​When it comes time to have your carpets professionally cleaned there are a few things you should do in advance to prepare for the cleaning to be done.

​In this article we are going to go over NINE things you can do to make the cleaning experience more enjoyable for you AND for the professional carpet cleaning company in Vancouver.

These nine tips are what we, at Linton's Carpet Cleaning in Vancouver, Wa., have found to make the professional carpet cleaning experience better for you, for us, or for any carpet cleaner you hire.

Let's Get Started!

​1. The very first thing you want to do is schedule a time that is convenient for you and/or your family. Schedule a time that does NOT interfere with what your family is going to be doing during the day. This usually means, if you have school age children, to have the carpets cleaned during school hours, preferably in the morning.

​If you schedule the carpet cleaning to be done in the morning then by the time the kids arrive home from school the carpets should be dry, or very close to it, and family life can go on as usual. Scheduling a carpet cleaning when children are home just adds to the stress of the whole cleaning process and we want to make sure the cleaning process is as stress free as possible.

​2. Tidy up the areas to be cleaned. Professional carpet cleaners are at your home to clean the carpet, not be a maid service! We hope that does not sound too harsh, but it is true. So pick up everything on the floor that really does not belong there. Toys, shoes, newspapers, things like that. By cleaning the area up, and having it ready for the cleaner, the whole cleaning process will go much faster and smoother.

​3. Remove as much of your light, smaller furniture as possible. Carpet cleaners are at your home to clean the carpet. They are not furniture moving companies. Although some carpet cleaning companies do move furniture it is important that YOU move as much of the light easy-to-move furniture as possible.
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​If you need help moving the larger furniture then most companies will help you with this - although they might charge a small fee depending on what you want moved.
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​This allows the carpet cleaning company to clean faster and therefore be done with their work and out of your way as soon as possible.

A good example of light furniture would be end tables, most coffee tables, small planters, etc.. By moving these pieces of furniture it makes the entire cleaning process easier - and you might find spots or stains that you did not know was there.

4. Protect your floors and walls. Any good carpet cleaning company will do their best to protect your floors and walls from any damage. But you can also help by having protective tarps put down on floors that you do not want to come in contact with shoes, hoses, or any other carpet cleaning equipment.

​You can also put up minor protective barriers near walls that you are especially fond of.

​At Linton's Carpet Cleaning we always put down tarps to cover wood floors and we always, without fail, put up corner guards to protect the corners of your walls. And we are very careful when we clean near any baseboards.

5. Open windows for faster drying. Air movement is very important for fast dry times when it comes to getting your carpets dry. If the weather is warm and dry then crack your windows open. This allows the damp air to leave your home and therefore speeds up the drying process.

6. Remove pets from the areas to be cleaned. Be sure to put your pets in an area where the carpet is not being cleaned. Pets walking in and around the cleaning area is just not a good idea. Also, many pets (especially cats) are scared of the noise from the hoses.

7. Put valuables out of sight. While most carpet cleaners are honest and would not steal anything from you, it is a good idea to put valuables out of sight and in a safe place. There are always bad apples in every profession and it is no different for carpet cleaning companies.

8. Remove easy-to-break items. These items would include fragile lamps, vases, and items of this nature. While any legitimate carpet cleaner carries liability insurance does it really matter if they accidentally break a family heirloom that cannot be replaced? Nope, we didn't think so. So move easy-to-break items and give yourself some piece of mind.

9. Make sure the carpet cleaner has access to your home! If you are not going to be present during the carpet cleaning then make sure your cleaner has access. You might be surprised how often a client schedules a cleaning while they are at work but forgets to leave a key, an access code, or a way for the cleaner to get into their home.

The day before the carpet cleaning is to take place make sure you and the cleaner understand how the home is going to be accessed for the cleaning.