The First Question I would ask is if they are certified.

There are several certifications for carpet cleaners. One of the biggest is the IICRC or the Institute for Cleaning Restoration Certification.

Always look for a company that is certified by one of these organizations.

Do they offer a guarantee?

Most companies will offer at least a 14 to 30 day guarantee.

Whats included in their price?

Prices will vary from company to company and dependant on the types of services you are getting. Most Carpet Cleaning companies also do upholstery, drapes and hard wood floors, so it is hard to say what any service should cost. The cost of living between suburbs will also affect the prices as will taxes.

Who will do the work?

Find out if the owner themselves does the work, if they use employees or if they use subcontractors. If they use employees find out if they are uniformed and if they run background checks on them. If they use subcontractors you may want to make sure they have been checked.

The methods for carpet cleaning vary and there are dozens of ways used on the market. Some have advantages over others but all will get the job done. Here are the basic carpet cleaning methods.

Steam Cleaning: The most common method in which a detergent solution is sprayed onto the carpet, allowed to dwell for a few minutes and then extracted with hot water. Some consider this to be the most thorough method. Drying time is generally between 4 to 6 hours.

Shampoo Cleaning: A shampoo is applied to the carpet and then agitated with a brush mounted on a floor machine. The solution absorbs soil and crystallizes as it dries. Soil and shampoo are then removed through vacuuming at a later time. Drying time is generally between 1 to 2 hours.

Bonnet Cleaning: The second most common method in which a pre-spray is applied to the carpet and then is absorbed with cotton or synthetic bonnet pads attached to a floor machine. Drying time is generally between 1 to 2 hours.

Dry Powder Cleaning: A semi moist natural or synthetic powder is applied to the carpet and agitated with a machine with counter rotating brushes. Drying time is usually less than 1 hour.

As you can see, there are many important things to ask when choosing a carpet cleaner. You can significantly improve your chances of finding a qualified company by just asking a few questions.