It’s the age-old question asked by so many homeowners when confronted with a home repair or maintenance project. Should I do it myself or hire a professional? Making that decision may depend on the size of the project or the complexity of the job. Like, do I fix the kitchen sink myself or hire a plumber? Do I take on the task of painting the whole house or get a professional painter instead?
Then, there is carpet cleaning. It’s the oddball of home maintenance projects. You think that’s an easy job, right? It’s like vacuuming but with soap and water. It may seem an easy task, but there are pros and cons to both DIY and hiring professional carpet cleaning services. First, let’s review why cleaning your carpets is an essential home maintenance task.
5 Reasons to Keep Your Carpets Clean
- Extends the life of your carpet. Carpet is expensive regardless of the grade or material you choose. If it is cleaned on a regular basis, it can last ten years or more, its expected lifetime.
- Eliminates contaminants. Bacteria, allergens, pollen, dust mites, and soil collect in carpet fibers, creating an unhealthy environment in your home for you and your family but especially for anyone with allergies or asthma, young children, pets or the elderly. Just walking on carpeting can release these toxins into the air.
- Improves air quality. By eliminating unhealthy contaminants in your carpets, you automatically improve the air quality in your home.
- Removes Stains. Stains are unsightly, and the longer a spot on a carpet is left alone, the more damage is done to carpet fibers especially if the stain is located in a heavy traffic area that’s frequently walked on.
- Makes your home a showcase. Keeping your carpets clean and pristine will only enhance the beauty of your entire home. Home is where the heart is, right?
The Bottom Line Before Pros and Cons
Usually, the bottom line comes at the end of an article but, in the case of carpet cleaning, it’s to start with the fact that industry experts recommend you have your carpets professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Now on to the pros and cons of both.
The Case for Professional Carpet Cleaning
In doing so, you prolong the life of your carpet while improving the air quality and creating a much healthier interior home environment.
Pro: Deep Cleaning
It all comes down to power. Professional carpet cleaning equipment is much more potent because it cleans and extracts contaminants, dirt, and soil from your carpet fibers better than a rental carpet extractor can. Additionally, the cleaning compounds developed by professional companies, which are not available to consumers, are much stronger than retail products.
Most professional carpet cleaners employ a hot water extraction method where the water temperature is significantly hotter than what can be achieved with rental “extractor” units. Professional carpet cleaning companies also use dry or “very low moisture,” bonnet, or other deep cleaning methods that are also superior to home/rental carpet extractors.
Pro: Drying Time
A professional company’s technicians are trained and sometimes certified in how to clean carpets properly and use the correct amounts of water and chemical solution. Therefore, drying time after professional cleaning will typically be shorter than after a DIY clean.
Pro: Trained and Certified Technicians
Another advantage to hiring a professional service is getting a trained professional who may have years of carpet cleaning experience. Verify if the technician is certified through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration (IICRC).
Pro: Satisfaction Guaranteed
Additionally, many companies have a satisfaction guaranteed policy which can include re-cleaning your carpets and refunding your money if you are not satisfied. In hiring a pro, you lower your risk of damage being done to your carpets including yellowing, shrinkage or introducing mold and mildew to your carpets by over-wetting. Qualified carpet cleaning companies are also insured so if something major did happen to your carpets, you are covered.
Con: Cost, Kind Of
Professional carpet cleaning costs can vary depending on the area to be cleaned, the cleaning method used, the type of carpet, and whether stain removal is required. Other costs can include adding a carpet protector or deodorizer. Some companies may also charge for stairwells, entryways, and hallways. In the U.S., prices range from $77 to $350 with the national average cost being $175. Considering the risks involved with DIY carpet cleaning, this isn’t that much money.
Con: Some Inconvenience
With a professional carpet cleaning company, you do have to schedule an appointment instead of cleaning your carpets whenever you want. Some companies schedule an exact appointment time while others require a window-of-time appointment similar to cable company appointments. Also, you may have to wait longer than you desire based on time of year or how booked the company is, unless, of course, you have an emergency such as water damage caused by a broken water pipe in winter.
