How to Price Commercial Carpet Cleaning

Professional commercial carpet cleaners can often restore dingy and worn carpeting to like-new conditions. When your vacuum cleaner and bottles of rug shampoo stop giving you the results you want, it may be time to consider the services of one of these companies. But professional carpet cleaning can be expensive, so it's worth your time to shop around for the best deal.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape Pen Paper Phone Phone book Computer with Internet access

Instructions

1. Measure the perimeter of every carpeted area that you want to clean, and record the measurements on paper.

2. Calculate the square footage of the carpeted areas you want to clean. Square footage is calculated by multiplying the length of a square or rectangle, in feet, by its width. To calculate the square footage of rooms that are not perfectly square or rectangular, segment the room into multiple square or rectangular sections, find the square footage of each section, and add them together.

3. Add together the square footage of every room to determine the total square footage of carpeting in the home.

4. Make a list of any unusual cleaning challenges of your carpeting. For instance, if you have specific difficult stains, record the number and approximate sizes of the stains. You may need this information to get the most accurate estimates.

5. Compile a list of commercial carpet cleaners in your area, and include contact information with each listing. Refer to your local phone book for leads, or use an online directory like the one in the Resources section.

6. Call each business on your list, and make sure you have a pen and paper handy when you call. Begin each call by asking if the business provides free on-site estimates. If they do, schedule an appointment with someone to have your carpeting inspected and your estimate calculated. If they do not, tell them that you would like an estimate over the phone and that you have the square footage of your carpeting. Answer whatever questions they have, remember to mention the special challenges regarding your carpeting, and write down the estimate when they give it to you.

7. Keep any appointments you make for on-site estimates. You'll typically receive the estimate in writing at the end of the appointment.

8. Compare all of your estimates to figure out which company to use.

Tips & Warnings

• An estimate is not always a guarantee of the final cost, although some carpet cleaners will guarantee their rates or estimates. If you're unsure what the policy is with a given carpet cleaner, make sure you ask. Sometimes, professionals who conduct on-site carpet cleaning estimates may apply high-pressure sales tactics after they calculate their estimates. After all, they're already in your home, so it's their perfect opportunity to try to make a sale. If you want to make sure you're not put in this situation, you may want to skip the on-site estimate and give them your carpeting specs over the phone instead.

Resources

• Yellowpages.com