Most people think of their carpet as just some floor covering and there are people that believe
they can do it themselves. Department stores sell machines which claim to clean deeply with
hot water. Rental machines are available which advertise easy cleaning at a fraction of the
cost. Your total financial outlay might be about $60-$80. If you are satisfied with the type of
job these "do it yourself" (DIY) machines provide then I invite you to call me if you have any
questions about how to use it. There are many reasons however, why doing it yourself may
not be the best choice. As a professional in this industry I feel obligated to present the pros
and cons so that you can may a wise choice.
The best thing about having someone else clean your carpets and upholstery is simply that
Someone Else Is Doing the Cleaning!
How much is your time worth? When renting, you will have to pick up the machine, figure
out how it works, practice a little, actually do the cleaning moving the furniture etc, clean the
machine and take it back. Don't skip to quickly past that part where "you actually so the
cleaning". These DIY machines are not designed with ease of use in mind. The handles are low
making it hard on the back, it needs to be moved slowly taking up to an hour to do one room
properly, mixing the soaps and dumping the dirty water isn't exactly the most fun thing to do
after a long week at work!
Whereas my clients have often sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee or relaxed on their deck with a
cold drink on a hot day. What would you rather do?
Can these machines really do the job? Again it depends on what your needs are. In my
experience a DIY machine usually makes things worse. Two examples distinctly comes to
mind and I wish I had taken pictures!
1. A rental house for sale, light blue carpets, last cleaned who knows when. Someone brought
in a Rug Doctor. They got as far as the Dining Room - it turned mud brown!! All the soil still
in the carpet turned to mud and wicked up. I was called in to restore it. I would like to tell
you I made it look as good as new but I can't. My dry-vacuum hardly removed any soil from
that room, and a slight tinge of brown was left on the fibers. Now if I had been called in first....
2. A newly purchased house, light green carpets. I was to clean the carpets for the new owner
before he moved in because of pet smells and hair etc. The previous owner thought he would
be "nice" and clean the carpets before he left, with a DIY machine. He was just finishing when
we arrived. He said the carpets were clean and would be dry in two hours. What I saw and
smelt was not clean, at least not in my experience; brown streaks in the carpet, musty dog
smell throughout. We used an carpet air mover (those big fans used in flood jobs) to dry the
carpets! It was a mess.
DIY Machines Just Aren't Designed for Wall to Wall Cleaning
Their best use is for emergency spotting. A child or pet gets sick on the carpet, drop some
food, spill some wine, these events happen with no notice and you need to get them cleaned
up as fast as possible. With a DIY machine spots and accidents can be cleaned up in virtually
no time at virtually no expense. But for wall to wall cleaning, even a cheap cleaner can do a
better job, saving you a lot of work.
What about your warrantee? If you have an old carpet that you are planning on throwing out
soon, a rental might be adequate. If you have brand new carpet, cleaning with a DIY machine
will void your warrantee. All warrantees have conditions and most carpet warrantees require a
professional cleaning every 12 to 18 months and that you provide proof of proper
maintenance. A professional carpet cleaning company keeps accurate records and can provide
these upon request.
The end result is not the same! There are people that are quite happy with the result of a DIY
machine. However, like people that live with a headache for years, they never knew they had
a headache till it was gone. Once my clients saw the difference between professional and DIY
they don't try to clean it themselves again.
One of my last clients had been cleaning their carpets with a DIY machine for the past 10 yrs.
They had one of these "Splash and Dash" cleaners, he tried to up-sell them, did a lousy job
and left the carpets wet for 3 days! After that they didn't trust "professionals". I was called in
Winter of 2005. He just couldn't physically do it anymore. After I finished they said it hasn't
looked that good since the day it was first laid. Areas of the carpet were dry by the time I left.
I wouldn't be surprised if the DIY machine they own was gone by the time I clean it again.
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Home Cleaners/Rental Cleaners
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