Here are useful tips learned during more than 40 years of installing epoxy urethane floor seals and coatings on Fortune 500 company concrete floors, as well as in basements, garages, and decks. These tips can help you avoid mistakes that can limit the life of your floor.

There are three broad steps to doing your floor project: planning and preparation, repairing, and applying the coating. This article is the first in a three part series, and deals with planning and preparation.

General guidelines for applying an epoxy coating to your floor:

Do no harm.

Investing in prep produces the best value, (cost divided by years of service).

Let the chemicals and equipment do the work.

What can go wrong, will go wrong, unless you think ahead.

Technique is what separates mortals from Rembrandts.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Now let's get started with tips on how to plan your job and prepare your floor.

Plan the job.

Stick your coating to something that is not going to move

The better the tools, the less work you have to do.

Removing loose concrete is as important as removing dirt

Different types of dirt require different cleaners

"Shocking" the floor can help free dirt and contaminants.

Some things must be abraded off.

Don’t blow bubbles through your finish

There is only one way to remove gum

Asphalt bleeds

If you coat over things that move, your floor may move

Vacuum out those holes

Gravity is unforgiving

. Once you prep your floor, anything in the air will eventually end up as dirt on your floor. So don’t wait too long to do your coatings. Bugs, leaves, dust, and lint can eventually compromise the quality of the job you end up with.. Water settles in floor cracks and holes. If you vacuum them out or blot them with a rag, you will not have the problem of unexpected delays due to finding water still in your floor after the surface has dried.
. Adhesives are often a problem to remove on floors. But if you leave the adhesive, your coating is like an eggshell. A hard exterior with a soft interior will often let the shell crack and peal away.
. If you use a solvent-based floor coating and coat over any asphalt spots, the solvents will make the asphalt bleed into your finish spoiling the color. Use a scraper to remove any asphalt. Then follow with some degreaser or mineral spirits.
. Modern gum is actually synthetic rubber and is not affected by cleaners or most solvents. Scraping is the most common method of removing gum but a 190-degree hot water jet works fast if you have one.
. Gases often come up through your porous concrete floor. Methane and radon gas are very common under concrete slabs and move their way through the concrete causing some bubbles in the finish. But most often bubbles are caused by the chemical reaction still going on between your cleaners and the floor. One or two good scrub rinses are needed to help avoid generating gas bubbles in your floor.
Gum, adhesive, asphalt, some paints, concrete splatters, silicone sprays from Rain X, and Tire Shine are just some of the blemishes that you may need to scrape or grind off by hand when preparing a floor.
When you do your laundry you put your shirt in the wash and it is probably at a pH of 6.5 or 7. Then you add your detergent, which may bring the pH up to 8 or 8.5. That pH change is part of what make the dirt particles want to let go of the fabric. When we do floors, we shock the floor by bringing the pH up to 12 and then hitting it with the acidic cleaner dropping the pH to 5.5 or so. That really helps make concrete particles that are about to let to, let go.
. If one cleaner worked for everything there would only be one cleaner sold. But some dirt and contaminants, like fats and oils, respond to alkaline-type cleaners and some dirt and contaminants, like minerals, rust and concrete respond, to acidic-type cleaners. If alkaline and acidic are mixed they cancel each other out to neutral, so two separate cleanings are needed for your concrete floor, one alkaline cleaning and one acidic, followed by a good scrub rinse to stop the chemical action.
. If you walk over concrete with your socks on, you will usually see that they get all dusty. That’s because the concrete is constantly deteriorating and breaking away. Your preparation should leave only concrete that is well attached, so aggressive scrubbing is a must.
Renting power scrubbers, walk-behind vacuums, double-bladed squeegees, and long-handled scrapers are all multipliers that reduce your work and increase your performance. You can try to do without lots of fancy tools, but you might have to ask yourself, will you stop your work earlier than you should because it's just too much work.
. Remember that a floor that has 3000 lb. or more going over it every day needs much better adhesion than a wall that may get brushed by an elbow occasionally. Stick your coating to something that is not going to move.
Save trips to the store and costly delays by getting everything you need ready before the job starts. One quick step would be to go to a website like www.concrete-floor-coatings.com for a free cost analysis which will list everything you need to do your job, including step by step instructions.

