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Article
Professional Carpet Cleaning

What You Should Expect from a Professional Carpet Cleaner

By The Clean Trust

Categories: Carpets & Flooring
Tagged: Carpet And Rug Institute, Carpet Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning Machines, Carpet Extractors, Carpet Terms, Professional Carpet Cleaning

Question: What are the main steps I can expect a certified professional to take when cleaning my carpet? [Note: Ad links featured on this page are not affiliated with The Clean Trust and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by The Clean Trust.]

 

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The principles of carpet cleaning are listed in The Clean Trust S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning. These include:

  • Dry Soil Removal - thorough vacuuming using an upright vacuum with brush agitation and a high-efficiency double-lined collection bag or final filter.
  • Soil Suspension - There are four fundamentals in soil suspension: application of preconditioning Chemical cleaning agents to separate soil from fibers prior to extraction; using Heat or temperature to speed chemical reactions; Agitation for proper chemical distribution, and dwell Time (allowing the cleaning agents time to dissolve soil) so desired chemical reactions can optimize soil extraction. The acronym "CHAT" makes the fundamentals of soil suspension easier to remember.
    The Clean Trust S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning was first published in 2002. The Clean Trust Standards Committee began to update and fully review the document in 2007, a process that lasted almost two years. It was then sent to an editing committee and reviewed by a legal team. The final Clean Trust S100 document is scheduled for completion in 2010.
  • Soil Extraction - Any method of cleaning must physically remove soils if it is to be successful. Soil removal takes place with dry vacuuming, wet vacuuming, absorption, and rinsing. The most popular deep cleaning method for soil removal among professionals is hot water extraction.
  • Grooming, as necessary - Grooming has little to do with physical soil removal; however, it is needed to eliminate pile distortion and matting, to properly distribute additives, such as carpet protectors, and to create a consistent appearance.
  • Drying - Damp carpet resoils rapidly, creates potential for slip-fall problems and ultimately, can grow bacteria and mold with associated odor.

Seeking a local certified carpet cleaner who understands and applies the proper principles of carpet cleaning? Visit www.certifiedcleaners.org.

The Housekeeping Channel (HC), a for-profit educational LLC, provides the information on HousekeepingChannel.com as a free service to the public. The intent is to disseminate accurate, verified and science-based information on cleaning and housekeeping.

 

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What You Should Expect from a Professional Carpet Cleaner:  Created on October 30th, 2009.  Last Modified on October 24th, 2011

 

About The Clean Trust

The Clean Trust

The Clean Trust, formerly known as The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), is an ANSI-accredited standards setting body for the flooring inspection, floor covering and specialized fabric cleaning and disaster restoration industries. Organized in 1972, The Clean Trust currently represents more than 5,700 Certified Firms and 54,000 Certified Technicians in 22 countries. The Clean Trust, with participation from the entire industry, sets standards for inspection, cleaning and disaster restoration. The Clean Trust does not own schools, employ instructors, produce training materials, or promote specific product brands, cleaning methods or systems. It approves schools and instructors that meet the criteria established by The Clean Trust. The Clean Trust also serves as a consumer referral source for Certified Firms and Inspectors. Visit www.thecleantrust.org.