A sofa or a fitted carpet costs a good deal to replace, so it pays to ask a few questions before anyone starts work on it. If you are comparing local cleaning services for upholstery and carpet, this guide sets out what to ask about method, fabrics, drying time and stains, and what the quote should include.
We offer carpet and upholstery cleaning, including rugs and sofas, ourselves, so these are questions we are happy to answer. Put them to anyone you are thinking of booking.
Ask which cleaning method they will use
There are three methods you are likely to hear about.
- Hot water extraction. A cleaning solution is sprayed into the fibres and sucked back out, taking the loosened dirt with it. It is the usual choice for carpets and for many fabric sofas.
- Low-moisture cleaning. Uses far less water, often with a foam or a compound that dries and is then vacuumed away. Drying is quicker, and it suits some fabrics that do not like getting wet.
- Steam cleaning. Often used loosely to mean hot water extraction, so ask what the cleaner actually means by it.
No single method is right for everything. The cleaner should look at the carpet or the fabric first and be able to tell you why they have picked one approach over another. For carpets we use steam cleaning or hot water extraction, depending on the carpet, followed by drying equipment to cut the drying time.
Ask about the equipment too. Well-kept machines with strong suction leave less water behind and dry faster. You do not need to know the brand, just that the cleaner has thought about it.
Fabrics, care labels and what they will not clean
Upholstery and carpets come in wool, cotton, linen, velvet, silk, leather and many synthetic blends, and each one reacts differently to water, heat and cleaning products. Most sofas carry a care label, usually under a seat cushion or on the base, with the maker’s instructions. Find it before the visit, or take a photo, and show it to the cleaner.
Then ask which fabrics they clean and which they turn down. A cleaner who says they will clean anything without looking at it first is a warning sign. Leather is a separate job from fabric, and natural fibres such as wool and silk need a gentler approach than synthetics. For hand-knotted rugs, our guide to caring for a Persian rug lists the questions specific to them.
Drying time and getting ready
Ask how long the carpet or sofa will take to dry. The answer depends on the method, the fabric, the weather and how well the room can be aired, so a range is more believable than a single number.
Before the visit, clear small items off the floor and the furniture, and point out any marks along with what caused them. Afterwards, open the windows, keep pets and children off until things are dry, and put small blocks or squares of foil under furniture legs if they go back on a damp carpet, so metal or wood stain does not transfer.
Honest answers about stains
A good cleaner will tell you before starting which marks may only lighten rather than disappear. Old stains that have been set by heat or by earlier cleaning attempts, dye from fabrics or hair products, and bleach marks (which remove colour rather than add it) are the usual ones. Tell the cleaner what caused each mark and what you have already put on it. Be wary of anyone who promises that every stain will come out before they have seen it.
What the quote should cover
A clear quote lists the rooms or items, their rough size, any stain treatment, whether furniture needs moving and whether anything costs extra, such as a stain protector. For a whole house of carpets or an unusual piece of furniture, the cleaner may ask for photos or a visit first. You can see how our prices are worked out on our prices page.
Ask, too, what happens if you are not happy with part of the result. Knowing whether the cleaner will come back to look at it saves an awkward conversation later.
Checks before you book
- Ask whether the business is insured, and for what.
- Ask how the people doing the work have been trained, and whether they hold any qualification from an industry body such as the IICRC.
- Read reviews you can check for yourself, on Google or another independent site, rather than quotes on the cleaner’s own leaflet.
- Get the date, the price and what is included in writing, even if it is just an email.
Our post on how to check a cleaning company before you hire goes into the general checks in more detail.
Questions to take with you
- Which method will you use on this carpet or fabric, and why?
- Have you cleaned this type of fabric before?
- Is there anything here you would not clean?
- How long will it take to dry?
- Which of these marks might not come out?
- What does the quote include, and what would cost extra?
- Are you insured?
- What happens if I am not happy with the result?
Questions about your carpets or sofa? Call 01483 773531 and ask us any of the above, or send the details through our contact page.