Remember, "Life imitates Star Trek." You may begin to notice in the future that virtually every floor in the galaxy seems to have a flow-coated, two-part coating on it. I am seeing fewer and fewer new wood floors, linoleum, or oriental rugs. How about you?

Follow the rules and your job will turn out with the great look you want.

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com or phone 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7).

• Installation and Refinishing Concrete Floor Project: Tips and Tricks That Save Time and Money
• You Selected Epoxy Garage Paint?

For homeowners, auto detailing professionals and auto dealers, investing in high-quality, reliable, and long-lasting carpet cleaners for carpet cleaning as well as upholstery cleaning is a priority. These people invest good money in searching for the best carpet cleaners and carpet steam cleaners, and they should not sacrifice quality for price.

Auto detailing focuses on keeping auto interiors’ carpet and upholstery looking like new and refreshed; the best carpet cleaners, carpet steam cleaners, upholstery cleaners, and carpet and upholstery cleaning chemicals are critical to achieve outstanding cleaning results.

All sorts of businesses, institutions, commercial and non-commercial facilities, etc. requires the use of excellent commercial carpet cleaners and carpet steam cleaners to make facilities appear clean and smell fresh. Dust mites, allergens, toxic chemicals and more can wreak havoc on people with allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivities, COPD, compromised immune systems, cancer, and other ailments. The correct mixture of carpet cleaners and carpet green cleaning chemicals are critical in the decision-making process.

Professional carpet cleaning businesses need top quality commercial carpet cleaners and carpet cleaning equipment. Green cleaning is the hot topic throughout the world today and the need to use green cleaning chemicals during commercial carpet cleaning is very important. Customers and prospective customers care about indoor air quality because of allergies and other health conditions, and carpet cleaning using environmentally-safe, eco-friendly carpet green cleaning chemicals is certainly a bonus for any commercial carpet cleaning business.

Homeowners use home carpet cleaners, carpet steam cleaners, and commercial carpet cleaners for not only auto detailing to keep their auto carpet and upholstery looking nice and clean, but also use carpet cleaning equipment to clean carpet and upholstery in their home. Using green cleaning chemicals when carpet cleaning is truly the best, safest, and most effective method for homeowners and auto detailing businesses.

Auto detailing pros buy commercial carpet cleaning equipment and carpet steam cleaners to make money; their livelihood depends upon making auto carpet and upholstery appear absolutely outstanding.

The better the carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning job, the more likely auto detailing businesses are to get repeat business and customer referrals, which help their auto detailing business thrive.

The carpet cleaning process sometimes can be difficult and even harmful if you choose an improper carpet cleaning machine, carpet steam cleaner or harmful carpet cleaner chemicals. So be careful while choosing carpet cleaners.

You must follow directions, use green cleaning chemicals, and create the optimal carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning results. Avoid carpet cleaning chemicals that do not contain environmentally-safe, eco-friendly ingredients rather than the toxic cleaning chemicals found in other carpet cleaning solutions in the industry.

Auto Detailing Businesses, Carpet Cleaners, Homeowners, Businesses, and Others - When you next consider buying a carpet cleaner, carpet steam cleaner, or carpet cleaning equipment in general, the following tips can help you decide upon the best carpets cleaners:

 Does the Carpet Cleaning equipment vendor offer a broad carpet cleaner line?

 Do they seem experienced in the carpet cleaning field?

 Are they well respected and recognized in the carpet cleaning industry?

 Have they established a large clientele of satisfied carpet cleaner customers?

