Protectant- Am I being ripped off?
What is protectant and why do National Franchise cleaners push it so hard? Protectant is a product that is applied to your carpet to help resist stains and soils from getting embedded deep into the fibers. When this happens, carpet fibers can become permanently damaged. Think of wax on the paint of your vehicle. It adds a layer of protection between the elements and your cars paint. Protectant does the same thing for your carpet. It is usually applied by the manufacturer but wears off over time or can be removed by high PH cleaners. This is why it is important to use ethical professional cleaning companies that use products below 10.5 ph to prolong the effectiveness of your protectant.
So if the manufacturer applies protectant during the manufacturing process, why pay to have it re-applied? The answer to that question is simple, it wears off in time. Most carpet manufacturers recommend their products be professionally cleaned every 12-18 months and protectant reapplied at least every 18 months. Just like waxing your car after washing, it renews the barrier between the fiber and harmful, abrasive soil. Once you have properly applied a quality protectant, your carpet will resist potentially damaging spills and soils until you can remove them. By creating a barrier, your vacuum will be more effective in removing dirt particles before they damage the fiber.
What should I look out for? Quality protectants are expensive to purchase. Brand names like Scotchgard, Teflon and other water based protectants are costly. They are to be diluted with water at a ratio of 2 or 3-1 before applying. Some carpet cleaning companies use a cheaper product that may not have a high percentage of solids, therefore not offering the same protection. Other carpet cleaners over dilute the product, using 10-1 or more water/protectant ratio to make the product go further. They may also apply too lightly, to make the product go further. Most franchises actually pay high commissions to technicians that “upset” you protectant or additional services. That is why it seems as though your technician suddenly becomes a used car salesman! Although protectant is a valuable product, it is often used to extort money and applied improperly so the value is never realized by the consumer.
How is Exceptional Carpet Cleaning different? First of all, our technicians are not paid big commissions on added services. It is our policy to never “sell” a customer. We sometimes make a recommendation but refuse to push products or make anyone feel uncomfortable. It is your home, your budget, you are always the boss! We do not upsell our clients, sometimes to a fault, in an effort to avoid the tactics we despise often utilized by our competitors. At your request, we will apply a solvent based protectant that does not require diluting with water. This accomplishes two things. First, it is the most concentrated form of protectant so more solids/protectant is applied to your carpet fiber. Secondly, because of this and the fast evaporation of the solvent, your carpets dry faster as we are not applying more water. The protectant we apply is far more expensive than water based protectants but it is much more effective and offers the best protection possible. It is what we use in our own homes so why wouldn’t we want the very same for your home? We always want to treat others and their property like we would want to be treated. This leads to repeat business, good reviews and referrals. You are more than a number to us and a solid relationship is our number one goal.
In conclusion, there are reputable companies out there. If you aren’t sure about your cleaning company, ask them to dilute the protectant in front of you. This will prevent them from diluting the product too much or even worse – spraying water down and charging you for protectant. Wait 2 days after protectant has been applied then pour a small amount of water on your carpet. If it doesn’t bead up, ask them to return and reapply as they may have applied the product too lightly. Make sure your cleaning company uses cleaners that do not exceed 10.5 ph and are approved for residential carpet with protectant so they don’t remove your protection prematurely with harsh cleaners. Annual cleanings along with quality protectants applied will make your carpet last for decades and stay looking beautiful, adding warmth, better indoor air quality and value to your home!
