Professional Carpet Steam Cleaning...Is It Worth It?

[randomkid]

And what is the going rate these days? We have carpet only in our bedrooms, living room and dining room. It is seriously looking dirty in the master bedroom and the living and dining rooms. The biggest problem is that in the last few months of our dog's life, he was diabetic. Before he was diagnosed, he peed a lot on the carpet - couldn't choose the tile, could he? So, it's esp. dirty in those places despite our best efforts.

Can't really replace it right now, and when we do, it will be some type of hard flooring. So, what are your experiences and what do you think is a reasonable rate? We've tried some self cleaning, but it just doesn't do the trick.

[bubbaray]

Absolutely. We have our own carpet cleaner (Bissell), but professionals (we use Coit) do a MUCH better job. Our trashed family room carpet looked brand new.

[BabyMine]

We have our own and we clean about once a month. We use the company when we want it done quickly and better. We have carpet and tile but we only get the carpet cleaned. For 900sft it runs about $250. We just found a green certified steam cleaner company that we are going to try out.

[kayte]

We need it done too... as the our dog we just lost was on meds that made her loose bladder control near the end, so I will be watching this thread. We only have three carpeted rooms, but are not in a place financially to replace the carpet.

I am curious if those who have had success used companies that just used only steam or if they also used detergent. My neighbor has it done with detergent and honestly I think it looks nice at first but makes things worse within a month. I think they are now dependent on having it done.

[alexsmommy]

Yes.
I don't have it done enough and it's always a shock how much cleaner it looks afterwards and we don't wear shoes inside the house.
Rates vary by where you live - I'd ask around. Sometimes the best and cheapest options are mom and pop places.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Thumbs down to this, imo. I have never been happy. Both times I have had it done, Sears' and Stanley Steamer, things have looked worse very shortly after due to them not getting cleaner all the way out of it. Dirt sticks like crazy to the residue. If it's just steam then it's probably a lot different so verify that. If they use a cleanser of any kind then you might be unhappy over time. It'll probably look awesome right off and some things might look better period but it's a bummer when things look dirtier soon after.

I have to redo all the professional cleaning that was done 3 months ago because it has just looked terrible, getting worse all the time (water stains our couch and the carpet looks dingy). :(

I have had good experiences though. It's just that half of them have been either so-so or just bad.

Beth

[alexsmommy]

Thumbs down to this, imo. I have never been happy. Both times I have had it done, Sears' and Stanley Steamer, things have looked worse very shortly after due to them not getting cleaner all the way out of it. I have had good experiences though. It's just that half of them have been either so-so or just bad.

Beth

This is why I no longer use the "big name" places that could care less about your repeat business. It's so hit or miss with them - sometimes a great team, sometimes a horrid one. I've had great luck with a local place - just three guys who really want repeat business.

[khm]

Do you know a realtor? My realtor has a list of favorites. None are the big companies. We picked one from her list and he's a dream, used him at home and at work. A true "carpet geek". He's awesome. He nearly swooned and the very old wool carpet in my husband's office.

[smiles33]

We have a Hoover steam cleaner but it was such a pain to use and spilled water easily. Thus, we opt for the professional steamer to come in once/year and do the high traffic areas downstairs (where my dog tracks in stuff). Fortunately, my MIL recommended a local one-man shop who only does jobs by referral. He's so good he doesn't need to advertise. The carpet not only looks better but it feels better (we're a no-shoes-inside family). After it's fully dry, it's softer and feels cleaner!

[dukie41181]

DEFINATELY!!!!! We too don't use the "big box" companies. We usually have it professionally done once a year and I always love the results!

[mytwosons]

I know a bit about this since we have a "mom and pop" in the family.

Yes, there is a huge difference between doing it yourself and hiring a professional. The do-it-yourself machines do not get the water hot enough to generate steam, nor do they have suction power needed to adequately pull water out of the carpet.

Very good suggestion to ask your realator for suggestions! They know all the local companies.

Typically, you will get better result with a mom & pop, who want to keep a happy customer base and word of mouth, than with a big chain franchisee.

The company you choose, should have environmentally friendly cleaners available, if that is something you are interested in. They should prespray/pretreat any spot. This can be the only "chemical" they use. They can have a cleaner added into their water tank, but if they do, it should be just a bit so it doesn't leave a residue (which attracts dirt). After the prespray/prespot, they can just use the steam to clean the carpet. The water should be hot enough that it is steam (and not water) cleaning the carpet. The suction on a good machine will pull out a lot of dirt and a lot of the moisture from the steam.

The company should be willing to come back at no charge to address any reappearing spots (sometimes it's hard to tell unless the carpet is completely dry).

Whenever our "mom & pop" cleans the carpet of a new customer, I always hear how the carpet looks new, how thrilled they are, etc, etc. If you aren't thrilled with the results, keep looking.

We havea basic 15 yr old carpet that looks great because we get the traffic areas cleaned every 6 months and everything else cleaned yearly. It looks much better than our neighbor's 4-yr old high end carpet that has never been professionally cleaned.

[randomkid]

Thank you for all your replies! I will start looking for a smaller company and try to find a recommendation. I do know a few realtors and they do have lists. I like the idea of steam only with pretreatment of spots. I had heard about the residue from cleaners attracting dirt and I definitely don't want that happening.

Will start doing my research soon - thanks again!