Carpet Cleaning in Sun Valley and Twin Falls

Does the company stand behind its work with a strong, unconditional guarantee?

You want to hire a company that beleives in both its workmanship and its service. You deserve to feel secure in your choice of a carpet cleaning company. One of the best ways to hire the right company and feel secure that you did is to choose a company that stands behind its work with an unconditional guarantee in writing. Look out for companies that have “fine print” or lots of conditions in their guarantees. Those type of guarantees often prove to be useless to the customer. What you want is a straight forward, no nonsense guarantee, that states clearly what will happen if for any reason you are not satisfied with the service.

Is your company a certified firm by the IICRC and does your company have the Seal of Approval from the Carpet and Rug Institute?

The IICRC (Institute of Inspection, CLeaning and Restoration Certification) is an independent body that provides the finest, most complete technical training courses and seminars available to carpet cleaners and restoration (flood, mold and fire damage) in the industry. Your cleaner should be  IICRC certified in any type of cleaning or restoration service they are providing you. IICRC certification and training is expensive and many companies cut corners when it comes to training their employees in the best and most effective cleaning methods. Each technician must earn their certifications through study, experience and successful completion of formal, written examinations. In addition to your technician being certified, the carpet cleaning firm should also be certified by the IICRC. Before agreeing to have your carpet or upholstery cleaned ask to see written proof of the company’s and the technician’s IICRC certification. Any cleaner who has gone through the exhaustive and intensive training by the IICRC will be proud to show you proof of their certification. Visit: www.iicrc.org for a list of certified firms.

“The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), based in Dalton, Georgia, is a nonprofit trade association representing the manufacturers of more than 95 percent of all carpet made in the United States, as well as their suppliers and service providers. We coordinate with other segments of the industry, such as distributors, retailers and installers, to help increase consumer’s satisfaction with carpet and to show them how carpet creates a better environment.” The CRI has instituted a Seal of Approval program of both carpet cleaning companies and the cleaning solutions and machines they use. “The CRI recommends to the consumer getting their carpet professionally cleaned utilizing the service of those recognized SOA Service Providers as the best way to guarantee your carpet is being serviced with only the best cleaning equipment. It is also the best way to make sure many of your residential warranties covering your carpet are being met as many carpet manufacturers are now tying their warranties to the use of SOA products.” And IICRC certified statues. Visit www.carpet-rug.org for a list of SOA Service Providers.

Which method of cleaning do they use?

As we discussed earlier, hot water extraction done by a truck mounted unit is recommended by the world’s largest manufacturer of carpet cleaning, Shaw Industries. It’s also the most expensive in terms of investments made by the cleaning company ans is a sign (though not a foolproof one) that the company is serious about their business. Hot water extraction when performed by a qualified technician using a truck-mounted system will give your carpet the deepest, healthiest cleaning possible.

Dear Homeowner,

We know that choosing a carpet cleaning company can be a difficult and stressful process. Why? For startes, there’s the matter of who to trust. Most consumers are bombarded with misleading advertising, confusing claims, and simply bad information.

From super low prices and high pressure sales to unqualified technicians and near worthless methods, how is the consumer ever going to find a qualified, reputable company with a history of professional service to their clients?

If you have ever had a bad carpet cleaning experience, you’ve probably unknowingly hired one of those less than ethical carpet cleaners. Unscrupulous cleaner practices include offering a too-good-to-be-true low price only to pressure the consumer with offensive sales tactics once they’ve gained entrance to your home. And what about the quality of the work itself? You want to be sure you’re getting a competent, highly trained professional and not some unqualified, under trained, part-time technician who, chances are, can cause more harm than good attempting to clean your carpet.

So what can you do to be sure you’re getting the best value for your money when it comes to carpet cleaning? Start by reading this blog frequently. It is written with you, the carpet cleaning customer, in mind. It provides answers to the most frequently asked questions consumers have along with explaing the options available to consumers todaywhen it comes to carpet cleaning. We also throw in the occasional spotting tip and we’ll keep you updated about what is going on with Mr. Steam’s Valley Steam and the newest cutting edge technologies. After reading this information you’ll know what questions to ask a prospective cleaner and be better prepared to make an informed, intelligent decision.

Of course even this blog may not cover all of your questions. If that’s the case and you have any questions regarding specific areas of concern such as pet odor, upholstery cleaning, spot and stain removal or anything else, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 208-735-0386 in the Magic Valley or 208-788-2220 in the Wood River Valley. We’ve dedicated our business to educating consumers to help them become more comfortable with choosing the right carpet cleaning company for their needs.

Sincerely,

Brian & Kelly Ritchie

Mr. Steam’s Valley Steam

Wrong. The method of cleaning used on your carpet has a great deal to do with how clean your carpet gets (how much dirt and residue is pulled out), how healthy your family & your carpet is and how long your carpet ultimately lasts. There are basically two methods used to clean carpet. One is the dry cleaning method, which consists of dry foam, dry chemicals, and dry compound; which do not rinse your carpet in any way. Instead they leave a residue behind for you and your family to breathe. This method’s biggest benefits (your carpet never gets wet so it never needs time to dry) is also it’s biggest draw back. This method tends to leave a lot of dirt and other pollutants behind because your carpet is not rinsed in any way. It would be a lot like washing your dishes with a dry chemical powder and then “rinsing” them by vacuuming them. The best, most effective way of cleaning carpets is method number 2: hot water extraction.

