8 Carpet Cleaning Questions to Expect From the Pros

Whether it’s an old carpet that hasn’t been cleaned in years or a big mess like a home flood, sometimes your carpets and rugs need extra attention. This is the time to call up a carpet cleaning pro and ask them for an in-home visit.

Hiring carpet cleaners offers advantages compared to a DIY rental, including access to more advanced equipment, but you’ll need to explain what you want. Here are the carpet cleaning questions you’re likely to encounter.

1. When do you need this work done?

Scheduling can be very important for carpet cleaning, especially if you need a carpet disaster addressed quickly so you can complete a move-in or prevent a safety hazard. That also means that carpet cleaners can be booked out with high-priority jobs for a while. They’re likely to start by talking about when you want your carpet cleaned and getting you on your schedule.

2. How many rooms or rugs do you need to be cleaned?

Do you just need one specific carpet or rug cleaned or all of them? How many rooms do you have that need cleaning? Professional carpet cleaners may also ask about the square feet of carpet you need to be cleaned, which helps them come up with an accurate estimate. Be ready with the details.

3. What kind of carpet do you have?

Cleaners will often ask a couple of questions about the type of carpet you have. For example, they may want to know the material it’s made of—natural fibers may take a lot more work to clean than synthetic fiber or certain types of carpet may take more care to avoid damage.

You may also field some questions about carpet length and the height of the nap or pile height. As you can imagine, cleaning a shag carpet is very different from cleaning a flat, dense carpet.

4. What type of cleaning do you want?

Carpet cleaners usually offer a variety of services. They can do a very deep dry vacuum cleaning to remove built-up dirt. They can perform a steam cleaning for a deep clean, sanitization, and stain removal. Or they can do a wet vac cleaning similar to the carpet vacuums you can rent.

5. What is your carpet prep going to be?

Carpet cleaners may want to know if they are expected to move any furniture or belongings. They may request that you handle this part yourself, or they may charge extra in labor costs if they need to move objects.

6. When do you need to use your carpet again?

Carpet cleaners often want to bring up dry time, too. They’ll want you to know that the carpet may take a day or two to fully dry before use, and if that’s alright. Certain cleaning methods, like steam cleaning, tend to dry faster than others, and different carpet types can dry at different rates. Cleaners usually have recommendations to speed cleaning up.

7. Do you have any pets?

Asking about pets isn’t just about gauging how dirty your carpets must be. Carpet cleaners will want to ensure pets won’t bother them when working. They’ll also want to let you know that pets shouldn’t be allowed on the carpet until it’s completely dry.

8. Do you need additional carpet services?

Some kind of cleanup steps are common, such as vacuuming the carpet to help restore its appearance and removing extra water. But carpet cleaners may also ask if you want extra carpet “grooming” or if you want them to use eco-friendly/organic cleaners.