Steam Cleaning Services
Because your carpets usually look
clean, you assume they are clean. After all, you vacuum regularly, so
why shouldn’t your carpets be in top-notch condition? Because people often make the mistake of
assuming that dirt and soil are things we can see. But not all dirt is visible to the naked eye.
Get it Out!
What’s harder to see is the oily soil that
builds up on your carpet fibers over time. This type of soil is deposited on
the carpet by all kinds of things, like outdoor footwear, air pollution and cooking and other vapors.
The best way to rid your carpets of these invisible but deadly oily particles
is to have your carpets steam cleaned by professional steam cleaning services
at least once every 12 to 18 months. Steam cleaning services are an affordable,
worthwhile investment. Enlist the help of professionals who clean for a living
and are experts on topics like carpet shampoos, steam cleaning equipment and
different kinds of oily soil deposits.
Steam cleaning service professionals will know
exactly how to best clean your particular carpet, taking into consideration
its make, its state and the kind of pollutants to which it is exposed. Then,
the professionals will steam clean your carpet so well that you won’t have
to worry about it for at least a year. Steam cleaning services
are a wonderful (and necessary!) treatment for your home.
Steamy Versatility
When we think of steam cleaning services, we tend to think of carpet cleaning.
While it’s true that this is what most steam cleaning services specialize in,
it’s not what all of them are limited to. Shop around and you’ll find steam
cleaning services for steam cleaning tile and steam cleaning concrete, too.
Some steam cleaning services can also steam clean things like upholstery and
plush furniture.
Leave it to the Pro's
Steam cleaning can be complicated. You have to know just how much water and
detergent to use, just which type of equipment is best for your carpet and
just how long it needs to be damp. Over-wetting and over-shampooing can cause major
damage, as well as stimulate the growth of pungent mold and bacteria. Why put
your carpets at risk? Enlist the help of steam cleaning services and get the
job done right!
What to Expect
When you call up a steam cleaning service, you can expect expertise in carpet
cleaning and cleaning of other equipment that uses "steam" cleaning (for example,
furniture or upholstery). Steam cleaning service employees know more than just
how to push a vacuum-like machine over a moist, shampooed carpet, sucking up
debris.
These people are experts in the materials that carpets,
furniture and upholstery are made of. You can safely expect these people to
know exactly which machine, which detergent and which steam cleaning method
will best suit the item you’re having cleaned.
Where's the Steam?
Ironically, the one thing you cannot expect from a steam cleaning service is
steam. Steam cleaning is a nickname given to the process of deep cleaning that
takes place when a powerful vacuum, known as a hot water extraction system, passes
over a moist, shampooed carpet in order to remove deep rooted dirt particles.
However, the hot water extraction system emits no steam.
What They Do
The steam cleaning service that arrives at your home will use some kind of
Hot Water Extraction System. First, the steam cleaning service employee will
spray your carpet with a solution of water and detergent into the carpet (or whatever
it is you’re having steam-cleaned). Then she will run a powerful vacuum
over the surface. This powerful vacuum will suck back the water and soil into
a holding tank. Typically, this steam cleaning process is performed from a steam
cleaning service truck-mounted unit that remains outside the home. The steam
cleaning service professional will usually bring only the hose and wand into
your home.
Steam cleaning services are staffed by cleaning professionals—people who have
made steam cleaning their field of expertise. This means that you can safely
expect that their knowledge of your particular carpet and the type of cleaning
it will need will lead to such a thorough cleaning, you won’t need
to clean it again for quite awhile.
Usually, busy households with lots of family members
require a steam cleaning of their carpets once a year, especially if outdoor
shoes are worn indoors as well. Smaller households or households where the wearing
of outdoor shoes inside is not permitted can probably go eighteen months or
so without needing another cleaning.
Going Shopping
Your home is your private sanctuary. You wouldn’t let any old Joe inside for
a visit. So why should you entrust any old Joe with the privilege of cleaning
it? You don’t want to just blindly select a steam cleaning service; you want
to shop around.
Some people’s idea of "shopping around" is opening up the phonebook, calling a bunch of different steam cleaning services, asking them
to quote a price and then choosing the cheapest service provider possible. Let’s
face it: this is a foolish attitude to take.
You've spent a lot of money on your
carpet and now, when it comes to maintaining it, you’re taking the cheapest
route possible? This makes little sense, especially since quality is of the utmost
importance in caring for your carpet.
What to Ask
The whole reason you’re steam cleaning your carpets is to remove the oily film
that piles up after months of exposure to cooking vapors, air pollution and
debris dragged in by muddy shoes. So, the first thing in the list of "What to ask your Steam Cleaning Services
professional" should be the question, "Can you describe the steam cleaning process?"
This should be followed closely by, "What exactly will the steam cleaning process remove from
my carpet?" These two questions are a sneaky way to test your steam cleaning
service providers’ steam cleaning IQ. Their answer should mention spray-on detergent,
oily soil particles and a vacuum.
Next, ask the steam cleaning service provider what kind of steam cleaning method
and products he will use for your particular carpet. Not all carpets are
made the same, so not all carpets should undergo the same steam cleaning treatment. Your steam cleaning service provider'S answer should make
reference to the specific make of your carpet, taking into consideration things
like fibers and composition.
Finally, ask how long drying time is. After the steam cleaning treatment, your
carpet should require 6-12 hours to dry. Anything more than this means that
your carpet has been "over-wetted" and put at risk for mold and mildew growth
as a result of prolonged dampness. If your steam cleaning service provider quotes
a number higher than 12 hours, look elsewhere.
What Are Their Rates?
Most steam cleaning services don’t charge
a fixed rate. So, when you’re checking out different steam cleaning services and comparing
rates, rule number one is: be realistic! No one will clean your eighteen-bedroom
home for a total of $75. Remember, you’re buying a service and you’ll be expected
to pay for it. However, it’s a worthwhile service and one that you’ll only
need to undergo once a year or less, depending on the size of your home and
the condition of your carpets.
On the other hand, you don’t necessarily want to pay too little, either. "Less
is more" doesn’t typically apply to steam cleaning services. The whole point
of enlisting the help of steam cleaning services, as opposed to steam cleaning
your carpets yourself with rental equipment, is that professional steam cleaning
services tend to have access to heavy duty equipment.
A steam cleaning services
company charging a lot less than their competitors might be using the very same
equipment you could rent yourself. The problem with this equipment is, unless
you know exactly what you’re doing, it might just shake up the deep-rooted dirt
as opposed to actually sucking it up and taking it away.
Can You Tell the Difference?
Another possibility is that
it might not be powerful enough to suck up all the moisture rubbed into your
carpet during the shampoo stage of carpet steam cleaning. When moisture remains
in your carpet, it can actually damage your carpet and give it a funky odor.
If you’re going to be spending the money to get professional work done on your
carpets, you want it done right. It might be worthwhile to pay higher rates
and ensure that you have access to top-of-the line steam cleaning equipment
as well as highly knowledgeable cleaners.
It's important that you do your research before selecting which steam cleaning services you'll go with. Perhaps a self-employed
steam cleaner charges less than his competitors because he works for himself.
However, he may have purchased the very same equipment that they use, so his
services aren’t necessarily of a lesser quality. The bottom line is the equipment should determine the rates.
