Adding Carpet Cleaning to Your Residential Cleaning Business
We recommend you start by educating yourself on the different types of carpet and methods used to clean carpet such as hot water extraction, encapsulation and bonnet cleaning. Also, talk to your local janitorial distributor to learn about the various machines available and their features.
Carpet Cleaning Steps
Following are the basic steps to clean carpet using the hot water extraction method:
- Thoroughly vacuum all the carpet to be cleaned.
- Set up your equipment - fill the extraction machine with hot water, hook up the hoses, and mix your pre-spray and neutralizer.
- Pre-spray the carpet using a white pump up sprayer and give it the appropriate dwell time. Caution: do not let the pre-spray dry out.
- Hook up your carpet machine and start extracting the carpet. Tip: Always overlap each stroke 1 to 2 inches.
- After completing the extraction, go over the carpet with a dry bonnet attached to a slow speed (175 rpm) floor machine. This serves two purposes: 1) it will pick up more soil, and 2) it will help dry the carpet faster as it picks up more moisture from the carpet.
- Neutralize the carpet by spraying on the neutralizing chemical with a black pump up sprayer using an even mist.
- Check for spots/stains that may need additional cleaning and also remove any overspray from baseboards and furniture.
- Set up carpet fans to speed drying time.
- Clean up your equipment so it's ready for the next job.
Tip: Do not put your cleaning chemical into your extraction machine. As fast as the chemical and water shoots through the carpet cleaning wand, the chemical simply doesn't have enough time to work. Rather, use a pre-spray and give it dwell time to loosen the soil for easy removal.
Handling Carpet Cleaning Problems
Some of the most common complaints people have after their carpets have been cleaned is that there are re-occurring spots, the carpet is re-soiling quickly, or there is an odor present. The culprit is usually a problem with moisture.
Over-flooding the carpet during the extraction and/or not drying the carpet quickly enough afterwards can create huge problems. If there is not enough suction to pick up the moisture during extraction, you've probably got an over-flooding situation. If the carpet remained wet too long after the cleaning, not only can the carpet fibers and pads become damaged, but the moisture can also contribute to re-occurring spots, re-soiling, and odor.
Moisture can create issues with mold, mildew and odor causing bacteria. Setting up air mover, fans, ceiling fans, and opening windows (during nice, low humid conditions only) can help to remove any excess moisture and speed up drying time.
Set Customer Expectations for Results of Carpet Cleaning
Be sure to inform your customers on what they can expect after the carpet cleaning. Many times, people think that by cleaning their carpet, it will bring it back to that “new” condition. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. Old carpets, ones that have experienced a great deal of people and pet traffic, or been maintained poorly, may have permanently damaged carpet fibers. When this is the case, there is no way to completely restore it back to its “new” condition.
Discuss with your customers the carpet cleaning procedures, how long it may take, and any special treatments that may be required, such as carpet spotting, and ask if they have any questions or concerns. Make sure to discuss moving furniture or objects away from the area to be extracted before you arrive. You can also provide this service at an additional cost.
Carpet cleaning can be a great source of additional income for your residential cleaning business and provide a safer and healthier environment for your customers. And remember, that because you have invested money in education and equipment, you can charge a higher rate, which means increased profitability for business!
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Cleaning to Perfection - Carpet Cleaning Training Program (PDF Download) If you've never cleaned carpet before, where do you start? First, you should know that carpet cleaning does not have to be difficult or complicated! The Cleaning to Perfection Carpet Cleaning Training Program will take you step-by-step through the three most popular methods of carpet cleaning. |
