Questions To Ask 

Knowing what questions to ask is essential in avoiding problems. The Institute of

Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification is a nonprofit certification body

that sets and promotes high standards and technical proficiency within the cleaning

industry.

Here's what they say you should expect:

No Hidden Costs. Expect itemized costs for services and firm prices before

technicians begin each portion of the work sold. Consumers should never feel

pressured to accept anything more than the services they request.

Customer Satisfaction. Cleaning firms should offer workmanship guarantees in

writing.

Vacuuming. The cleaner should start by vacuuming high traffic and open

areas where soils accumulate.

Moving Furniture. Unless clearly specified, moving of most furniture to clean

carpet underneath should be considered part of the normal cleaning job.

Spot-Cleaning. Special attention to spots is included in normal job

performance. However, time-consuming specialized spotting may incur an

additional charge. Customers should be advised of additional charges before

extensive spotting procedures are undertaken.

Preconditioning. Special treatment with "preconditioning" agents in heavily

soiled entry, traffic and general areas should be included in the cost of the

cleaning.

Minimal Drying Time. It is the cleaner's responsibility to ensure that the

carpet is dried and returned to normal use within a reasonable time frame.

The amount of time required for drying will vary with different methods, the

degree of soiling and the aggressiveness of cleaning necessary. But under no

circumstances should drying require more than 24 hours with proper

ventilation. However, the consumer's cooperation in providing continuous air

flow and/or ventilation to expedite drying cannot be overemphasized.

NORMAL VS. SPECIAL

There should be no differentiation between a "normal" cleaning job and "special"

cleaning job. Cleaning is cleaning. Diligent effort must be made to remove as much

soil as possible from the carpet. And technicians must take steps to leave fibers as

residue-free as possible to prevent accelerated resoiling.

Do not expect an exact price quote over the phone. Honest, reputable carpet

cleaning companies almost never price carpet cleaning by the room. Carpet cleaning

is usually priced by the square foot; if you'd like to know the exact cost, you need to

know the exact number of square feet you want cleaned. To get an accurate

measurement, cleaners should use a measuring wheel or tape measure to calculate

the exact size of the carpet area.