How to choose a carpet cleaner in Puget Sound

Ask about the method. Truck-mounted hot water extraction is what the carpet industry recommends and it is what we use. Portable units and dry-foam or bonnet methods have their place for maintenance on commercial carpet, but for a home that has not been cleaned in a year, you want heat and vacuum, and only a truck mount delivers both.

Ask what is included

Pre-vacuum, pre-treatment of traffic lanes and spots, agitation, extraction and grooming should all be part of the base price. If any of those is an add-on, the quote is not a real quote.

Read the reviews for specifics

Generic five-star reviews tell you little. Look for reviews that name a tech, describe the problem and say whether it came out. Our reviews name Kal, Mo, Marcel, Josh and Shane by name, mention the cat urine and the red wine and the antique Kashmir rug, and describe the same-day service repeatedly. That specificity is hard to fake.

Insurance and honesty

Any company working in your home should be insured. And the question that separates the pros: 'Will this stain come out?' A good cleaner says 'probably,' 'no,' or 'let me look' — never 'guaranteed.'