Con: Hiring a Subpar Company
There is the risk of hiring an unprofessional or untrained company, resulting in subpar work. Always check a company’s reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or other consumer review sites like Yelp or Trustpilot. Remember many carpet cleaning companies are independently owned so be sure to check your local company’s reputation, not the parent company’s. You can also check to see what certifications the technicians hold. An important one to look for is a certification through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration (IICRC).
The Case for DIY Carpet Cleaning
Cleaning your carpets on your own is not discouraged by industry experts; however, it is recommended to DIY in combination with regularly scheduled professionally carpet cleaning. Whether you choose to combine a professional job with do-it-yourself cleaning or tackle the task on your own, there will be pros and cons.
Pro: Upfront Costs
The primary reason to clean your carpets is to avoid the expense of hiring a professional to do the job. There are multiple ways to obtain the equipment to clean your carpets.
You can purchase a home carpet cleaner from a local retail, hardware, or home improvement store. There are a variety of units that come with different features to meet your needs. Prices typically range from $100 to $500. Please note, however, that most manufacturers require that you use their cleaning solution to uphold the warranty in case of machine malfunctioning.
You can also rent a carpet cleaner from a grocery store, hardware or home improvement store. Prices range from $35 to $50 per day plus cleaning solution.
You will save money up front by not hiring a professional service; however, DIY cleanings do not extend the life of your carpet as does professional carpet cleaning, according to research completed by The Carpet and Rug Institute. Now, if your carpeting is older or hasn’t been cared for in some time, DIY may save you money in the long run.
Pro: Convenience
If you choose to buy a home carpet cleaner, then you have it on hand whenever you decide to go ahead and clean your carpets. You can clean on your schedule, meaning you can clean the bedrooms one weekend and the living areas the next. You can also use the home unit for emergency spills or to periodically clean high traffic areas such as hallways, stairwells, and entryways.
Con: Time
Cleaning your carpeting yourself takes time. You have to clear rooms of furniture, lamps or other objects that rest on the floor. You have to vacuum then clean each area or room. Water will have to be added to the machine frequently, and you will need to empty the extraction bucket regularly. It can be messy in its own right.
Con: Over-Soaking
That can occur when too much water is used during the cleaning process. With proper cleaning, the carpeting should be slightly wet to the touch but not soaked. If water soaks into the base of carpet and even into the backing, the carpet can become discolored. Depending on the material of the carpet, if it is a natural fiber, it can also shrink if it gets too wet, pulling up from the floor. Some carpet materials can also turn yellow from too much water. Worse, if the backing and pad get too wet, you risk mold and mildew growing under the carpet. Mold spores can grow within 1–2 days of improper carpet cleaning, so it happens quickly.
Con: Too Much Shampoo
This is probably the biggest reason to hire a professional service because of the long-term damage to your carpet if it is not professionally cleaned afterward. If too much shampoo is used or if the carpet is not sufficiently rinsed and “extracted,” this adds to the residue build up. When DIY carpet cleaning it can be tough to figure out how much shampoo to use. The result is a build up of soapy residue in carpet fibers that attracts dirt like white on rice.
Stain Removal: DIY then Professional. Maybe.
When it comes to removing stains from carpets or rugs, you can try some do-it-yourself methods including any tried-and-true homemade remedies. There are plenty of stain removal products on the market. If any of these approaches do not work, hiring a professional carpet cleaning service to treat and clean the stain is recommended.
If the stain keeps reappearing, it could be due to wicking or over-wetting. The backing material or padding gets soaked then leaks color into the carpet. Reappearing stains can also be caused by soap residue from previous cleaning, especially DIY cleanings, where the amount of cleaning solution may have been estimated.
DIY vs. Pro
As you can see there are instances when doing it yourself makes sense, including intermittent cleaning, cleaning heavy traffic areas, or treating spots or stains. Overall, to ensure the longevity of your investment, we recommend regular professional carpeting cleaning every 12 to 18 months or more often, depending on how many children, pets, or other foot traffic and activities you have going on in your home.