The amount of money you pay for cleaning your carpet is entirely up to you. In order to decide how much, you will need to ask yourself some questions, like:

• Should I do it myself?
• Do I want just a quick, cheap carpet cleaning, or do I want a really good cleaning job?
• Do I care about the carpet manufacturers recommendations? Do I need to meet their warranty requirements?
• Do I need to have a guarantee on the job that is done?
• Am I allergic to certain cleaning materials?
• Do I need to have environmentally friendly products and procedures?
• What kind of carpet cleaners do I want in my home? Unscreened? Neophytes? Experienced, Certified professionals?
• How clean do I want my carpets to be?

Clearly, the cheapest way would be for you to do it yourself, but you ought to be aware of the pitfalls. I clean my own carpet, but then, I am a professional carpet cleaner, and so I know what the pros and cons are. If you take the time to learn something about carpet cleaning, then you might save some money by doing it yourself, especially if you vacuum frequently, and are only doing light maintenance cleaning.

Most carpet cleaning websites offer free tips about carpet maintenance and cleaning. You might also visit the

website of The Carpet and Rug Institute for comprehensive information about all aspects of carpet care. Ultimately though, the time will come when you will just have to bite the bullet, and call in a professional,if you want to have clean carpets and a healthy home environment.

Carpet warranties can save the day, if a relevant situation arises, but you will have had to comply with the manufacturer’s requirements. Take the time to read these instructions for your newly installed carpeting, and be diligent in following them. At a minimum, most manufacturers recommend a deep steam cleaning in addition to routine maintenance, at least once every 18 months.

The best carpet cleaning companies will always offer a guarantee on their services. If they cannot clean to your satisfaction, your money will be returned without further obligation. Remember however, that in order to do this, their operation must be professionally organized and control, and thus, will come at a higher cost to you than that of a “fly-by-night” operator.

A good carpet cleaning company, will be able to offer hypoallergenic reagents, and will be proficient in their use and applications. Ask about this. Although it may cost more, it will be worth it if you suffer from any kind of allergies.

Many people nowadays, are very sensitive to environmental issues. It is important to maintain a healthy indoor and outdoor environment both by using appropriate natural organic chemicals, and also by using proper carpet cleaning procedures. Again, many carpet cleaners will charge more for this service. Sometimes they will charge a lot more. You have to decide for yourself how much this will be worth to you.

Carpet cleaners are often required to enter the most private inner sanctums of your home or office. What kind of person would you be comfortable to have there? A cheap carpet cleaning company will usually employ cheap labor without a background check, and therefore impose unnecessary risks on you and your family. Stay away from that.

Finally, if you want the cleanest carpet you can find, get the best professional carpet cleaners you can find. Of course, there are levels and layers in between, but again, you will need to decide for yourself.

The industry experts have determined that the national average price for carpet cleaning is about 30 cents per square foot. Basic prices that I am aware of, range from about 12 cents to over 75 cents per square foot for residential carpet.

Do the research and evaluations, then make your choice.

Victor Nugent is Owner and President of AJS Carpet Cleaning, Inc. with over 10 years experience in the Carpet Cleaning business.

For more information call 801 368-0705 or visit our website at  Carpet Cleaning Salt Lake City

There are many people around who hold strong beliefs about carpet cleaning or upholstery cleaning, that are simply fallacious. These people are not to be blamed however, because these beliefs are quite common and have been propagated widely over the years, sometimes by recognized and established carpet cleaners.

Let us now examine 5 commonly believed fallacies, and debunk the myths.

1. One carpet cleaning method is as good as any other.

There are indeed many carpet cleaning methods used by a wide spectrum of carpet cleaners. The dry cleaning methods employ dry foam, powdered chemicals, carbonation, buffing or shampooing, and leaves the carpet relatively dry. This helps to avoid the problems usually associated with deep cleaning by hot water extraction, which if not done properly, can leave the carpet so wet, that it smells bad and enhances the growth and development of mold. Carpet manufacturers however, hardly ever recommend these dry cleaning methods. They recommend cleaning by hot water extraction from a truck mounted machine, in order to meet their warranty requirements. With modern equipment and enhanced procedures, the carpet can be fully dry relatively quickly, after hot water extraction. This method is superior to any other currently being used.

2. You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.

This was not a bad idea long ago before 5th generation nylon carpet was developed, and when cleaning was done with harsh, highly alkaline chemicals that left a soapy residue and re-soiled quickly afterwards. The cleaning machines were not as efficient either, and cleaning technology was more primitive. Nowadays, with the evolution of highly efficient equipment, chemicals and procedures, every competent professional in the business knows how to avoid these problems.

3. You should only clean carpet and upholstery when they look dirty.

This is not a good idea. All fabric need to be cleaned often since they naturally collect dirt. Many times, most of this dirt cannot be seen easily, but contaminants, allergens and extreme soil can build up and cause health problems, and also damage to the fabric. That is why the manufacturers recommend carpet cleaning by hot water extraction at least annually.

4. Bleach is good for removing stains.

No. Do not use bleach on your carpet. Beach will remove the color.

Most bleaches are oxidizing agents and are sometimes referred to as strippers. They act by transferring oxygen, and sometimes other halogens, to the material and actually changing the property of the material and removing the color. Sometimes a well-trained professional can use it with care to successfully remove a stain that will not come out by any other method, but leave this to the professionals. Otherwise be prepared to pay dearly to re-color or patch the spot.

5. There is a magical space-age stain remover that will take out any spot or stain from fabric.

Don’t believe that. There is no universal solvent that you can use on your carpet or upholstery safely or effectively. Such a miracle product just does not exist. Professionals know that, and that is why they will carry several different kinds of spotters and stain removers on their truck.

Be wary of anyone who propagates these myths.

Check out their credentials and call in a certified carpet cleaning company, with trained, experienced professionals.

Victor Nugent is Owner and President of AJS Carpet Cleaning, Inc. with over 10 years experience in the Carpet Cleaning business.

For more information call 801 368-0705 or visit us at Carpet Cleaning Salt Lake

Or Carpet Cleaning Murray