 Carpet cleaners and carpet steam cleaners that use dangerous cleaning chemicals may be harmful and can easily lead to disease and chemical sensitivities for not only your employees and families, but also customers if you’re in the carpet cleaning business.

 Be especially careful with products that use following carpet cleaning chemicals - Solvents: Butoxyethanol and other glycol ethers, Tetrachloroethylene, Perchloroethylene; Acids and other corrosive chemicals: Hydroxyacetic acid, Hydrofluoric acid, Nitrilotriacetic acid, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium carbonate; Mildewcides and Disinfectants: Tributyl tin, Formaldehyde, Phenol; Other chemicals: Butane, propane and isobutanes (aerosol propellants), Dibutyl phthalate Nonylphenol ethoxylate (surfactant), Octylphenol ethoxylate (surfactant).

 Don’t make the pricing as the only decision or factor when choosing your carpet cleaner or carpet steam cleaner. Low carpet cleaner prices can sometimes come with limitations on services or features you may have expected from the carpet cleaners or carpet steam cleaners when you bought them. Also check out for any hidden costs as sometimes it is possible that final carpet cleaner price is different to what you have seen initially or expected.

 Do carpet cleaner reviews focus on the ability for carpet cleaner machines and carpet steam cleaners to clean dirt and other substances effectively.

 Know upfront how often your carpet should be cleaned with your carpet cleaner or carpet steam cleaner.

By following the above carpet cleaner and carpet cleaning considerations, you should be able to carefully decide upon or choose the best carpet cleaner or carpet steam cleaner machines and equipment for easy operation and truly effective, outstanding cleaning results.

• Choosing the Best Cheap Carpet for your Own Individual Needs
• What is the best way in Carpet Cleaning

Especially for the homes they live in, carpet cleaning is one service that most people have to do.There are absolutely many reasons for this including health, keeping the carpet beautiful, and simply cleanliness. So one thing you will definitely see a lot of are carpet cleaning advertisements.But the real trick is to exactly know which ads are with trustworthy companies.  So in this article we are going to look over some things to look for in a company.

First of all when you see a carpet cleaning ad, then you have to be careful. Especially when you see the ads that advertise real low cost carpet cleaning.The key reason why you have to be very careful is simply because at the cost they advertise they wouldn't be able to make money.So the very first thing is basically to be wary of the low cost advertising.  With our San Diego carpet cleaning comapny we practice being upfront about our costs unlike these other companies.

Low cost advertising doesn't make sense because all businesses are in business to make money.So there will surely be an upsell at the prices they quote you on their ad.  It has to be an upsell when they get to your house or they are losing money. So don't take a chance on calling these companies immediately. Look for companies with reasonable rates of course.  Depending on the type of company will determine the costs.  In other words companies like my carpet cleaners Point Loma company cater to high end customers. 

Finally the best way to make sure you are picking a reputable company is customer testimonials.The main reason for this is simply because anybody could tell you to just trust them.  But the best person to tell you about a company is their customers. So if you can find a company with glowing and impressive testimonials then surely go with them.  That is why we emphasize feedback from all our customers of our carpet cleaning La Jolla service.

So simply follow these useful tips when looking for a carpet cleaning company.When dealing with someone especially to work on your home, you want it to be someone you can truly trust.

• Why our carpets get soiled fairly quickly
• What to do about your carpets and keeping it clean

Here are useful tips learned during more than 40 years of installing epoxy urethane floor seals and coatings on Fortune 500 company concrete floors, as well as in basements, garages, and decks. These tips can help you avoid mistakes that can limit the life of your floor.

There are three broad steps to doing your floor project: planning and preparation, repairing, and applying the coating. This article is the third in a three part series, and deals with applying the epoxy paint to the floor.

General guidelines for applying an epoxy coating to your floor:

Do no harm.
Investing in preparation produces the most years of service.
Let the chemicals and equipment do the work.
What can go wrong, will go wrong, unless you think ahead.
Technique is what separates mortals from Rembrandts.
An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Now let's get started with tips on how to coat your floor with an epoxy or urethane floor paint.

