7 Easy Steps to Prepare your Home for your Professional Carpet Cleaning

Posted by Matt Nelson


It's cleaning day, and you want to get the most from your professional carpet cleaning appointment.

I look forward to serving you and making your carpets and upholstery fresh, clean, and healthy — like new again!

There are only a few things that I ask of you to get ready for cleaning day — and some tips to get the most from your appointment:

1. Please vacuum the carpets that I will be cleaning during your appointment.

To maximize the powerful Hot Water Extraction method of carpet cleaning I use, I prefer you vacuum your carpets right before our appointment. However, if you have a disability or are elderly and it's either hard for you to do or impossible, I’m happy to vacuum for you.

2. Move some of the light furniture off the carpeting.

For medium-sized furniture, I use sliders to move pieces far enough to clean under. I then move it back and place protective plastic sleeves and/or hard foam furniture blocks under the legs or flat base of the piece of furniture off the damp carpet. This prevents rust from forming and prevents stains from being transferred from the furniture legs to the damp carpet.

Protective pads placed under the furniture should remain in place for 48 hours.

Larger furniture, like entertainment centers and oversized furniture of that nature, I typically leave in place. I’m able to clean right up to it. Many of my clients choose to have me clean around the furniture and leave everything in place. In this case, I ask you to remove valuables and breakables from the furniture in the rooms being cleaned.

If we leave the furniture in place, I normally discount the charge for these areas.

3. Protect fragile and valuable items

Please removing breakable items off tabletops — such as picture frames, lamps, vases, family heirlooms, flowers, plants, and other small items.

4. Please keep a parking space free
for my Cleaning Van.

When I arrive, the van-mounted equipment I use has its own gasoline engine, and the exhaust from it blows out the passenger side of the van. Therefore, I would like to park far enough away from your house to ensure that no exhaust fumes reach your house and blow through the door that's slightly open with the vacuum hoses running through.

If you might need to leave with your car when I'm cleaning, it's best to have me park on the opposite side or move it out of the stall I park in front of.

I carry onboard my van 200 gallons of clean, soft water which helps the cleaning process and leaves your carpets feeling softer. Therefore, I rarely ever need to hook up to your water supply.

5. Pin up curtains and dust ruffles

Full-length drapes that touch the carpet should either be pinned up, or you can use coat hangers to slip them through and hang from the curtain rod.

Dust ruffles on beds should be tucked up so that they're not touching the carpet so that I can clean under the edge of your beds.

6. Secure your Pets

If you have pets, it's important to know that the entry door remains ajar several inches the entire time I'm cleaning for the hoses to run to the cleaning equipment. Therefore, if you have pets, it's best to put them in a room I'm not cleaning to ensure they don't get out.

All the cleaning solutions I use are completely extracted out when I'm finished. Still, before cleaning, I pre-spray all of the areas to loosen soil — and if pets walk across the carpet during this time, though the cleaning solutions are completely safe, they'll track soapy footprints everywhere.

7. Prepare for our Pre-Inspection Walk-Through

When I arrive for our cleaning appointment, I ask you to walk me through the entire area to be cleaned — and point out areas where you have concerns — like spots, stains, loose carpet, wrinkles, high-traffic areas, loose tufts/snags, bleach spots, etc.

It's also helpful to know whether the carpet has been either professionally cleaned or cleaned by the homeowner and any issues with those cleanings, such as slow drying, stiffness of the carpet, persistent matted-down traffic lane patterns, etc.

After everything is complete, we'll walk through and see how these areas of concern came out!

That's it.

Thank you!

Your cooperation helps us do a better job for you.

If you have any questions about these preparation steps or anything related to cleaning carpet, upholstery, tile, and grout, and maintaining a healthy home, please feel free to give me a call!

Sincerely,
Matt Nelson

Carpet Cleaning Amery Wisconsin