Not all carpet cleaners
are the same. Choosing a professional rug cleaner
is a much more involved decision than you may realize. Rug
cleaning is an unregulated industry with far too many unscrupulous
individuals posing as professionals. A very small percentage
of carpet cleaners are actually even trained and certified
to clean carpet, not to mention rugs, upholstery or any
other surface in your home or business.
It is very important that you find a professional cleaner
who has been properly trained, insured and experienced.
If you do not, you may have saved yourself a few dollars
on the cleaning, but may end up having to pay thousands
to repair or replace carpets that have been damaged or even
ruined by improper cleaning methods and inexperienced cleaners.
Below are some key points to consider when choosing your
professional carpet cleaner.
1. IICRC CERTIFIED
FIRM
 Use
of an IICRC Certified Firm is either recommended or required
by most major Carpet Manufacturers. Certified Firms are
committed to provide cleaning and restoration services based
on the highest standard of honesty and integrity, pledge
to carry adequate liability insurance, and to implement
quality assurance programs. Carpet and fabric manufacturers
prefer IICRC Certified Firms
EcoClean Carpet Care, registered
with the IICRC as a Certified Firm, has earned the right
to display the IICRC Logo and symbol of quality by meeting
rigorous standards of business ethics and expertise., and
attending comprehensive training programs.
2. IICRC CERTIFIED MASTER TEXTILE
CLEANER
If you want the very best, you want an IICRC Master Textile
Cleaner!
Master Textile Cleaner
(MTC) is an advanced designation by the IICRC of knowledge
and training in cleaning and restoration that is respected
and recognized internationally by fiber producers, carpet
and fabric manufacturers, and insurance company representatives.
Make sure your carpet cleaner has a current, valid IICRC
Certification Card, issued by the Institute of Inspection,
Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) with AT
LEAST ONE certification, preferably in the specific
area of work he/she is performing for you. Each category
of certification has its own unique requirements and certification
process, covering specific areas of expertise. These designations
are earned through formal study, field experience, and successful
completion of written examination. In all cases, an individual
must attend an IICRC- approved school, successfully complete
a written examination, and document his or her skills in
the subject. IICRC Certified Cleaning Technicians are required
to maintain and further their education; to learn about
the latest in technology and techniques.
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning,
and Restoration Certification Board of Directors recognizes
Mark Cermak and Andrechelle Cermak of EcoClean Carpet Care
for having completed the highest technician level of certification
through the IICRC including continuing education and meeting
the requirements of the Institute as Master Textile Cleaners.
3. CARPET AND RUG INSTITUTE
 Most
major carpet manufacturers now require the use of specific
cleaning systems, including equipment and cleaning solutions
that have been tested and approved by the Carpet and Rug
Institute (CRI)
Industry Research by the Carpet Manufacturers has shown
that the majority of
WARRANTY CLAIMS ARE THE RESULT OF POOR OR IMPROPER CLEANING.
Because the majority of these costly warranty issues are
a result of poor or improper maintenance by the consumers,
Carpet Mills are now REQUIRING THE CONSUMER FOLLOW SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS FOR CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE - Most Consumers
are not even aware of these requirements!
EcoClean Carpet Care, has been recognized
by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) (www.carpet-rug.org)
as a Seal of Approval Service Provider – the carpet
cleaning industry’s most important certification.
This prestigious designation is reserved for only those
firms using carpet cleaning systems and products that pass
the industry’s highest standards of excellence.
EcoClean is proud to be one of only
227 companies nationwide to be awarded "APPROVED SERVICE
PROVIDER" status for all the major brands of Carpet
manufactured in America including Mohawk, Shaw, and Beaulieu.
We are the FIRST and ONLY CRI approved service provider
in NorthEast Ohio.
4. WHO ACTUALLY CLEANS YOUR HOME
or BUSINESS?
 The
person performing the cleaning is the single most important
factor in getting a "good" carpet cleaning. Make
sure to ask whether the company owners, or employees or
sub contactors perform the cleaning in your home or business.
No one will work harder for you than the company owners.
If referred to a multi-truck company, be sure to get the
name of the employee that performed well. Quality can vary
greatly even within one company, depending on which employee
is sent to your home.
Some companies are actually just marketing companies (not
a carpet cleaning company). They advertize, book the cleaning
jobs and then send a local sub contractor to your home to
do the cleaning. The "marketing" company that
booked the job has no control over the sub contractor who
is in your home. If the sub contractor performs poorly,
breaks or steals something,
We do not send employees or sub contractors
to your home. The company owners, certified Master Textile
Cleaners, come to clean your Northeast Ohio home or business.
No other local company sends 2 Masters carpet cleaners,
in fact there are only 3 Masters (MTC) in this entire
area, and we are 2 of them!
5. WHAT IS THE STANDARD DRYING
TIME WHEN CARPET IS CLEANED?
 Industry
standards state that carpet should dry within six to eight
hours or less, and should never stay damp more than 24 hours,
or microbial growth and odor may occur.
Carpet cleaning machines - and operators - vary in their
ability to control wetting, to properly extract solution
and soil, and to implement drying procedures both during
and after cleaning. The Carpet and Rug Institute evaluates
equipment to determine how well it cleans and removes moisture.
IICRC-Certified Firms provide technicians with on-going
education and training in effective carpet cleaning and
drying.