 

Plan the job.

Good floor prep is key to a long lasting floor.

Take a break.

Mix 200 strokes.

Easy work makes for a better job

No one is perfect

Don’t worry about tricks of gravity

A rag may not save you

Technique, technique, technique.

This is an application pattern I like to teach and can serve you very well. Tip your roller and remove it quickly before it fills with liquid. Apply a quick wet line 3 or 4 feet back from where you had stopped coating. Now fill in the area between that wet line and your previous rolled area. As you overlap the new wet part, . The strong two-part coatings you are applying are not the water-based latexes that wipe easily off with a rag or a little water. If you get the coating on something you did not want to coat, it may be less harmful to leave it than to smear it all over the place. You may be better off chipping it off once it dries a little, or coating over it with paint that matches what you got it on.
. As you put your first coat down, you will find things, bugs, sand, water, lint, and the like. What was in the air eventually will be on the floor. Remember this is a two-coat process. Yes, remove what you can as you go but those small bits of debris may be easier to remove when you screen between coats and sweep before your second coat.
. I do floors lots of floors and still have misses, marks, and errors. I just can’t rely on myself to be perfect all the time. That’s why two coats are always planned.
. Tape your cutting brush to a broom handle, use a wheeled bucket for 18-inch rollers, and several pails if using 9-inch rollers, and wear a mask if using solvent based products. Save your back and let yourself move quickly. Moving fast is more fun but it also sets a rhythm, which keeps a repetitive job interesting enough to maintain focus.
Two-part flooring products can produce floors that click when you first walk over them. That clicking often means that the two parts were not mixed well. Clicking is sucking dust off your feet and could cause both lifting and discoloration problems down the road. Yes, the floor will usually stop clicking and harden, but it may come from aging rather than a strong chemical change. Mixing is not a science, but you must be able to count to 200.
I always take a break after floor preparation to let the floor dry. Putting down a coating can be smooth and uniform or splotchy with misses. A little rest before the artistic part of the job will improve the quality of your application process.
For this article, we will assume that you have done a good job of doing you’re preparation and repair work already.
Two-part coatings harden in the can once mixed, so it is best to have everything you need at the start of your job. A useful first step is to go to a website like www.concrete-floor-coatings.com for a free cost analysis report that also lists everything you need to do your job including step-by-step instructions.
you re-wet your roller
and as you overlap the previous area your roller is re-moistened. When you get to the end, roll back over the same area a second time. This re-rolling will spread any lines that may have come off your roller edges as you move across the floor.

Push the roller on, not off.

I always flip my roller so that I move towards the open end. This little step pushes the roller onto the frame not off it. Each time the roller moves on the frame you have the danger of opening a gap at the end that fills the roller with coating as you dip. Soon you are getting lines as the liquid drips out of the ends of the roller. And soon the roller is sliding back and forth on your frame because the interior is now very slippery.

Don’t hit the roller.

If your roller cover starts to slide off the frame, don’t tap the roller, tap the frame. If you tap the roller, you often get dents in the roller that show up as marks as you roll. If you tap the frame end of the roller, it will slide on without changing its shape.

There is dirt in that pail.

I can’t say how often I have compromised the quality of a job by pouring my last amount of coating out of the pail onto the floor as I exit. The problem is every piece of sand, lint, or bug that had stuck to the roller is resting at the bottom of the pail. Right where I have wanted the floor to look its best (at the entrance or exit), I have poured out all my debris on the floor so that I can use that last 3-oz. of coating. Don’t do it! You will be sorry.

Screen the floor after your primer coat repairs are made

. By screening your floor with a 60 grit screen after any additional repairs are made, you can usually shave your floor flat. This screening removes bubbles, lint, sand, bugs, leaves, and fillers that are above the desired surface.

