carpet cleaning our rental apartment

[Doc]

Our tenant is leaving and we will have a professional carpet cleaner come in to handle the cleaning. I've read that hot water extraction is the best.

Thought there might be suggestions/comments her on how to choose a company.

Thanks.

[travlnusa]

A truck mounted hot water extraction set up can be very effective. Have stains pre-sprayed.

If they are really bad ask if they have a roto-brush.

You can pay less per sq foot, but will have lesser results.

DO NOT pay/accept for free any "scented" stuff to be added. They are oil based and will attract and hold more new dirt than you could ever guess.

[Doc]

Ah -- thanks for the tip on the "sanitizer". One company does offer it for free, if requested by customer. If I go with them, I will decline. That's the kind of info I need.

[Wolf mom]

I've always used hot water extraction. I think it gets the carpet cleaner, stretches the carpet less and looks better when dry than those rotating brushes (that, to me, seem to untwist the fibers). Getting all the soap out is a main issue as soap residue attracts dirt.

[Doc]

An article I read said that hot water extraction was the best method. Let's hope they get out the soap.

[wally]

As a past owner of two floor covering store,I would recommend that you use only hot water, the cleaner (soap) will act like a magnet. Now if is really bad go ahead and have them use a cleaning agent but expect it to get dirty quick. The carpet in our home has been down for 11 years and with hot water only cleaning it looks as good as the day I installed it. But is was also high dollar carpet to begin with. You get you monies worth by buying good carpet and take care of it properly

[Doc]

I agree, and we do have an $$ carpet in the apartment -- designed to last. We clean it every time someone leaves, but this tenant has been here a long time with four indoor cats. Hot water extraction seemed like the way to go.

Thanks.