true because their carpets were damaged by "technicians" who didn't know how to properly clean using hot water. But today, we know it's false. By washing and then rinsing your carpet with hot water, your carpet is thoroughly cleaned in the same way that the person who showers and then rinses off the dirt and soap will be much cleaner than the person who takes only a sponge bath is. Obviously, each carpet cleaner will be biased toward his own cleaning method. And each method does have advantages. So I suggest you look to what carpet manufacturers say. Shaw Industries, the largest carpet manufacturer in the world, recommends hot water extraction with a truck mounted unit.

MISCONCEPTION #1:
You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.
No. Dirt is an abrasive- like sandpaper. Every time you step on your carpet, you grind dirt into the carpet fibers. 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. And while vacuuming helps, 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.

MISCONCEPTION #2:
The only reason to clean carpets is to remove the dirt.
No. As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust 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 and upholstery.
If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems the major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, smoke and chemicals in your carpet.

MISCONCEPTION #3:
One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another.
No. The dry cleaning methods, which are dry foam, dry chem., and dry compound, do not rinse your carpet in any way. Instead, they leave a dirty residue. You might say they clean your carpet only halfway. The most effective cleaning method is hot water extraction.
Hot water extraction means a hot water cleaning solution, under high pressure, is forced into your carpet and then extracted out of your carpet. Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction as the primary method of cleaning carpets.
Carpet cleaners use one of two types of hot water extraction. If they use a large unit that operates from a van outside your home, it's called truck-mount extraction. If they use a small unit that can be brought inside, it's called portable extraction. Shaw's first choice is the truck-mounted unit and it recommends the small, portable unit only in areas where the truck-mounted unit won't reach.
The truck-mounted extraction cleans much better because it heats the water to at higher temperature and shoots the cleaning solution into the carpet at higher pressures, which breaks up the dirt, bacteria, chemicals and pollens in the carpet. Then the machine uses high suction to draw the dirt and chemicals out of your carpet. This is the method my company uses.

MISCONCEPTION #4:
Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your 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 Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of the company's IICRC certification (www.iicrc.com).

MISCONCEPTION #5:
The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.
No. I've seen so many problems arise from lowest-bid companies that I suggest you NEVER hire the company that quotes the cheapest price. The two most common problems are:
(1) The price may not be for the services that you want performed. The company may be equipped to remove only the dirt from your carpet. But you may want stains, spots, bacteria, fungus, pollens and tobacco residues removed as well.
(2) The price you see advertised may 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.

MISCONCEPTION #6:
Any carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price quote over the telephone.
I wish this was true, but it isn't. An honest, reputable carpet cleaning company prices carpet cleaning by the room. So you need to know the number of rooms that you want cleaned. Rooms over 250 square feet may be considered two rooms. To get an accurate measurement, I use accurate measuring equipment to calculate the exact size of the carpet area.

Dry foam: The carpet cleaner applies shampoo to your carpet and allows it to dry. Without rinsing, you extract the dried shampoo into a vacuum the next day. Can you imagine applying shampoo to your hair, allowing it to dry and then removing the shampoo from your head with a vacuum? This method leaves a dirty residue in your carpet, which is one reason dry foam is not too effective.

Absorbent pad (bonnet cleaning): This method is similar to dry foam, except that the company sets a large cotton bonnet on your carpet. The rotating motion causes the bonnet to absorb dirt from your carpet. This method is also called bonnet cleaning. Bonnet cleaning is like trying to use a large cotton towel or mop to rub the dirt out of your carpet. It's not very effective. This is very abrasive.

Dry, absorbent powder: The dry-compound method spreads a moist, absorbent powder through the carpet. The powder is allowed to dry and then extracted into a vacuum. This method leaves dry sponge particles at the base of the carpet yarn and because the carpet is not rinsed, this method is not very effective.

Hot water extraction: This a fancy way of saying that a hot water cleaning solution under high pressure is forced into your carpet and then sucked out of your carpet.
In a recent Technical Bulletin, Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer, "recommends the hot water extraction system, which research indicates provides the best capability for cleaning."

You can choose from two different types: Truck-Mount extraction, which is done with a large machine mounted in a van or portable extraction, which is done with a small, hand-held unit.
On which type to choose, Shaw's Technical Bulletin states: "[cleaning] can be done from a truck mounted unit outside the facility with only the hose and wand brought inside, or where a truck mounted unit cannot reach, by a portable, self-contained system brought into the facility."
As you can see, Shaw recommends the truck mounted unit first. And this isn't surprising. You see, the truck mounted unit cleans much better because it heats the water to a higher temperature and shoots the cleaning solution into the carpet at higher pressures. This breaks up the dirt, bacteria, chemicals and pollens in the carpet, and then the machine uses high suction to draw the dirt and chemicals out of your carpet. This is the method my company uses.

No question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with a hot-water unit mounted in a van. It's the most powerful cleaning machine on the market and the only machine that cleans your carpet of dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals, and pollens and tobacco residue.
Some people believe that hot water damages your carpet, but this isn't true. By washing and then rinsing your carpet with hot water, we clean your carpet
completely, in the same way that the person who showers and then rinses off
the dirt and soap will be much cleaner than the person who takes only a sponge
bath will.