Sweep your floor with a kitchen type broom before coating.

Push brooms just don’t pick up enough of the small grains. A kitchen broom takes a little longer but does a better job.

Vacuum the corners

. It is just too hard to get grains of sand and other small particles out of corners and along baseboards or out of holes unless you use a vacuum.

• Epoxy Floor Paint Projects: Tips and Tricks That Save Time and Money
• Madera Floors. Fairfax, Va. Hardwood Floor Specialists. Installation, Sanding And Refinishing

CONSUMER’S GUIDE TO CARPET CLEANING

My name is Joel Belmont. I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide you with information about carpet cleaning and help you choose a carpet cleaning company.

As the owner of Belmont Clean Carpet and Upholstery Care, I have spent over 10 years cleaning textiles in the Roaring Fork Valley. I have attended numerous schools, workshops, and seminars to stay abreast of changes in carpets and fabrics. I am certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification).  I also spent over a year in training with my father, Charles Belmont, founder and president of the Certified Cleaners Association.  I am the only carpet cleaner with a Five-Star rating on www.EthicalServices.com (a nationwide watchdog featured on ABC's 20/20) in Aspen, Snowmass Village, Woody Creek, Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, CO.

During my years of cleaning, I’ve learned that carpet cleaning is the subject of much confusion. In fact, people have so many misconceptions about carpet cleaning that I decided to offer this consumer education message, so when you select a carpet cleaning company, you can make an informed, intelligent decision.

I’m going to share with you 7 costly misconceptions about carpet cleaning. Plus, I’ll offer 4 recommendations. And, I’ll give you 8 questions you should ask a carpet cleaner before you invite them into your home.

MISCONCEPTION #1: You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Dirt is an abrasive – like sandpaper. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers. This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife, causing it to wear out faster. A soiled carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean carpet. And while vacuuming helps – by itself, it’s simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.

MISCONCEPTION #2: The only reason to clean carpets is to remove the soil and improve the appearance.

NOT TRUE! As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust – and hundreds of other harmful chemicals. When you and your family members come into your home, you carry those pollens and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing, and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals, pollens and bacteria end up – you guessed it – in your carpet.

Carpet cleaning is not just about removing soil and improving the appearance of your home. It’s about protecting your family and safeguarding their health by removing pollutants and contaminants that can affect your quality of life. In some instances, INDOOR AIR QUALITY can be 70-100 times more polluted than outdoor air. Since carpet is the lowest and largest horizontal surface, it acts as a “sink” or filter, which needs to be emptied and cleaned regularly.

Another factor to consider is that carpet fibers are made to hide and camouflage soil and debris. So, by the time you can see evidence of soiling, your carpet is already overdue for a cleaning. Naturally, some colors do a better job of hiding soil than others. For example, earth tone colors (browns) do a beautiful job of hiding soil, so you cannot depend on appearance as a basis for deciding when it is time to clean your carpets.

MISCONCEPTION #3: ONE METHOD OF CARPET CLEANING IS AS GOOD AS ANOTHER!

No.  In fact different carpet cleaning companies use VERY different systems, and many of them can cause soil to reappear soon after they have been cleaned, and can permanently damage your carpet and upholstery!

Here are the most common methods:

The first one uses a water-based dry foam, which is applied to the carpet, allowed to dry, and then simply vacuumed. Can you imagine applying shampoo to your hair, allowing it to dry and then removing the shampoo from your head with a vacuum? This method can leave a tremendous amount of soapy residue in your carpet, and it doesn’t provide adequate agitation to clean and lift the carpet fibers, making it an un-effective way to clean.

The second method uses carbonated water to try to float dirt to the surface.  Carpets need to be deep cleaned with an effective cleaner and a thorough system, and effervescent bubbles simply do not provide a thorough cleaning.

