Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003

Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

AROUND THE HOME:

Price is only one factor in carpet cleaning

By MATT MAURY

While looking through the paper recently, I noticed a large ad for one of the "We will not be undersold" mattress stores listing deep discounts on many different sizes and brands of mattresses. In one column, there were the "Regular" prices and in the next column were the "Sale" prices. What really caught my eye was the small print at the bottom of the ad stating: "Regular prices are offering prices and may not have resulted in actual sales."

Wow! Up to 40 percent off of prices that may never have been paid! It might not be a bargain after all.

These are the same thoughts that cross my mind each time I see an ad or flier offering carpet cleaning at a substantially reduced price. Is the firm really having a special? Or, is the "regular" price always discounted?

More importantly, what should be the key factors in selecting a carpet cleaner?

Step One is to know the type of carpet to be cleaned and the recommendations from the manufacturer. While most of today's carpet is nylon, it should not be assumed that your carpet isn't olefin, wool, or a blend. Each type of fiber can require unique cleaning procedures and different cleaning solutions. Use of the wrong type of chemicals will usually void the carpet's wear and stain warranties.

Step Two is to look at the cleaning options available. In general, carpet manufacturers recommend either wet extraction or dry extraction methods for the 5-15 percent of soil that cannot be removed by normal vacuuming. Maybe it is grease, maybe gum, maybe ink and maybe the dog left its mark. For these things, extractive cleaning is necessary. Specifically, this means that some form of liquid must be applied to the fibers to release the soil and, then, the dirty liquid must be extracted. The object is to get the dirt off the carpet fibers and removed from the carpets.

Simple as this sounds, the laws of nature make the chore complex.

When any liquid is applied to a vertical surface (and carpet fibers are vertical surfaces), gravity pulls that liquid down ... down ... down. Because the carpet cleaning solution releases the dirt from the fibers, it is dirty liquid that is being pulled into the backing of the carpet by gravity.

Removing this dirty moisture is often done with a hot-water extractor (sometimes called a "steam cleaner," although never being hot enough to produce steam).

The most efficient of the portable units can recover about 70 percent of the liquid put on the carpet. In other words, for every five gallons of liquid put on the carpet, about 3-1/2 are removed. The remainder, which is just as dirty and just as soapy as that extracted, is held by gravity near the base of the carpet. Over the next 12 to 48 hours that moisture will evaporate, leaving the dirt particles and cleaning agents on the carpet fibers where they started near the top.

This is why spots sometimes reappear a few days after "cleaning." The most efficient truck-mounted units remove up to 95 percent of the moisture.

Over the years, there have been developments of "dry extraction cleaners" using various techniques to reduce the amount of liquid needed in the cleaning process.

The most recommended methods of "dry cleaning" by carpet mills are the absorbent compound techniques. These processes require that the absorbent compounds be brushed through the carpet by specially designed machines. The sponge-like compound absorbs the soil and is then vacuumed up.

Step Three is determining who will do the work. Realizing that the objectives in carpet cleaning are both to remove the dirt and to minimize the amount of moisture left in the carpet, a home owner should carefully choose the proper do-it-yourself method or professional cleaner.

If desiring to do-it-yourself, the best place for advice on equipment is the local carpet store or vacuum cleaner shop, NOT the local supermarket.

If choosing a professional cleaner, make sure that they have proper training. Basically, all that is being purchased is labor to do the work. Less money usually means less training and/or less time spent doing the work.

There are a number of good, properly insured, experienced professional cleaners from whom to choose. A wise consumer should contact both "hot water extraction" and "dry extraction" cleaners, listening to their proposals before making a decision.

Now, getting back to my concern about special pricing. January and February are generally slow months for professional carpet cleaners. There may be some legitimate specials available be sure to ask about them.

Step Four is to determine if any added services are needed after the carpet is cleaned.

One of the most advertised add-ons is applying carpet protector. Generally, it is an unneeded expense. The protector applied at the carpet mill is done at temperatures above 300 degrees. It is infused into the fibers and will probably not come off during a number of years of normal wear. This process cannot be duplicated by an on-location application at room temperature.

If it is deemed desirable to reapply a protector in high traffic areas (don't waste money applying it wall-to-wall), use only the brand that the carpet manufacturer recommends. Using the wrong type may cause the carpet fibers to become like magnets for soil.