"FREE Insider's
Guide to Carpet Cleaning gives simple methods and detailed strategies
to avoid the common misconceptions about having a clean healthy carpet!"
Here's what you'll
Discover on this
e-book page:
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What dirt is doing
to your carpet with every step you take.
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6 common misconceptions about
carpet care.
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Why appearance is only one of the reasons to have your
carpets cleaned.
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How some cleaning methods may actually leave your
carpets worse off!
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Why a low advertised price may be a warning sign.
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The
7 questions you must ask, before you invite any cleaning
-
company intoyour home!
"The Consumer’s Inside
Guide To Carpet Cleaning"
Dear Homeowner,
Choosing a carpet cleaner isn’t easy.
Why? Because you’re 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 do you ever find a qualified, competent, professional carpet cleaner?
You
start by reading this special report. In this fact-filled report,
you’ll discover how to avoid four carpet
cleaning rip-offs, 6 mistakes
to avoid when choosing a carpet cleaner, and four steps to a fresh,
clean,
healthy carpet. You’ll also find information about Stainmaster
Carpets that will save you thousands of
pounds.
This report
will give you better understanding of the importance of cleaning,
not just for appearance, but
to insure your family’s health as well.
You’ll now be able to make more informed, intelligent decisions.
HOW TO AVOID 4 CARPET CLEANING RIP-OFFS
RIP-OFF
#1: UNBELIEVABLY LOW PRICE . To some degree, all of us are attracted
by low price
because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet
cleaners use price as the bait for their false
and misleading advertising.
They offer a cheap price- 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 that the dealer was
charging you extra for
the tyres and steering wheel. Carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some
unethical
carpet cleaners would like you to believe.
RIP-OFF #2: BAIT AND
SWITCH. Dual process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing
or heavy preconditioning, followed with hot water extraction cleaning.
Unfortunately, unethical carpet
cleaners often use dual process as
a bait and switch technique. Here’s how it’s done: First they “bait”
you with a basic cleaning (single process) at an unbelievably low
price. Then, when you call, they try
to “switch” you to the more expensive
dual-process cleaning. If you don’t fall for their switch and choose
their basic service, you’ll likely receive poor workmanship using
little or no chemicals, and they will not
guarantee their work.
RIP-OFF#3:
UNSUPPORTED CLAIMS,”THIS CLEANING METHOD IS THE BEST .” You’ll read
this
in almost every ad and hear this from virtually every carpet
cleaner. But remember this; the method
that’s best for you is the
method that achieves your goal. If you want a method that drys quickly,
then
a method that takes a long time to dry isn’t for you. So before
you choose a carpet cleaner, identify
your objectives. Then select
the method that best reaches those objectives.
RIP-OFF #4: OUTDATED BELIEFS,
“HOT WATER DAMAGES YOUR CARPET .” Years ago many
people believed this
was true because their carpets were damaged by so called “Cleaners”
who didn’t
know how to clean properly using hot water. But today,
we know it’s false. By washing and then rinsing
your carpet with hot
water, your carpet is thoroughly cleaned—in the same way that a person
who
showers and then rinses off the dirt and soap will be much
cleaner than the person who takes only a
sponge bath. Obviously, each
carpet cleaner will be biased toward their own cleaning method. And
each
method does have advantages. So I suggest that you look
at what the manufacturers have to say.
Shaw Industries, the largest
carpet manufacturer in the world, recommends hot water extraction
for
cleaning carpets. Many of the other manufacturers are now making
the same recommendation. See
what the warranty for your particular
carpeting requires in order to keep the warranty in effect.
6 COSTLY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CARPET CLEANING
MISCONCEPTION #1 : You should wait as long
as possible before cleaning your carpet.
No. Dirt is an abrasive--like sandpaper. Every time you step on your carpet, you grind dirt into the
carpet fibres. This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife. This cutting causes your carpet
to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last as long as a clean carpet. And while vacuuming helps--
by itself, it is 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 dirt.
No. As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette
smoke, and car exhaust--and hundreds of other chemicals. When you come into your home, you
carry those pollens, bacteria, and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing, and shoes. Not
surprisingly, all those chemicals and toxins wind up in your carpet.
