Frequently Asked Questions
How is Signature Carpet Care different from other hot water extraction or steam cleaning companies?
Signature Carpet Care is Not Any Ordinary Cleaner. Many cleaning companies tout they are “professional cleaners”. Many use words or phrases to convince you they are reputable. We will give you information you need to know to better understand the differences in cleaning companies. We believe that there are 5 areas that must be met for a successful professional cleaning outcome. Remove any one of the five and quality suffers. Signature Carpet Care provides to their clients all five of the ingredients for high quality.
- The Right Equipment. Carpet manufacturer’s recommend steam clean/hot water extraction to get your carpet the cleanest and to maintain your carpets warrantee. This is what we do. Our high temperature cleaning solutions clean better and rinse better. We use softened water. Soft water cleans better with an added benefit of less cleaning agent needed. Different size vacuum pumps are capable of faster drying. We ordered the oversized vacuum pump for our machine since we also service water damaged carpets that require higher air flow capacity. Even the right equipment that is not regularly or properly maintained will cause problems. Poor maintenance or poor cleaning of the vacuums in-line filter system will leave carpets too wet. We have two in-line filter systems for our vacuum pump. Dust, carpet fibers, pet hair will fill these in-line vacuum filters, sometimes quickly. We can easily replace our filter quickly to provide maximum airflow for every job. We have high standards of maintenance for our equipment to give you the best results.
- Cleaning Agents. There is a wide variety of inferior cleaning agents available. We can outperform many cleaning companies because our cleaning product excels compared to what they are using. Our cleaning solutions are safe for children, pets, and even for allergy sensitive clients
- Technique. Improper cleaning techniques and poor training make the difference in the final outcome of the cleaning job. New clients state that over wetting was a common problem with previous cleaners. This is a result of bad cleaning technique. We give you a more thorough cleaning and never leave your carpets soaking wet. We follow our high standards of cleaning technique for optimum results. Improper cleaning technique will absolutely result in poor results. Even if someone has good equipment, good cleaning agents and a good attitude about their work, does not necessarily mean the technician knows how to clean right. Being properly trained and IICRC certified with continued education adds to our advanced cleaning technique.
- The Technician. Even a technician with good equipment, good cleaning agents and good training techniques will do a poor job if he has a bad attitude about his work. If the technician is not exceptional, it will show. We take pride in our reputation of consistent high quality workmanship year after year. Also, what about the technician? Can you trust this person in the privacy of your home? Signature Carpet Care has a reputation of being trustworthy.
- Company Philosophy. Many cleaning companies are profit driven only. Many companies have a lot of employee turnover. Many technicians are not experienced or qualified and are put in charge of their own truck prematurely. They pay their techs commissions to up sell deodorizers, carpet protectors, spotters and other items. There is nothing wrong with these items if the items are really needed or even necessary. Unfortunately, if the customer declines, the tech does not make any money and is prone to give a quick cleaning job. Many lower priced oriented companies overload their technicians with to many jobs to be done in one day, leaving the technicians with no other choice but to go quickly. Signature Carpet Care recognizes that there is a need for our quality service by particular homeowners. We have offered our personalized and family owned cleaning services for over 23 years experience. Some people have never heard of “Signature Carpet Care”. We do minimal advertising since we stay busy with our repeat clients and their referrals.We are not interested in becoming a large cleaning company with a large staff to “baby sit.” Quite honestly we aren’t rookies anymore, we know what we’re doing and we do it very well. This is very important to our type of clientele. We are particular and spend more time to truly thoroughly clean better. Many cleaners go for speed and only give you one or two cleaning passes, which just isn’t enough. Main traffic areas need several slower cleaning passes. We give extra attention to edge work. We use our smaller hand tool to be more detailed in small tight areas. We are careful along the baseboards and furniture that is being cleaned around such as a china cabinet or entertainment center. We provide fast drying times. By taking more effort with extra vacuum strokes and using fans, we have areas almost dried before we leave. Our clients love us for providing a quickly dried carpet. Your carpet and upholstery is safe with us from over wetting. Being owner/operators, we have a vested interest in providing excellent results. This is not a part time or job between jobs for us. We also offer our 100% money back guarantee. If you are not happy for any reason we will come back and clean again for free.