Third, the dry-compound method spreads an absorbent mixture that looks like wet sawdust all over your carpeting. Then a machine brushes the mixture into the carpet, which in theory causes dirt to absorb into the mixture. When the mixture has dried, a vacuum cleaner sucks the material out of the carpeting.    In a cut pile or berber carpet, it is impossible to vacuum it all out, leaving both the cleaning compound and soil in the carpets.

The fourth method is called steam cleaning. This is a quick, one-step process where boiling temperature water, loaded with soap, is injected into the carpet at 400 pounds of pressure per square inch.  This carries soapy water through the carpet, and often through the carpet pad and into the sub-floor.  It can take literally days for the soaked carpet to dry out, which can cause mold problems.  Also, the extremely hot temperature of the water can soften the glue in the carpet backing, causing the fibers to permanently distort, and the combination of moisture and temperature can shrink the carpet away from the walls, or stretch it, leaving ripples and causing permanent damage.  Pre-vacuuming is usually left out, it doesn’t afford adequate agitation, and the soap residue left in the fibers attracts the spots and traffic lanes right back to where they were before!  Within a few weeks, it can look like your carpet was never cleaned, and over time it can ruin your carpet.

In summary, the reason why none of these methods are effective, is because they are lacking 4 important elements of a proper cleaning: (1) they leave a residue to attract soil, (2) they don’t pre-vacuum, (3) they use too little or too much moisture, and (4) they don’t agitate the carpet fibers enough to clean and restore them to a healthy pile.

The last method is a Five-step low-moisture process.

First, the carpet is pre-vacuumed with a 3hp commercial extractor and pile lifter.  Scientific studies show that 70-75% of all the soil, allergens and foreign objects in carpeting can be removed with a professional vacuum, making this a critical step for a thorough cleaning.

Next, an environmentally friendly cleaner that contains no soaps, bleaches or caustics—thus leaving no harmful residue to attract more soil—is gently applied to the carpet fibers, allowing it to penetrate to the base of the carpet pile.  The cleaner is 100% safe for you, for your carpets and for the environment, and because it doesn’t leave any residue, the cleaning will last 3 to 4 times as long!

Third, a rotary floor machine with a nylon brush (or a softer brush for wool and other delicate carpet fibers) is used to clean all four sides of the carpet fibers.  This breaks up stubborn spots, liquefies any remaining soil or bacteria, and lifts the carpet knap back up to its original condition.

Once the soil has been liquefied, special cotton bonnets are used on the floor machine to absorb and thoroughly remove the liquefied soil, leaving the carpets fibers clean, healthy and beautiful.

The last step is to groom the carpet by hand with a pile lifting brush, leaving all the fibers lifted up in one direction. This helps the carpet to dry in just a few hours and leaves the carpet like new again.

Without question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with a five-step, low-moisture, no residue system. It’s the most effective cleaning method on the market and the only method that thoroughly removes dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens and other residues, while restoring the carpet fibers to their original condition.  This is the method my company uses.

MISCONCEPTION #4: ALL METHODS OF CARPET CLEANING ARE GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

Unfortunately, no.  There are three important factors that make a system environmentally friendly:  one, the equipment must be powered by clean energy; two, the cleaning solution must be certified as non-toxic and safe for the environment; and three, a carpet cleaner must dispose of the waste water correctly.

(1) Many carpet cleaners use machines that are petroleum powered, using diesel fuel or unleaded gasoline to run their equipment.  That means that not only is your neighborhood being polluted by the exhaust from their van and equipment, which runs for the duration of the cleaning whether it’s 1 hour or all day long, but this also adds unnecessary greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, increasing the effects of global warming.

Other carpet cleaners use equipment that is just as powerful, but is powered by electricity, which is a cleaner and more efficient form of energy.  So make sure that the company you hire uses clean energy—electricity—to power their equipment.

(2) Many carpet cleaners use chemicals that non-biodegradable, and are harmful to people as well as the local watershed.  A cleaning solution that is Green Seal Certified is a good standard to use when making sure a chemical is environmentally friendly.

