Carpets

- A Proper Wash, Not Just a Chemical Clean

On this page I have outlined the process by which I wash your carpets. I say wash because there are many tradesmen selling carpet 'cleaning' at up to half the price I can offer my service for. Often they simply spray down a harsh chemical solvent then hoover up its crystallised residue. This is, at best, a 'top show' solution and unremoved residues can cause skin irritation and are what has lead to the belief that cleaning your carpets leads to quicker resoiling. Or they may simply have purchased similar equipment to mine but lack the training or experience to give the carpet any more than a quick 'once-over' rather than the multi-staged deep wash & stain removal of my service (outlined below). Using these shortcuts others can charge for a whole house in a couple of hours and move on; your whole house could take me up to two days.

Before I Clean

Identification - Carpets are composed of different types of fibre and manufactured in different ways. From my analysis I make the best choice of cleaning solution, water temperature, jet pressure and vacuum suction strength for your carpet.

Deep Vacuum - This is essential to loosen and begin to remove the deepest, trodden in soil particles. It is this soil that, every time you stand on your carpet, grinds against its fibres and leads that 'flat' look usually only older carpets get. Your regular vacuuming with your domestic machine helps but only a periodic professional wash can remove this deep dirt.

Pre-Clean Stain Treatment - Some stains, by their chemical nature, must be tackled dry.

Pre-Spray - The greener detergents I use will now require a brief 'soak', the same way you care for your delicate clothing items, so I dampen your carpet and massage the cleaning solution in.

Don't worry about furniture. I will move any that needs moving and I raise it up on protective pads so it can go straight back down onto your fresh carpet (I also use special sliders to avoid 'rucking' your carpet while moving heavy objects). I only ask that any ornaments and 'nick-nacks' are moved from floor level.

Cleaning

Now I can perform the main, Wet Wash & Extraction. This needs equipment that can spray the next stage of my chosen cleansing solution evenly into your carpet (separating the fibres as it goes), and a machine that can rinse and extract all the solution and cleanly remove it to a waste water tank (some machines simply recycle the same solution through the carpets). My principal machine is the Extracta Exel. It has high levels of power & control and is the ultimate choice for the serious professional. Twin heavy duty vacuums can be used together or independently giving me maximum versatility. Extra vacuum power means deeper cleaning & drier carpets. My machine has its own on-board water heater so I don't tax your boiler and variable water pressure so I can tune its performance to best suit your carpet's construction (a carpet must never be over-wet). You can also be sure I have all the tools to reach all your carpet's nooks and crannies, including stairs.

Rinse & Conditioning - This will neutralise and remove any detergent residues that can cause resoiling and then apply my eco-friendly conditioner, leaving a softer, brighter carpet that will stay clean longer.

Final Finishing - I'll carefully groom your carpet's pile, resulting in fast uniform drying and fresh, soft, and beautiful appearance.

Drying - Your carpets will be 90% dry when I leave and will usually dry completely overnight. Remember I will be using protective pads so all furniture can go straight back down without having to wait for everything to dry. I have heard horror stories of tradesmen leaving behind soaked carpets that end up smelling or they can resoil by wicking dirt up from the carpet backing. This will not happen with my work. I have the knowledge and experience to only use the right amount of water, have the equipment to extract almost all of it back out and I use Turbo Dryers where necessary.

 

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Pricing

Let me start by saying there are certainly some offering a cheaper service than mine (please read other parts of this page to understand how & why). My pricing reflects the time & care I take over providing a deep, thorough and proper wash for your carpets.
Carpets are charged at between £2.00 to £3.50 per square metre, depending on the level of soiling. £2.00 is for a maintenance clean of a mostly cleared room with little or no significant staining. £3.50 would be for a 'rescue' clean of an extremely soiled carpet. Most are around £2.50.
Our best bet is for me to pop round to measure up, inspect, and give you a no obligation, no charge, accurate quote (which I will stick to).

Included in the price are the specialist skills required for the removal of spots & stains such as:

wine ink paint make-up shoe polish blood

pet stains vomit wax coffee / tea chocolate chewing gum

rust crayons juice glue grease / oil tar

Extras
	Pet flea & Carpet Moth treatment (£25-£40 for an average complete house)
	Anti-Allergy treatment (£25-£40 for an average complete house)
	Stain Protection treatment (£1 per square metre)
	Anti-Flame treatment (£1 per square metre)

© 2011 Cleaner Living