For those with rental properties, regular cleaning is vital to extend the life of the carpets and keep them looking sharp, but shampooing carpets can grow into a costly upkeep task, especially if it’s required repeatedly each year. To save on costs, you could choose to clean the carpets in your rental house yourself, rolling up your sleeves for this job. But is DIY the way to go?
By learning more about the advantages and disadvantages of professional and do-it-yourself carpet cleaning, you can more confidently choose the right option for your properties.
What is required to keep carpets looking fresh?
Regular carpet cleaning is a powerhouse—it removes stains and odors that can dull a rental house’s charm and restores the carpet’s appearance by clearing away dirt sunk deep into the weave, beyond a typical vacuum’s reach. Pros often tout hot water extraction, or steam cleaning, which blasts hot water mixed with a cleaning solution into the carpet, then uses strong suction to remove the dirt. Professional carpet cleaners and do-it-yourself machines both harness hot water extraction to clean carpets, but their gear differs. Professionals typically roll out powerful truck-mounted machines or portable units, with truck-mounted machines shining for their strength, helping carpets dry faster. Meanwhile, renting or buying a steam cleaning machine hands you a smaller machine, perfect for quick clean-ups after spills or accidents, filling the gap until deep cleanings come around.
Comparing DIY and Professional Cleaning
Opting to clean the carpets in your rental house yourself can save on costs, a win for keeping expenses down, but there are disadvantages to the DIY route that might give you pause. A smaller personal machine takes more time than a professional cleaner—cleaning the carpets throughout a rental house could stretch into a full day or more, depending on the size of the area, with results that may be less than satisfactory. Smaller carpet cleaning machines tend to leave excess water, leading to a long time to dry and risks like mold or further dirt collection; using fans to speed the process is a common fix. Too much or too little cleaning solution can mean stiff carpets or inadequate cleanliness, making DIY less robust for deep cleanings compared to professional standards.
Evaluating Professional Carpet Cleaning
While professional cleaning typically yields excellent results, it does come at a higher cost. Professional carpet cleaners use advanced technology and techniques, which can be more expensive than attempting to clean your carpets yourself. While attempting to clean your carpets yourself might lighten the immediate load, professional cleaning ensures excellence, though lowball deals can lead to poor service or scams. A cost-saving hack: hire a professional carpet cleaner consistently from the same cleaning company—they might offer you a discount, syncing well with your property management services.
Whether you hire a professional carpet cleaner or grab do-it-yourself machines, knowing each method’s ins and outs lets you choose the option that is right for you and your rental properties.
Regular cleaning extends carpet life and saves on costs by dodging early replacements, with professional cleaning acing deep cleanings for standout results and a smaller machine handling quick clean-ups after spills or accidents. Balance your needs to decide wisely. For expert cleaning the carpets, the Sonomarin property management experts at Real Property Management Bay Area offer property management services that promise excellent results with ease. Get in touch with us online or call 650-696-1800 today to enhance your rental house maintenance.
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