If you have
allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems--one major
source of your
problem could be the pollens, fungus, smoke, and chemicals
in your carpet.
MISCONCEPTION
#3: One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another.
No. The dry cleaning methods--which are dry foam, dry chemical
and dry compound, don’t rinse your
carpet in any way. Instead, they
leave a dirty residue. You might say they clean your carpet only half
way.
The most effective cleaning method is hot water extraction.
Hot water extraction
means a hot water cleaning solution, under high pressure, is forced
into your
carpet and then drawn back out of your carpet. This
allows the dirt, bacteria, and pollens to be broken
up and extracted
from your carpet. Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer,
requires
hot water extraction as the primary method of cleaning
carpets.
Some people believe that hot water damages your carpet, but this isn’t true. By washing and then
rinsing your carpet with hot water, your carpet is thoroughly cleaned.
MISCONCEPTION #4: Having the right equipment
is all a company needs to clean your carpets properly.
Not true.
Many companies own hot water cleaners but very few companies teach
their employees
how to use them properly. This is why it’s important
that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully.
The best cleaning companies
are those that have been certified by the Institute of Inspection,
Cleaning
and Restoration Certification, known as the IICRC. And
the National Carpet Cleaners Association,
known as the NCCA.Before
you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of the company’s
IICRC and NCCA certification.
MISCONCEPTION #5: The company
that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.
No. I’ve seen so many problems arise from lowest-bid companies that I suggest you NEVER hire a
company that quotes the cheapest price. The two most common problems are:
1. The price may not be for the services you
want performed. The company may be equipped to remove
only some of
the dirt from your carpet. But you may want bacteria, fungus, pollens,
and tobacco
residues removed as well.
2. The price you see advertised may not be the
price you pay. Many homeowners have learned that
the low price they
saw advertised lasted only until the carpet cleaner got to their home.
Then they
were pressured into paying a lot more for a variety
of ad-ons. Some carpet cleaners even break the
law by using illegal
bait and switch tactics.
MISCONCEPTION #6 : Any honest
carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price
quote
over the telephone.
I wish this were true, but it isn’t.
Honest, reputable carpet cleaning
companies almost never price carpet cleaning by the room. Instead,
carpet
cleaning is usually priced 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 use an electronic measuring device to calculate
the exact size of the
carpeted area.
WHICH METHOD CLEANS BEST?
Dry foam: The carpet cleaner
applies shampoo to your carpet, allows it to dry, and then, without
rinsing, sucks the dried shampoo into a vacuum. 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 leaves
a dirty residue in
your carpet that causes it to re-soil quickly. This is the major reason
that dry foam is
not too effective.
Absorbent pad (bonnet
cleaning): This method is similar to dry foam, except that the company
sets a large cotton bonnet on your carpet. The rotating motion causes
the bonnet to absorb dirt from
your carpet. Bonnet cleaning is like
trying to use a large cotton towel or mop to rub the dirt out of your
carpet. It’s not very effective because there’s no extraction process.
And if the bonnet isn’t changed for
a clean one frequently enough,
it just smears soil around the carpet.
Dry, absorbent powder : The dry-compound method spreads a
moist, absorbent powder throughout
your carpet. The powder is allowed
to dry and then sucked into a vacuum. This method leaves dry
sponge
particles at the base of the carpet yarn. And because the carpet is
not rinsed, this method is
not very effective.
Hot water extraction :
This is a fancy way of saying that a hot water cleaning solution under
high
pressure is forced into your carpet and then drawn out of your
carpet.
In a recent Technical
Bulletin, Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer,
“recommends
the hot water extraction system, which research indicates
provides the best capability for cleaning.”
No question,
the most effective way to clean carpeting is with hot-water extraction
equipment. It’s the
most powerful cleaning equipment on the market,
and the only equipment that cleans your carpet of
dirt, harmful bacteria,
fungus, chemicals, pollens, and tobacco residue.
Some people believe that hot water damages your carpet,
but this isn’t true. By washing and then
rinsing your carpet with
hot water, we clean your carpet completely--in the same way that the
person
who showers and then rinses of the dirt and soap will be much
cleaner than the person who takes only
a sponge bath.