EcoClean's dry time averages 15-60
MINUTES. Yes you read that right. DEEP cleaning that DRIES
IN MINUTES, not hours or even days! No matter which carpet
cleaning system is used to clean your carpet, we get it
clean and we get it dry!
6. WHICH IS BETTER STEAM CLEANING
OR DRY CLEANING?
CARPET CLEANING METHODS
 Beware
of companies claiming their method or equipment as best
(or that bash other methods). No single method
is the best solution in all situations. All carpet cleaning
methods offer various advantages, but also have some limitations.
No single method is superior to all others. Properly performed
under appropriate conditions, each method can provide satisfactory
results. There are currently five methods of carpet cleaning
available. Some carpets may need a combination of these
methods to enhance the thoroughness of soil removal.
To achieve maximum cleaning results with any of the carpet
cleaning methods, certain procedural guidelines must be
followed. These guidelines are called the IICRC S100;
Carpet Cleaning Standard, The Standard Reference Guide for
Professional On- Location Cleaning of Installed Textile
Floor Covering Materials.
 Look
for a company that offers more than one carpet cleaning
method, but realize the most important factor in
good carpet cleaning is the person perfoming the cleaning,
not the particular equipment or method used. An educated,
experienced, dedicated professional carpet cleaner can get
your carpet clean with any of the accepted methods. The
"bigger" truck is not always an indication of
the best cleaner. Many companies own powerful carpet cleaning
machines but very few companies teach their employees how
to use them properly.
Many carpet cleaners simply recommend a particular cleaning
method because it is the only one they happen to use. Would
you want a carpenter that used only a hammer to fix everything?
This is why it's important that you choose your carpet cleaner
carefully.
The experts at EcoClean Carpet Care
are knowledgeable in all methods of cleaning and will know
exactly which cleaning method is best suited for your carpets
particular cleaning needs. We have been involved with the
IICRC S100 Committee in writing new updated S100 Carpet
Cleaning Standards. We know the standards set in our industry
for maintaining your carpet and upholstery and we exceed
them.
7. PRICE vs VALUE
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. Carpet cleaning
is really no different then anything else, you get what
you pay for.
When you select a carpet cleaner, you'll choose from a
wide variety of cleaning methods and prices. You spend a
lot of time in your home and a lot of money on your carpet,
rugs and furnishings. Don't waste your money on cheap cleaning!
Cheap cleaning is not good, and good cleaning is not cheap.
Choosing a carpet cleaner based soley on price is a very
bad idea. Beware of any carpet cleaner that makes excessive
promises and gives a firm price over the phone. Remember,
phone estimates are just that…estimates. Does the
offer sound too good to be true? Then it probably is. Misleading
advertizing and sales tactics are common and can attract
you to unreputable companies.
The price you may see advertised might not be the price
you pay. Many homeowners have learned that the low price
they saw advertised lasted only until the carpet cleaner
got into their home. Then they were pressured into paying
a lot more for a variety of add-ons. (Some carpet cleaners
even break the law by using illegal bait and switch tactics)
8. AFFILIATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS
 Affiliation
with a professional organization can indicate that the carpet
cleaner stays abreast of changes in the industry and is
able to give you access to the latest information and methods.
It also indicates that they maintain certain standards of
professionalism. For example, members of the Low Moisture
Carpet Cleaners Association advocate certification in formal
training programs and are generally committed to advancing
their knowledge and quality of services.
The Low Moisture Carpet Cleaners
Association (LMCCA). is an internatioinal trade association
dedicated to setting and improving standards of service
for the carpet cleaning industry and protecting consumers.
EcoClean's owners have served on the Board of Directors
of the LMCCA for years.
9. RESEARCH, REFERENCES, REFERRALS,
REVIEWS, RECOMMENDATIONS.
 "Who
can I trust?" is a common question. Checking with neighbors,
friends, family is a good place to start. Do a little homework
on the company, ask for referneces. Research on the Internet
for references, referrals, reviews, recommendations, and
testimonials.
HouseKeepingChannel.com,
CertifiedCleaners.com,
Carpet
& Rug Institute, MerchantCircle.com,
Google,
Yahoo,
Local-Cleaner.com
10. APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING
CONSIDERATIONS
Expect to have to make an appointment in advance for a
Master Cleaner. Please keep in mind, a carpet cleaning truck
can properly service a couple homes a day, a couple hundred
days a year. This works out to only a few hundred available
cleaning appointments each year.
Same day or next day service will usually only be available
by a carpet cleaning company with employees or sub contractors.
These companies are quantity not quality based and clean
as many as 6-10+ homes per day. They are much more likely
to be able to "squeeze in" an extra job today
or tomorrow for those who did not plan ahead.
Many companies avoid the necessary
steps in the cleaning process because they are always in
a hurry to arrive at their next scheduled appointment. We
never overbook, so that the necessary time and care is taken
at each home or office to ensure the highest level of service
possible. We believe that each step in the cleaning process
is as important as the next one and will not rush through
(or skip) one to get to the next. We will not rush through
the cleaning appointment before yours to get to your home,
same as we will not rush through cleaning your home to get
to the next appointment.
We are the premier carpet, rug and
upholstery cleaners in this area and in great demand. We
are generally booked one to three weeks in advance. Advance
appointments recommended.
We look forward to the privilege of serving you. If
you have any questions, contact us anytime.
Mark & Andrechelle Cermak
IICRC Certified Master Textile Cleaners
EcoClean Carpet Care
440-257-7791
www.EcoCleanCarpet.com
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