Every carpet cleaner’s website says much the same thing, which makes choosing between them harder than it should be. These are the ten things actually worth asking about before you hand over your address. They take about five minutes on the phone and they sort the trades from the tyre-kickers.
1. Ask who is certified, not whether the company is
IICRC certification sits with the individual technician, not the business. Plenty of companies say IICRC-certified when one person on the payroll holds a card and the person turning up at your house does not. Ask whether the technician attending your job is certified. Every one of ours is.
2. Find out how long they have been trading
Carpet cleaning has a low barrier to entry and a high turnover of new operators. A business that has been going for decades has seen every carpet type and every failed stain. We have been family-run since 2004, with more than 25 years of experience behind the work.
3. Ask which method they use, and why
Hot water extraction, often called steam cleaning, is what most Australian carpet manufacturers specify in their warranty conditions. Dry and encapsulation methods have their place, mainly in commercial buildings that cannot be closed off. If someone recommends a method, they should be able to tell you why it suits your carpet rather than just why it is what they own.
4. Truck-mounted or portable?
A truck-mounted unit heats water hotter and pulls far more vacuum than a portable machine. More vacuum means less water left behind, which means faster drying and less risk of odour or mould afterwards. Portables are necessary for high-rise work, but for a house at street level, truck-mounted is better.
5. Get the price structure in writing before the day
Ask what the quote covers and what it does not. Common extras that surprise people are stairs, furniture moving, pet treatments and protector. Our pricing starts from $40 to $60 per hour, a two-bedroom home from $120 and a three-bedroom from $150, and we confirm the figure before we start.
6. Be wary of a price that is far below the rest
The very cheap quote usually turns into an upsell in your hallway, or a job done so fast the carpet is barely touched. There is a floor below which nobody can do the work properly and pay a trained technician.
7. Check they are insured
Public liability matters. Carpet cleaning involves hot water and heavy equipment in your house, and if something goes wrong you want it covered by a policy rather than an argument.
8. Ask how long the carpet will take to dry
This one answer tells you a lot. Four to six hours is normal for a well-extracted carpet in reasonable weather. If the answer is a day or two, the equipment is not pulling enough water out.
9. See whether they handle the whole job
Carpet is rarely the only thing that needs doing. A company that also does rugs, upholstery, tile and grout and mattresses saves you booking three trades and paying three call-out fees.
10. Ask what happens if you are not happy
The answer should be simple and immediate: we come back and re-do it. If the answer is vague, that tells you what the follow-up will be like when you actually need it.
Two extra questions for renters
If you are at the end of a lease, ask whether the invoice will name the property address and the date, because that is what property managers want to see. Ask too whether flea treatment can be done on the same visit — most leases with a pet clause require it. Our end of lease carpet cleaning covers both in one appointment.
Getting a quote
Adam’s Carpet Cleaning works across Sydney with IICRC-certified technicians and truck-mounted equipment, and we offer same-day and emergency bookings. Call 1300 309 276, request a free quote or book online. If you have questions before you commit, our frequently asked questions page covers most of them.