SIX MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN CHOOSING A CARPET CLEANER
MISTAKE #1: Choosing a carpet cleaner
based on equipment alone. No question, your carpet cleaner
needs
first-rate equipment. But they also need something else. They need
technicians who are skilled
at operating the equipment. Many
companies own hot-water extractors, but very few companies teach
their
employees how to use them properly. The best way to know that the
carpet cleaner’s employees
have been properly trained is to make sure
the cleaner has been certified by the Institute of Inspection,
Cleaning
and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and NCCA. Before you choose
a carpet cleaner, ask to
see written proof of their IICRC and NCCA
certification.
MISTAKE #2: Choosing a carpet cleaner
based on low price. Low price could be a problem in three
ways: (1)
Low price 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 price can be for single-process
cleaning.
Rarely does the consumer know what this means and, when told, asks
for dual-process
cleaning instead, which costs much more. (3)
Low price means the carpet cleaner has cheap
equipment, which will
not effectively clean your carpet.
MISTAKE #3: Choosing
a carpet cleaner based on a single telephone call. Instead, invite
them to your
home and ask for a specific price quotation. Then
you’ll know exactly what the carpet cleaner
recommends--and you
won’t be the victim of high-pressure sales tactics when the technician
steps
into your living room.
MISTAKE
#4: Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee.
In my view, every
carpet cleaning company should be fully accountable
for their work. And if you aren’t pleased with the
job, you shouldn’t
have to pay for it. Period! Not all carpet cleaners offer a guarantee.
Or, if they do, the
guarantee may be “limited.” Ask the carpet cleaner
if they offer a complete money-back guarantee.
MISTAKE #5: Choosing a carpet
cleaner without getting comments from his other clients. Any carpet
cleaner can say anything about his past jobs. And, sadly, some of
what they say may not be true.
Make sure you ask for references or
read comments from current customers so you can depend on the
carpet
cleaner and their work. Any carpet cleaner that does quality work
should be able to provide you
with comments from their clients.
MISTAKE #6: Choosing a carpet cleaner who isn’t
certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and
Restoration
Certification (IICRC) and NCCA. If your carpet cleaner isn’t a close
friend, you may not
know whether they have the knowledge or experience
to clean your carpet well. If you want to be sure
you’re hiring a
competent professional, make sure they are IICRC and NCCA certified.
The carpet
cleaner must earn that certification through study, experience,
and the successful completion of formal,
written examinations.
In effect, cleaners who are certified by the IICRC and NCCA have earned
a
college degree in carpet cleaning.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUE AND PRICE
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. When you
select a carpet cleaner, you’ll choose from a
wide variety of cleaning
methods and prices.
Shaw Industries, the world’s largest
carpet manufacturer, recommends hot water extraction by certified
technicians.
And here’s why hot
water extraction is recommended:
1. It uses hot water. For every 18 degree increase in temperature
above 118 degrees F, you double the
water’s cleaning ability.
So, if the water temperature is 136 degrees F, it will clean twice
as well as
water that is 118 degrees F and 154 degree water will clean
four times as well 118 degree water, and
so on.
2. It shoots the cleaning solution into your carpet at a high
pressure, which breaks up the dirt, bacteria,
chemicals, and
pollens.
3. The equipment uses strong suction to draw the dirt,
chemicals, bacteria, pollens, and tobacco smoke
residue out of your
carpet.
Not surprisingly, having your carpets
cleaned thoroughly by a qualified and certified technician that uses
hot
water extraction, costs more than renting a shampooer at the corner
grocery store.
If you bought the cheapest
carpeting you could find, then renting a small shampooer might be
all you
need. No question, it will get out some of the dirt--but the
key word here is “some.” It will not get out
many of the pollens,
chemicals, bacteria, and tobacco smoke residues. But your carpets
will re-soil
much more quickly
On
the other hand, if you bought high quality carpeting--if you want
it to look good and give you years
of dependable service--then you
need to take extra good care of it. This means you need to have it
cleaned by a skilled, qualified technician at least every six months
to one year, depending on the
amount of soiling and foot traffic it
receives. And you need to have it cleaned thoroughly and disinfected,
as only a hot water extraction machine can do.
DO YOU WANT A CLEAN, HEALTHY CARPET?
Which is more important to you: a clean carpet--or a clean
and healthy carpet? Yes, I assure you, there
is a big difference.