Hot water extraction can be performed by a company using either a truck mounted extraction unit or a portable unit. A truck mounted unit is operated from a truck parked in your driveway with hoses running into your home. A portable unit is a small, self-contained unit that is brought into your home. Shaw Industries recommends the truck mounted method because of the ability of the unit to reach higher water temperatures and its greater suction power for removing dirt and pollutants. The portable unit should only be used in situations where a truck mounted unit can not be used.

The world’s largest manufacturer of carpeting, Shaw Industries, recommends the hot water extraction by a truck mounted machine as the preferred method of carpet cleaning. In this method high pressure is used to force a hot water cleaning solution into your carpet. Then this solution is sucked back out effectively pulling dirt and pollutants from your carpet. The main reason that this method works better is that the water is heated to a high temperature that easily breaks up the dirt and pollutants in your carpet. The next step involves using high-powered suction to draw or extract this grime from every part of your carpet.

Here’s why a truck nounted init cleans much better than anything else:

1) It heats 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 154 degrees F, it will clean twice as well as water that is 136 degrees F. 190 degree water will clean 4 times as well as 136 degree water and so on, until you reach a water temperature of 250 degrees F. Water temperature over 200 degrees F, also helps sanitize your carpet and remove bacteria and dust mites.

2) The cleaning solution is forced into your carpet at high pressure, which breaks up the dirt, bacteria, chemicals and pollens. 300 to 350 pounds per square inch is the optimum pressure for truck mounted hot water extraction. THe machine uses stronger suction to draw the dirt, chemicals, bacteria, pollens, and other residues out of your carpet.

At Mr. Steam’s Valley Steam, we use truck mounted extraction, except in the rare instances when only a portable unit can be used.

No. Dirt is an abrasive-like sandpaper. Without proper maintenence, foot traffic on the carpet causes soil to become ground in and trapped in the carpet fibers. To the naked eye soil has a smooth look to it. But under a microscope, soil is revealed to be abrasive with sharp, jagged edges. All of this soil acts like tiny saws, cutting into and damaging the delicate fibers.

Now exposed, spills and soil can penetrate deep into the heart of your carpet. With every step, the sand ans soil are scratching and dulling your carpet. It is grinding your expensive yarns down into those worthless fibers that fill up your vacuum bag. Every moment you wait, everyday the carpet cleaning is put off, is a compounding day, month, year of lost life of your carpet. The best way to have those foreign particles effectively removed from your carpet is by the truck mounted hot water extraction method. Regular maintenence like vacuuming helps, but vacuuming alone isn’t enough to pull dirt and other pollutants out of your carpet.

I wish this were true, but it isn’t. Honest, reputable carpet cleaning companies almost never price by the room. Carpet cleaning is usually priced by the square foot. Also, certain types of carpet are harder to clean than other types and then we need to consider the amount of soiling. Carpet that hasn’t been cleaned in ten years will take longer to clean than carpets that we’ve cleaned in the last six months. Always ask for a free in-home carpet consultation and quote before hiring a cleaner.

Wrong. The problem with the machines that you can rent at the local supermarket or hardware store is that they don’t get the water hot enough to truly get your carpet deeply cleaned, and they don’t have the suction power to remove the dirt and grime fully from your carpet. A rental machine costs roughly $300-$800. A professional portable machine costs at least $1,200, and most cleaners typically spend nearly $30,000 for a professional truck mount unit. Which of these systems do you think does a better job?

NO! Sadly, this just isn’t true. Too-good-to-be-true low prices are often the doorway to a bad experience when it comes to carpet cleaning. Besides being a tactic employed by less than ethical, bait and switch companies, low prices are often the sign of under trained technicians and companies using outdated methods and/or equipment.

To some degree, all of us are attracted by a low price because we want to work within a certain budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as the bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price-usually between $9.95 and $19.95 per room-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 out the dealer was charging an add-on price for the tires and steering wheel!

Low Prices Could Be A Problem In Three Ways:

1. Low prices can be the bait that attracts your phone call. But once the cleaner gets into your home, they pressure you into a much more expensive job.

2. Low prices can be for a single process cleaning. Dual process cleaning describes the process of preconditioning the carpet followed by hot water extraction. Unfortunately, unethical cleaners often use dual process as a bait and switch technique. First, they bait the customer with the basic cleaning (single process) at an unbelievable low price. Then, they try to switch the customer to the more expensive, dual process cleaning. Rarely does the customer know what single process cleaning means, and when told, usually opts for the dual process cleaning instead, which costs much more. If the consumer doesn’t fall for their switch and chooses the basic service, the consumer will likely receive poor workmanship using little or no cleaning solutions and the service will not be guaranteed.

3. Low price means the carpet cleaner has cheap portable equipment, outdated equipment or methods, or has not had adequate training.

The truth of the matter is this: despite what you may have seen in the Yellow Pages or the coupon mailers, no one can do a good job, much less make a living, cleaning your carpets for $9.95 or even $19.95 per room.

If, after reading the above, you’re still looking for the lowest price, I would respectfully ask you not to call our company. But if you are looking for a good value. ( a fair price paid for competent, professional work) and a great guarantee, then please feel free to call us with any questions you may have,