Called on the Carpet

If your once-gold carpet is now a dingy brown, it might be a good idea to clean it.

Or perhaps you should have cleaned it a long time ago.

“Carpet manufacturers recommend you have your carpets cleaned at least every 12 to 18 months,” said Amy Winslow, a saleswoman at Howard’s Carpet One in Ventura.

Finding a good carpet cleaning company may be as easy as asking your neighbor, whose carpets still match her drapes.

Or you can use the information that came with the new carpet and check the Internet to find a carpet cleaner with the correct certification.

At Steam Master in Thousand Oaks, technicians are certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaner and Restoration Certification and the Carpet and Fabric Institute, said office manager Kathy Sedgwick. That brings them a lot of customers who want to comply with their manufacturers’ warranties, Sedgwick said.

For $139, Steam Master, which has outlets in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura, will treat 600 square feet of “cleanable” space, she said.

That includes only space to be cleaned and not the room size. So if the bedroom is 200 square feet but there is a water bed and large dresser taking up most of that, only the actual carpet that can be cleaned will be counted, she said.

Companies advertising cleaning costs by the number of rooms sometimes count an L-shaped or large room as two, she said.

*

Steam Master’s price also includes removing spots and stains, preconditioning and whatever else it takes to clean the carpet, she said. The technician will tell you if a stain can’t be removed and be honest about the likelihood of pet odors returning, she said.

“Be wary if you have a carpet cleaner start adding more to the cost because of stains or spots,” said Carolyn Berg, office manager for Servpro in Ventura.

Servpro technicians undergo extensive training and are IICRC certified, she said. There are offices in Camarillo, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. Prices may vary but the methods are the same, Berg said.

She said 600 “cleanable” square feet costs about $130 and includes whatever it takes to get the carpet clean, including preconditioning and stain removal.

Both Steam Master and Servpro will visit in advance and give an exact price and explanation of what work will be done.

Karpet King gives estimates over the phone, with costs at $65 for 300 square feet and 25 cents a square foot after that, for a total of $109 for 600 square feet, said customer service representative Sheila Waldie. The price includes a full service with no surprises, Waldie said.

“It does not matter how dirty or how clean it is,” she said.

Karpet King technicians are IICRC and CFI certified.

All three companies use in-truck steam cleaning machines that can heat water up to 230 degrees. All the dirt and grime taken out of the carpet is taken out of the house.

That is different from renting a Rug Doctor Mighty Pack from Albertson’s in Thousand Oaks for $19.99 for 24 hours. By the time a customer rents the machine and the upholstery attachment and buys shampoo and anti-foam solution, it costs about $55 with tax, said lobby supervisor Charlet Hewitt.

The machines are rented on a first-come, first-served basis. All four machines are usually gone for the weekend and two are checked out on most weekdays, she said.

*

Drawbacks include the hassle of picking up and returning the machines, water that isn’t as hot as professionals use and having to use muscles you probably didn’t know you had. You might even leave a soap film that will act as a dirt magnet if you lose interest in your project before rinsing.

But the square footage you can have cleaned is only limited by your energy. If you are ambitious, you can even clean your sofa and stairs--items that would cost extra with a professional carpet cleaner.

Or if you don’t have that much to clean, you could share the machine with your neighbor and split the cost.

In between cleanings, whether professional or do-it-yourself, you should vacuum high traffic areas with a beater-bar type vacuum every couple of days, said Winslow at Howard’s Carpet One. Less-trafficked areas should be vacuumed at least once a week, and stains should be taken care of right away.

*

Nancy Needham writes a weekly consumer column and can be reached at nancy.needham@reporters.net.