Each carpet cleaning method has
advantages and disadvantages. Some methods will get out only
the dirt.
Other methods will get out dirt and grease. Still others will get
out virtually everything. And,
to be sure, some are more expensive
than others.
If
all you want is a cheap, rinse-the-dirt-off-the-top cleaning--then
I respectfully ask that you call another
company. But if you
want to protect your health--if you want to protect your investment
in carpeting--if
you want to protect your family from countless bacteria,
fungus, pollens, and tobacco smoke residues
in your carpet, then
you’re invited to call my company.
The steam extraction, hot water equipment
that I use is the most effective cleaning system available
today.
Likewise it’s one of the more expensive units on the market. But I
bought this equipment for a
good reason: More and more families want
the good-health benefits that come from having a fresh, clean
carpet.
Have you ever seen how dirty a child’s pants get
when they play outdoors? If you have, then you know
you can brush
off their pants and make them think they’re clean. Or, if you want
the job done right, you
can machine wash them in hot water and detergent
and you’ll KNOW they’re clean.
The same is true for your carpet. You can hire someone for who
will “brush off” your carpeting and make
you think it’s clean. Or,
if you want the job done right, we’ll wash your carpets with hot water
and
detergent using our state-of-the-art cleaning equipment and you’ll
KNOW they’re clean.
So if you want a thoroughly cleaned carpet--if you’re
willing to invest in your family’s good health--you’re
invited to
call me. You’ll receive an exact written price quote, at no cost or
obligation. And if you give
me the go-ahead, you’re further protected
by my…
100% NO-RISK GUARANTEE
As the owner of Maestro Cleaning, I want you to be super-pleased--in
fact, absolutely delighted--with
every carpet and upholstery job we
do. So every job comes with my iron-clad, risk-free guarantee. What
does
this mean? Simply this: If you aren’t happy, you don’t pay! Not one
cent. Many companies don’t
guarantee their work. But at Maestro Cleaning,
nothing is more important than your complete and total
satisfaction.
I stand behind every job 100%. If you ever have any questions or concerns
about our work,
please call my office right away: The number
is 0151 336 8634.
4 STEPS TO A FRESH, CLEAN, HEALTHY CARPET
If you’re thinking
about having your carpets cleaned, I encourage you to follow these
four steps:
STEP #1: Make a commitment to yourself to get
your carpets cleaned. The longer they remain dirty, the
sooner
they’ll wear out. Plus the longer you have to breathe all the pollens,
fungus, and chemicals that
hide in your carpet.
STEP
#2: List your objectives. Do you want only the dirt removed, something
you could do with a rented shampooer. Or do you want all the bacteria,
fungus, and chemicals removed, which will require hot water extraction
cleaner such as I use. Do you want to work with an honest, reputable
company--or are you willing to risk working with the company that
offers you the lowest price--knowing that the company might not be
in business tomorrow.
Step #2: List your objectives. Do you want only part of the dirt removed, something you could do with a rented shampooer. Or do you want all the bacteria, fungus, chemicals and dust mites removed, which will require a powerful professional hot water cleaner like the ones we use. Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company - or are you willing to risk working with a company that offers you the lowest price - knowing that the company might not be in business tomorrow.
Step #3: Ask questions. The way you learn about a company is to ask specific questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are eight tough questions to ask a carpet cleaner before he begins to clean your carpet:
- What method of carpet cleaning do you recommend?
- What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet?
- What will your equipment remove from my carpet?
- How often should I get my carpets cleaned?
- What training have you had in cleaning carpets?
- Are you a member of the trade organisations NCCA or IICRC and will you show your certificates?
- Are your Technicians certified and can I see their training certificates?
Step #4: Once you're satisfied that you're working with an honest, competent professional. invite him 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 wil cost - no surprises.
By followin these four steps, you'll gain all the information you need to make an informed, intelligent decision. If you want a quick, cheap carpet cleaning job, many companies in the phone book can help you. Or you can rent a shampooer from the grocery store and do the job yourself.
But if you want your carpets to be completely and "safely" clean and healthy we invite you to call us.
We'll be happy to answer your questions - come into your home and give you a free written quotation - without obligation or cost of any kind.
You Get The Most Thorough Cleaning Ever- or it's FREE!
Special Report: