What are the benefits of professional carpet cleaning?
So why should you hire a professional carpet cleaning service? Let's have a look at some of the main benefits you can expect:
Remove stains
Whether you have a home carpet which is in need of a good clean, or manage a retail site which is frequently used, stains can appear that are difficult to shift using normal household cleaning products. Professional carpet cleaning can be highly effective in the removal of stains such as wine or coffee spills, mud and dirt, pet stains, and ink.
Remove smells
Lingering odours in your home or business can be really unpleasant. Often, they are the result of germs which become trapped in your carpet. When household cleaning products do not manage to shift a bad smell, professional carpet cleaning can be the answer, getting rid of the offending odour for good, without damaging carpets or rugs which are delicate. The power of the machines used by professionals, allied with their special formulas and hot water, can mean that they do a better job of eliminating the source of bad smells.
Remove dirt and dust build-up
Vacuuming can be effective for your weekly clean, but you should know that a hoover is typically only capable of removing surface dirt. To shift dirt and debris which has become embedded in the fibres of your carpet, professional carpet cleaning can be an ideal periodical solution. Removing this dirt and debris is important not only aesthetically, but also to avoid accelerated carpet wear.
Remove allergens and bacteria
Professional carpet cleaning can combat allergens and bacteria. Bacteria can be the cause of odours and make breathing difficult for those with conditions such as asthma. Methods such as dry cleaning have proven to be highly effective in removing allergens such as dust mite allergen or dog and cat dander which can live deep within carpet fibres. Less allergens in your home or business means less chance of triggering allergies.
Prolong the life of your carpets
Look after your carpets! By getting your carpets cleaned professionally you can increase its lifespan. A carpet is typically one of the more expensive investments you will make in your home or business - so ensure that you are getting the most from it. Having to change your carpets every few years can hit you in the pocket; and so, this alone can be a good reason to ensure they are professionally cleaned periodically. Professional cleaning, along with vacuuming daily, will ensure that you are consistently extracting dirt and other residues, reducing wear and tear caused by these particles.
Enhances the appearance of a room
If you have been ignoring the upkeep of your carpet, consider that it is likely to be the largest furnishing in your rooms! And because it typically sees a lot of use, you shouldn't ignore the volume of dirt being transferred to it on a regular basis. When your carpet becomes dirty, old or worn, it can 'bring down' the appearance of a whole room, making it look outdated. Help to ensure the optimum aesthetics in your property by having your carpets professionally cleaned.
How can I remove stains from my carpet?
Are you on a stain removing mission at home or a commercial site? You have several realistic options for getting rid of unsightly marks.
Blot, don’t rub
A key principle of how to clean carpet and rug stains is never to rub. You should work on the stain by blotting, rather than rubbing it. You can do this with a white cloth, and you should ideally start the process when a stain first appears, dabbing to remove excess residue. Take care not to smear the stain in the process of soaking up moisture. Your second round of dabbing should incorporate a stain remover, lifting the stain from the fibres and fabric and onto the cloth. Aim to work from the outside of the stained area towards the middle, so you are not spreading it further. Work with a new cloth each time you blot, so you are not transferring the stain back onto the carpet.
Use manufacturer-recommended cleaning products
When attempting to remove stains from your carpet, pay close attention to the type of products which are recommended by the carpet manufacturer. Low quality or budget stain removers may not be recommended for your carpet type. In some cases, your carpet manufacturer may specifically recommend dry cleaning or steam cleaning from a professional service; in which case you should adhere to this advice.
Call a professional carpet cleaner
Whether your carpet manufacturer explicitly advises you to use a professional cleaning service for stain removal, or you have given up trying to remove the offending mark yourself - a professional carpet cleaner can save you a lot of time, or elbow grease! Not only do they offer specialist equipment which can get to work on tough stains far more effectively than you could independently, but in the case of dry cleaning, you can also find that the area of carpet dries a lot quicker.
How can I find the best carpet cleaner near me?
So if you are on the lookout for a professional service cleaner in your locality, how should you go about the search?
Check for qualifications
Firstly, check that they are qualified and accredited. The
Australian Carpet Cleaning Institute (ACCI) gives professional carpet cleaning services certification and runs a trade license program intended to raise industry standards. That means if a company has ACCI accreditation, you can rest assured that it is a trusted services provider, with a formal endorsement from carpet manufacturers. The ACCI was founded in 1994, when the first certification program for professional carpet cleaners in Australia was born. It provides educational programs and support to its members and plays an important quality assurance role in a sector which is largely unregulated.
Get quotes
Use Localsearch to request free quotes from accredited professional carpet cleaning services, and compare them on one convenient platform.
Read reviews for local carpet cleaners
Localsearch can also come in handy for reading reviews of various professional carpet cleaning services, as you assess the best company for you. Often, customer reviews are the most powerful endorsement of a service, allowing you to weight up various provisions such as customer service, speed, and overall satisfaction.
FAQ about carpet cleaning
:Is vacuuming enough to clean my carpets?
No matter how powerful your vacuum cleaner is, there are some things which you cannot easily remove from your carpet. It's not just dirt and debris - carpets can also foster a buildup of dead skin cells and pet dander, which can cause bacteria to spread around your home or commercial site. There are several other limitations of vacuum cleaners when compared to the option of professional carpet cleaning. Vacuuming won't remove isolated stains and spots, can't prevent mould, won't combat odours, and will not protect warranties which state that a carpet should be professionally cleaned.
How often should I hire a professional carpet cleaner?
In general, it is recommended that you have your carpets professionally cleaned every year to 18 months, to ensure it is looking its best. This is a general recommendation, not taking into account factors such as; how frequently a carpet is used, and its material. Carpets which are used more frequently or are made from a fast-wearing material may need to be professionally cleaned every six months to a year. Other factors for determining how often to clean your carpets professionaly include how frequently you vacuum, the colour of a particular carpet, whether anyone in your household or commercial site has allergies, whether you have pets, whether your warranty specifies a particular cleaning schedule or if you allow people to wear shoes in your property.
How long does it take the carpet to dry after professional carpet cleaning?
How long your carpets take to dry following a professional clean will be determined by the method used. After steam cleaning, a carpet can take up to 24 hours to dry out completely. However, it should be noted that with some steam cleaning methods which do not require as much water being used - and less soap or shampoo - your carpets might only take around six hours to dry. When it comes to dry cleaning, your carpet may only need an hour to dry out completely - it should be near enough ready by the time the process is finished.
How can I speed up carpet drying time?
Of course, if you don't want to wait, there are always ways to speed your carpet drying up. This can be done by; keeping your air conditioning on before your professional carpet cleaning service arrives, which can serve to lower the indoor air's humidity and help with the evaporation; a dehumidifier, which is able to remove moisture from the air and speed up the drying process via the redirection of humid air; or opening the windows in your home and running fans, which works to a lesser extent but can be effective. Another way of slashing the drying time is to have your carpets cleaned professionally more regularly. This is because dirtier carpets need more water when being cleaned, and so will take longer to dry.
How much does it cost to hire a professional carpet cleaner?
So what about carpet cleaning prices in Australia? There are many factors which come into play when considering the cost of a professional carpet cleaning service. The rate which you end up paying can depend on; the scale of the job, including the number of carpets which you need cleaning and the size of the site; the area which you live in; the type of professional carpet cleaning services which are offered by a particular company; and where the company itself is based, as if there are extra travel costs involved for them to reach you, this could bump up the cost considerably.
The rate you pay can also come down to how the pricing is structured. Some professional carpet cleaning companies can charge by the room, offering a flat rate for each space in your home. Some smaller rooms may be counted as half a room. Some providers may charge you extra if any moving of furniture is necessary. So, you could choose to move items such as sofas and wardrobes yourself in order to keep costs down.
So let's cut to the chase - what can Australian customers expect to pay to have their carpets cleaned? As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to pay anything from around 35 AUD for a small, single-room job, to over 100 AUD for larger assignments.
Are carpet cleaning products eco-friendly?
There are certainly eco-friendly carpet cleaning options available to you, although not all products are kind to the environment. There are eco-friendly steam cleaning options, and this is considered to be the 'greenest' standard professional option. Steam cleaning can use formulas which are activated with hot water.
If you are doing a DIY cleaning job, there are several natural spot treatments on the market, which can allow you to tackle a relatively small problem area with substances that are typically available around your house, such as; cornmeal for great, club soda for a coffee stain, and salt for wine. Then there are ranges of eco-friendly carpet and rug shampoo which are designed for home use. These can be bought in supermarkets or homeware stores.
Is a cheap carpet cleaner best?
So which is the best carpet cleaner for you? Whether you opt for a 'budget' carpet cleaning service is likely to come down to your priorities. If getting the job done at the lowest price possible is what you care about, ensure you are you should look for rock bottom rates from an ACCI accredited professional carpet cleaner. If a range of cleaning method choices or the ability to respond to short notice call outs matters more to you, then you might be happier to pay a higher price for a service which ticks those boxes.
We hope that this resource on professional carpet cleaning services in Australia was useful for you. Remember to select your service carefully, and take note of customer reviews, as well as the ACCI's accreditation program.