Homework a Necessity in Selecting a Carpet Cleaner
Decatur, AL, August 30-- Making a decision to have your carpet cleaned isn't as easy as it was back in the '60s, according to the Decatur Daily.
Back then, shag carpet was king, and the colors were often a kaleidoscope that would shock the eyes and decorating sensibilities of today's consumer.
But even shag got dirty and no matter how hard you raked it, dirt would still show.
It was in the early 1960s that hot-water injection cleaning, better known as steam cleaning, came on the carpet scene. Many have praised its virtue of turning soiled carpet into a carpet that looks almost new.
Now, there's a choice.
Cleaning services such as All Seasons ChemDry on Finley Island Road in Decatur use a different cleaning method to compete with hot-water injection cleaning, a method considered the standard by many in the carpet industry.
Ken Harris, master cleaner and owner of ChemDry, said all cleaners use water and chemicals. But the ChemDry method uses only 10 percent of the water used in injection cleaning and the chemicals have a neutral pH rating of 7.
"We use a carbonated cleaning system patented by ChemDry," Harris said. It leaves your carpet clean and dry for the same reason that carbonated soda water can remove a stain or clean up a small spill."
ChemDry uses a spinning spray head to inject the carbonated chemicals that are immediately picked up with dirt, mold, dust mites, and allergens to improve indoor air quality, he said.
Darrell Prevatt, president of Steam-Way Carpet Cleaners on U.S. 31 South in Decatur, said his specifications for residential carpets also call for restoring carpet to a safe 7 pH level.
Carpets left with an alkaline base can feel stiff and crunchy instead of being returned to the softness they should be.
Both methods use truck-mounted vacuum systems with high-pressure sprayers. Neither Prevatt nor Harris recommends the portable units used by some companies or rented at grocery stores and other outlets.
Soap, both say, is a major culprit in a carpet that catches dirt and other filth. Cleaning with soap also allows the carpet to collect more dirt and usually needs to be cleaned again in a few weeks.
"When you rent a unit, the cleaner you buy is soap," Prevatt said. "We don't use soap, and the consumer needs to ask any cleaner what is being used because some cut corners to save costs. A reputable cleaner won't do that."
Another danger that both cleaners agree on is using experienced cleaners that know how to put the right amount of cleaning chemicals on the carpet without letting it soak into the pad.
Wet padding is difficult to dry and can be a breeding ground for mold and odors.
Stanley Steemer's North Alabama Manager Mike Gault urged consumers to beware of a carpet-cleaning deal that seems too good to be true.
"If somebody offers to clean for something like $9.95 a room, use caution," Gault said. "Sometimes it's a bait-and-switch tactic or they tell you they have to charge extra to deep clean heavy traffic areas."
Gault also said he has heard reports of unscrupulous cleaners that charge mileage or charge to move furniture.
"The industry standard runs between $25 and $30 a room, and for that you should get a good job, including moving furniture."
ChemDry and steam cleaning are comparable in price.
Some companies offer discounts up to 10 percent if there is no furniture in the home.
All recommend finding a company that uses trained, uniformed cleaners that are insured and bonded. Stanley Steemer, Gault said, goes a step more by doing employee background checks and requiring drug screening.