Concerned about cost?
Let me start right now by telling you we are NOT the cheapest cleaner in town. Quality minded clients seek out our services. Some people are so caught up on price only that they are easy targets for low quality cleaning companies. We cater to clients who care about their home and expect top-notch service. Our clients are aware there are cheaper advertised prices but they know from experience that “you really do get what you pay for.” They are willing to pay more for our service since their high expectations are met. Many new clients state how they felt they wasted their money on a cheaper service because the cleaning company went so quickly through the job. We do not rush our work! We will give you more cleaning passes and take more effort with extra vacuum passes to be sure your carpet dries fast. You will get your money’s worth from us. No other carpet cleaner in Utah offers this much personalized service and attention to quality for the price. “In this day and age, quality and low price are two entities that rarely come as a pair”. This statement is especially true when it comes to carpet cleaning services. All cleaning companies know what they’re worth and they price their services accordingly.
Would you buy the cheapest carpet available for your home? Of course not. You wouldn’t get a quality, long lasting carpet. So why settle for the cheapest priced cleaning of such a quality item. In the end, low priced, low quality cleaning, will actually damage a fine quality carpet. We’ve seen damage many times. So what have you really saved? We also notice that do it yourself machines and the cleaning agent used by the homeowner leaves a residue that actually attracts soil faster than if it were not cleaned at all. Remember, we offer “The Most Thorough Cleaning Ever, or It’s FREE!”. When we’re referred by friends, neighbors and relatives, they tell each other that we cost more but we’re definitely worth it.
Why does low priced carpet cleaning often leave you shortchanged?
- Volume: Low price cleaners survive on volume – which means get in and get out fast! If your carpet cleaner isn’t taking the time to pre-treat soiled areas, spot clean stains and thoroughly rinse cleaning solutions and soils from your carpet, then you’re being shortchanged.
- Employees: Low price cleaners cannot afford to pay wages that attract long term dependable employees. High employee turnover is common and leads to poor quality workmanship from under-trained cleaners. It takes time and experience to become a top notch cleaning technician. If you see a constant stream of new faces from your cleaning company, chances are you’re being shortchanged.
- Low Quality Equipment: Low price cleaners must survive on slim profit margins. This often leads to using low quality cleaning agents and equipment that’s in disrepair. Such agents and equipment cannot perform a quality job. If your cleaning company isn’t using the best available cleaning agents or equipment, you’re being shortchanged.
- Technology/Education: Low priced cleaners often do not have the time, money or man power to invest in technology. Carpet cleaning technology is constantly evolving with new equipment, safer more effective products and advanced cleaning techniques. Formal education of technicians is very costly, but necessary; to ensure you are getting your money’s worth. If your cleaning company does not belong to trade associations, subscribe to industry journals, and take part in seminars and formal training courses…you’re being shortchanged.
- Guarantees: We’re all familiar with the saying, “A guarantee is only as good as the company that stands behind it”. If your cleaning company doesn’t have a track record that says they’ll be available today, tomorrow and more importantly next year to stand behind their work…you’re being shortchanged.
- Premature Replacement: The number one reason carpets are replaced prematurely is due to wear caused by inefficient cleaning. Poor cleaning leaves dirt and grit behind that act as an abrasive to carpet fibers. This leads to wear patterns and ugly traffic lanes. Most quality carpeting is designed to last at least 15 years, however if you’re considering replacement after 3 or 5 years, then poor cleaning is costing you many times more than you could ever hope to save by using a low priced cleaning company. Most homeowners don’t realize that vacuuming a least 3 times a week can help to preserve your carpet longer and keep it looking great.
