Before we start, there are a few things to consider when purchasing new carpet. Some of them we have already discussed in previous blog posts and we will not re-hash them. Just a tip, when purchasing new carpet, the quality and thickness of your new carpet is something to consider.

Through the 1970’s to the early 90’s carpet was a different animal all together from a manufacturing perspective. Back then, cheap carpet was not an option! Yes, there were a few companies that made a low to mid-grade carpet, but even the cheaper carpet back then was better than some of the good stuff today it seems! Is this a bias opinion? Let’s talk about it…

Having been in the carpet cleaning business for years, we have seen many different types and styles of carpet come and go! From a carpet cleaning perspective, some were good…some were bad! But, most of the carpet from back then and today carry a different type of burden for carpet cleaners all together. We are referring to what we call “Pea Soup”!! Yep, that’s what we call it…a thick murky carpet that is difficult to clean! And yes, back then, some looked like pea soup…ughh! Trying to push a carpet cleaning wand through pea soup is like trying to walk through a pool of mud and getting nowhere fast! That’s what it’s like trying to clean a thick dense carpet. You see, cleaning carpet is all about extracting the contamination by flushing the fibers thoroughly! But, with a super dense/thick carpet that is easier said than done! With thicker carpet, a carpet cleaning technician must slow down in order to extract the contamination for good results. If not, it’s basically a surface cleaning instead of a deep cleaning procedure. But, not flushing the carpet fibers properly is not a quality carpet cleaning. In order to achieve this goal, a technician has to one of the things. First, slow down in order to purge the contamination thoroughly. Second, increase the solution pressure to penetrate the carpet fibers for extraction. Third, increase the amount of vacuum to equal the amount of solution used during the carpet cleaning process. So you ask, what’s the point in all of this? Expect a more expensive carpet cleaning bill! That is, if your getting a “real” carpet cleaning! The bottom line, it takes more run time, more carpet cleaning solution and technician time to clean a thick/dense carpet…it’s just how it is! These are just the basics!

So, how do you know if your getting a thorough carpet cleaning? Well, with dense/thick carpet the extraction rate is equal to the amount of solution and vacuum being used. Most carpet is cleaned at around 500psi for a general carpet cleaning. For more dense/thick carpet, we recommend 700psi to optimum results! Be sure to ask what pressure and vacuum rates your carpet is being cleaned with. Also, time is important! Depending on the variables, most general carpet cleaning should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour for 3-4 average size bedrooms. That doesn’t seem like much time, but in carpet cleaning minutes…that’s a lot! So, be realistic about the carpet that your purchasing, and consider all of these factors when making that decision.