(3) It’s unfortunate, but some companies do not dispose of their wastewater correctly.  I have seen carpet cleaners on several occasions pump their wastewater right out into the street, which locally runs through the storm drains and right into the river, with no treatment.  This can cause big problems for our local rivers, and there have been many occasions were carpet cleaning companies have been sued for improper wastewater disposal, resulting in fish kills and damage to the local environment.  An ethical carpet cleaner will dispose of wastewater properly.

These three factors are an important part our current quality of life, as well as for that of future generations, and it’s a high standard to which we are committed.  We are one of the only carpet cleaning companies in the Roaring Fork Valley that meets all three of these criteria.

MISCONCEPTION #5: HAVING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT IS ALL A COMPANY NEEDS TO CLEAN YOUR CARPETS PROPERLY.

Not true. Many companies hire employees that don’t know how to use carpet cleaning equipment properly. This can result in an improper cleaning and even damage to your carpets and home furnishings.  Many carpet cleaners are sued each year because of improper cleanings that resulted in damage.  This is another reason why it’s important that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully.

The best carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the INSTITUTE OF INSPECTION, CLEANING, AND RESTORATION CERTIFICATION, known as the IICRC. A carpet cleaning company cannot buy this certification. The carpet cleaner must EARN the certification through study, experience, and the successful completion of formal, written examinations. Technicians who are certified by the IICRC have, in effect, earned a degree in carpet and textile cleaning, and continuing education is a must to remain certified.

The IICRC provides written credentials to the companies it certifies. So, before you choose a reputable company, ask to see written proof of the company’s IICRC certifications.

MISCONCEPTION #6: THE COMPANY THAT OFFERS THE LOWEST PRICE IS THE COMPANY YOU SHOULD HIRE.

No. We’ve seen so many problems arise from the lowest-bid companies that I suggest you NEVER hire a company that quotes the cheapest price. The three most common problems are:

(1): The price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed. Before you select a company, decide what you want to accomplish. If you want the technician to remove only some of the dirt, you can choose from hundreds of companies that offer low prices, poor equipment and limited knowledge.

On the other hand, if you want your carpet thoroughly cleaned – if you want to remove the harmful dirt, bacteria, pollens and chemicals – then you need to hire a company that uses a thorough 5-step system. This is the only way to assure that your carpet remains healthy and free from dirt, disease-causing bacteria, and harmful chemicals.

So, remember, the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed.

(2): An inexpensive cleaning may last only a few weeks, and leave harmful chemicals in the carpet.

Most cleaners in the carpet cleaning industry (especially the ones that don’t charge much) clean with soap and detergent-based cleaners, leaving a sticky residue in the carpet.  The residue attracts soil like a magnet, and pretty soon it looks worse than before the cleaning!  It’s great business for them, because you have to hire them to clean more often, but that’s not good for you or your carpet.  It’s a bad cycle of which there is no way out except to use a system that can break down the residue, or to replace the carpet. And since carpet is the single most expensive replaceable item in your home, you might save a few cents per square foot with a cheaper cleaning process, but it can cost you thousands of dollars in the long-run.

(3): The price you see advertised may not be the price you pay!

Many homeowners have learned that the low price they saw advertised was not the amount they were charged.

BAIT AND SWITCH is the term used to identify those who use fraudulent advertising, just to get their foot in the door. You probably know someone who has learned the hard way. Some carpet cleaner offered a cheap price – usually between $3.95 and $9.95 per room – and then pressured them into paying a lot more. This amounts to breaking the law.

As in all businesses and professions, the carpet cleaning industry has its share of bad apples. I take no pleasure in telling you this, but some are unethical and, sadly, a few are dishonest. By their misleading advertising and false promises, they cast a dark shadow on our entire industry.

Then you’ll find other carpet cleaners, professionals like me, who work hard to earn your trust and respect, and to provide you with the highest amount of value.