How often should my carpet and upholstery be cleaned?
StainMaster recommends professional cleaning at least every 12 months. Hot water extraction to refresh carpet texture, performed by a trained, qualified carpet professional, is required at least every 18-24 months for coverage under their warranty. If carpet and upholstery is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore will be more effective and more successful. Allowing them to become overly soiled can result in irreversible damage.
Your cleaning frequency is dependent on a number of factors including your lifestyle, kids, pets, color choices, housekeeping, and your level of spot cleaning success, to name a few. A good rule of thumb is to clean all carpet traffic lanes and frequently used upholstery at least once per year. Some high use areas such as family rooms, dining rooms, halls, steps and baths may require cleaning more often, perhaps every 4-6 months. We will evaluate your carpet condition and answer all your questions while we are there to determine what your carpet cleaning needs are.
Why should I have my carpet and upholstery professionally cleaned?
- Maintenance: A clean carpet will last longer than a soiled carpet. If you follow manufacturers recommendations of cleaning your carpet at least once every 12-18 months from wall to wall and every 6 months for the traffic areas, your carpet can last up to twice as long or longer. Abrasive dry soil that your vacuum cleaner cannot remove will scratch and damage the yarns. If you are not vacuuming and just cleaning your carpet, that is equivalent to throwing a bucket of water on a pile of dirt and making mud right on your carpet. Proper vacuuming combined with proper steam cleaning will ensure the best results and care for your carpet. You must do both and that is why carpet manufacturers recommend you vacuum your carpets at least 3 times a week. We also include pre-vacuuming in all of our price packages. Many new carpet warranties require professional cleaning and even specify the ‘hot water extraction system’ Signature Carpet Care uses for the greatest soil removal.
- Beautiful Appearance: Spots and soil buildup is unsightly and embarrassing. You can make your carpet look good longer with frequent cleaning and vacuuming. Your trained, experienced, professional from Signature Carpet Care uses the finest products and equipment available for the best spot and soil removal possible. We’re the experts!
- Healthier Home. You home will be kept clean and healthy. Many contaminants fall into your carpet that acts as a large filter. Our method of cleaning extracts these unwanted guests. Indoor air quality is becoming a major concern to your health. Let us explain how carpet can help keep the air you breathe, cleaner. Carpet acts as a large filter, trapping bio-pollutants and contaminants removing them from the breathable air. . However, when these filters (carpet) become full of contaminants, the filters must be cleaned or replaced. Since carpet is the most expensive furnishing in your home or business, cleaning is the recommended first step. Professional cleaning of carpet and rugs not only extends the life of the carpet, but can also help extend the lives of you and your families as well. These contaminants, not thoroughly removed, have the potential to cause a variety of health problems.
- The E.P.A. Says “Until such time as the carpet fibers are cleaned, the potential for human exposure and health risk remains high.” “Every time carpets and fabrics are emptied of their pollution build-up through professional cleaning methods, there is a health benefit.” Regular maintenance programs are your best protection against the buildup of soils, mold spores, dust mites, carpet beetles and all types of pollutants that accumulate in your carpets, upholstery, air ducts and draperies over time.
As a professional carpet & upholstery care company we have invested extensive hours in continuing education, and thousands of dollars in cleaning equipment. Learning about the proper methods, equipment, and materials necessary to provide a service to our customers that produces benefits well beyond nicer looking carpets and furniture. Cleaning provides health benefits that aid in the overall well being of your family.
As modern cleaning professionals we recognize the health concerns of our population and are addressing those concerns through the use of people and pet friendly as well as Earth-friendly cleaning agents. These agents are specifically designed to leave little or no residue in your furnishings.
Protect your family’s health by creating a regular maintenance program that fits easily into your household needs, and budget. And remember that routine professional cleaning is essential to maintaining a healthy home and work environment.
