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The sole purpose of a carpet cleaning professional is to help customers keep their carpets clean. Property owners hire you to revive their carpets, so they don't have to replace them. The best way to ensure this is to regularly provide your carpet cleaning services and to educate customers about interim services. A proper maintenance plan is essential to have in place. You will need to have an assortment of tools and restoration equipment, including a portable carpet cleaning machine.
How do you make a good maintenance plan? It should include protecting the carpet from soil and debris. A number of preventive measures also need to be incorporated, such as regular vacuuming, placement of floor mats and consistent spot removal. Each year, deep cleaning should be performed as well.
One thing that's missing from most carpet maintenance plans is interim maintenance.
Why Interim Maintenance?
According to the Carpet and Rug Institute, interim maintenance is the missing link in carpet maintenance plans. Adding this would make your strategy more comprehensive. But what is interim maintenance?
This is the cleaning that occurs in between regular cleanings and the annual deep cleaning. You can think of it as regular touch ups in between deep cleans. It will help to restore the appearance of carpets, remove dirt and eliminate damage caused to the fibers. The texture of the carpet is refreshed, allowing it to stay newer longer.
During interim cleaning, dirt is removed to prevent the fibers from becoming damaged. At the end of the cleaning, the fibers stand upright. The good thing about interim cleaning is that it doesn't take as much time to do. It can also be done with portable carpet cleaning machines. It's not hard work on your part, which means it's easier on the pocket of your customers.
In a nutshell, interim cleaning is a surface job, but the role it plays is a big one. It does the work the vacuum cleaner can't do. The tools you need include a rotary brush, bonnet, dry compound machines and similar portable carpet cleaning tools.
Quick Tips
Here are some tips to help make your interim cleanings easier:
• Use products that are certified
• Make sure to vacuum the carpet first
• Focus mainly on the high-traffic areas
• Schedule interim cleanings quarterly
If you need to buy portable carpet cleaning machines and solutions, visit Steam-Brite.com.
This is one of my biggest challenges. But one I know I need to get over. And I'm happy to report that I'm making some progress. One thing that has helped that I'd like to share with all the other operators out there is the importance of post-job follow up email. I have an email template sitting in a ms word doc. In the email I thank them for their business, offer a coupon AND explain our reoccurring service options. I'm also going to be listing these services on my Services and Prices page at www.carpetcleanerhonolulu.com and direct my customers there as well once that's up. The other thing I plan to do is contact people about 6 months after their service with an email reminding them about getting another carpet cleaning. Of course, I'll include a coupon in here. Hope this helps some others!
Big J, Aloha Clean