As a way of improving our profession, I’ve dedicated my business to educating the public. The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need. This is why I’ve written this message.

MISCONCEPTION #7: ANY HONEST CARPET CLEANING COMPANY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT PRICE OVER THE TELEPHONE.

First, honest, reputable, carpet cleaning companies usually price carpet cleaning by the square foot. So, if you’d like me to tell you the exact cost of cleaning your carpet, I need to know the exact number of square feet that you want cleaned. To get an accurate measurement, I personally take exact measurements of the carpeted area.

You’ll be glad to know that the carpeted area to be cleaned is not nearly as great as most people think. For example, if you want your entire home cleaned, and your home is 2000 square feet, the amount of carpeting to be cleaned might be only 1200 square feet. This is because most home measurements are outside measurements. Plus I deduct the area taken up by walls, room dividers, and the like. The result is that the actual area to be cleaned is usually only about 60% of the square footage of the home.

So, even though I can’t give you an exact quote over the telephone, here are things I consider when quoting a price.

First, the type of carpet. Certain types of carpet are harder to clean than others. So, before I can give you a quote, I need to know the type of fiber your carpet is made from, and the specific style.

Second, the amount of soiling. Carpet that hasn’t been cleaned for 10 years will take longer to clean than carpet that was cleaned within the last 6 months. When carpet has been neglected for any length of time, (perhaps more than 2 years) our approach to the job changes from a regular maintenance cleaning, to a more aggressive RESTORATIVE cleaning.

Third, the amount of furniture that has to be moved. If we have to move furniture, it will take us longer to clean than an empty room.

To recap, I consider the type of carpet, the amount of soiling, the maintenance history, and the amount of furniture that has to be moved. So, as you can now imagine, every quotation is different.

IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT HAVING YOUR CARPETS CLEANED, I OFFER THESE 4 RECOMMENDATIONS:

RECOMMENDATION #1: Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they remain soiled, the sooner they’ll wear out. Plus the longer you have to breathe all the pollens, fungus, chemicals, and dust mite droppings that reside in your carpet.

RECOMMENDATION #2: List your objectives. Do you want only the dirt removed? Or do you want the bacteria, fungus, and chemicals removed, which will require a thorough 5-step process, like I use? Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company – or are you willing to risk working with the company that offers the lowest price – knowing that your carpet and upholstery could be poorly cleaned and permanently damaged?

RECOMMENDATION #3: Ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are the questions I suggest you ask:

1. WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE TO CLEAN CARPET?
2. WHAT DOES YOUR EQUIPMENT REMOVE FROM MY CARPET?
3. DO YOU USE ANY SOAP OR DETERGENT-BASED CLEANERS, AND ARE YOUR CLEANING AGENTS GREEN SEAL CERTIFIED?
4. DOES YOUR EQUIPMENT RUN ON ELECTRICITY OR PETROLEUM, AND HOW DO YOU DISPOSE OF WASTEWATER?
5. WHAT TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD IN CLEANING CARPETS?
6. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ETHICALSERVICES.COM?
7. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND, IF SO, WHICH ONES?
8. ARE YOU CERTIFIED BY THE IICRC AND WILL YOU SHOW ME YOUR CERTIFICATE?
9. DO YOU FULLY GUARANTEE YOUR WORK?

RECOMMENDATION #4: Once you are satisfied that you’re working with an honest, competent professional, invite them into your home and ask for a specific quotation in writing. A written quotation gives you the assurance that you know exactly what your job will cost. NO SURPRISES!

By following these four recommendations, you’ll gain all the information you need to make an informed, intelligent decision.

I hope you found this consumer awareness message to be helpful. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.  Also, you can learn more about carpet and upholstery cleaning at www.BelmontClean.com/carpet-cleaning-aspen.html

• The Guide to Deep Carpet Cleaning
• Carpet Cleaning Methods – Quick Ways to Keep Your Carpet Cleaner