MISTAKE #1:
Choosing a carpet cleaner based on equipment alone.
No question, your carpet cleaner needs first-rate equipment. But he also needs something else. He needs employees who are skilled at operating that equipment.
Many company's own hot-water extractors, but very few companies teach their employees how to use them properly. The best way to know that the carpet cleaner's employees have been properly trained is to make sure the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (www.iicrc.com) have certified the cleaner.

MISTAKE #2:
Choosing a carpet cleaner based on low price. Low price could be a problem in three ways:
(1) Low price can be the bait that attracts your phone call. But once the cleaner gets into your home, he pressures you into a much more expensive job. (2) Low price can be for single process cleaning. Rarely does the consumer know what this means and, when told, dual process cleaning costs much more. (3) Low price means the carpet cleaner has cheap ineffective equipment, which will not effectively clean your carpet.

MISTAKE #3:
Choosing a carpet cleaner based on a single telephone call.
Instead, invite the person to your home and ask for a specific carpet audit and written quotation. Then you'll know exactly what the carpet cleaner recommends and you won't be the victim of high-pressure tactics when the technician steps into your living room.

MISTAKE #4:
Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn't offer a money-back guarantee.
Every carpet cleaning company should be fully accountable for its work. And if you aren't pleased with the job in every way, you shouldn't have to pay for it….period. Not all carpet cleaners offer a guarantee. Or, if they do, the guarantee may be "limited." Ask the carpet cleaner if he offers a money-back guarantee and then make sure the carpet cleaner include his guarantee on his written quotation.

MISTAKE #5:
Choosing a carpet cleaner without getting comments from his other clients.
Any carpet cleaner can say anything about his past jobs, and sadly, some of what he says may not be true. Make sure you ask for references or read testimonials from current customers so you can depend on the carpet cleaner and his/her work.

MISTAKE #6:
Choosing a carpet cleaner who isn't certified by the IICRC.
If your carpet cleaner isn't a close friend, you may not know whether he has the knowledge or experience to clean your carpet well. If you want to be sure you're getting a competent professional, make sure he is IICRC certified. The carpet cleaner must earn that certification through study, experience and the successful completion of formal, written examinations. In effect, cleaners who are certified by the IICRC have earned a college degree in carpet cleaning.

MISTAKE #7:
Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn't primarily use a truck mounted, hot water extraction system.
You might expect this from me, since I use this type of system. But there are several good reasons. Portable hot water systems are good, but they aren't as good as truck-mounted systems. Truck-mount systems are the Rolls Royce's of carpet cleaners. Compared with portable hot water systems, truck-mount systems use hotter water, higher pressure and stronger suction. So all the way around, you get a much better job. No two ways about it.

Price what you pay. Value is what you get.
When you select a carpet cleaner, you'll choose from a wide variety of cleaning methods and prices.
Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction from a truck-mounted unit, and using a portable unit only in areas where the truck-mounted unit won't reach. Here's why: A truck-mounted unit cleans much better than a portable unit for three reasons:

(1) It heats the water to a higher temperature. For every 18-degree increase in temperature above 118 degrees F, you double the water's cleaning ability. So if the water temperature is 136 degrees F, it will clean twice as well as water that is 118 degrees F. 154-degree water will clean four times as well as 118-degree water. And so on, until you reach a water temperature of 250 degrees

(2) It shoots the cleaning solution into your carpet at higher pressures, which breaks up the dirt, bacteria, chemicals and pollens. 400 to 450 pounds per square inch are the optimum pressure for truck-mount hot water extraction.

(3) The machine uses stronger suction to draw the dirt, chemicals, bacteria, pollens and tobacco smoke residue out of your carpet.Not surprisingly, having your carpet thoroughly cleaned with a truck-mounted hot water extraction costs more than renting a portable at the corner grocery store.

If you bought the cheapest carpeting you could find, then renting a small portable might be all you need. No question, it will get out some of the dirt, but the key word here is" some." It will not get out many of the pollens, chemicals, bacteria and tobacco smoke residues.

On the other hand, if you bought high quality carpeting and if you want it to be safe, look good and give you years of dependable service, then you need to take extra good care of it. This means you need to have it cleaned by a skilled, qualified technician at least every six months to one year, depending on the amount of soiling and foot or paw traffic it receives. And you need to have it thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, as only a truck-mount hot water extractor can do.

If you're thinking about having your carpets cleaned, I encourage you to follow these four steps:

STEP #1: Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they remain dirty, the sooner they'll wear out. Plus the longer you have to breathe all the pollens, fungus and chemicals that hide in your carpet.

STEP #2: List your objectives. Do you want only some of the dirt removed something you could do with a rented portable. Or do you want all the bacteria, fungus, and chemicals removed, which will require a hot water truck-mounted cleaner, as I use. Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company or are you willing to risk working with the company that offers you the lowest price, knowing that the company might not be in business tomorrow.

STEP #3: Ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are seven questions to ask a carpet cleaner before he begins to clean your carpet:

1. What method of carpet cleaning do you recommend?
2.What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet?
3. What will your equipment remove from my carpet?
4. How often should I get my carpets cleaned?
5. What training have you had in cleaning carpets??
6. Are you certified by the IICRC and will you show me your certificate?

STEP #4: Once you're satisfied that you're working with an honest competent professional, invite him/her into your home and ask for a carpet audit and specific quotation in writing. A carpet audit and written quotation gives you the assurance that you know exactly what your job will cost, no surprises.