Carpet stiff and matted after steam cleaning

15 years ago

I posted this on the flooring forum but should have posted here.

I paid to have my wall to wall carpet steam cleaned and it was very wet when I got home from work. I am livid that my carpet looks worse now than before the so called cleaning is seems stiff and matted where even vacuuming does not lift it. It is not a high pile but a medium dense type weave.

Please advise if I should request them to maybe rinse it with clear water as I read that leaving solution in the carpet could be the problem.

I would really like a refund and start over with another company.

Any advice appreciated.

Featured Answer

livebetter

15 years ago

I also have a guy with pretty specialized equipment. He is NOT cheap but when he cleans our carpet it is never very wet and it is SOOO soft. It lifts pile up like new. It sounds like yours may have been left too wet.

I would call in someone new to do it again with better equipment and hopefully they can fix it.

I've had this discussion with a few friends. Some just can't pay the higher price and hire some guy with a cleaning wand. The jobs have been OK but definitely not the same.

The friends who have taken my advice and gone with the more expensive guy with the nice equipment have all been very impressed.

I would do more research next time and find someone with good quality equipment. My guy uses a Vortex machine, maybe look for someone in your area that uses it (very powerful suction). See attached link to read more about his equipment. Even his cleaning "head" is not a regular suction wand - it is this big round thing that turns with several brushes and heads - makes the pile look like new.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Vortex system

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Comments (8)

lucky51
15 years ago
I am NOT and expert but I feel you're right that they used too much solution. Second you might have done damage to or possibly hampered your vacuums performance by vacuuming wet carpet. Next if you rinse be careful not to use too much water unless you can draw it up. If you leave the carpet to stand wet it might cause mildew. Probably best to rent an extractor and run it with just water and without solution.
graywings123
15 years ago
It is unlikely they will give you a refund. But they should be willing to come back and do what Lucky51 recommends.
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User
15 years ago
It sounds like their probably used too much of a cheap solution. I would buy a Hoover steamvac and go over it yourself with warm water rinse only. Use soft water - buy bottles of distilled if you do not have soft water from the tap. I have a Hoover Dual V steamvac, it's great - does a professional job and cost about $200.

The cleaner "should" fix it for you, but maybe they will just mess it up more!
tinker1121
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for the advice so far. When I called him to complain and asked him what type of solution he used, he said a very small amount of peroxide. Ugh!!! Now I am madder than ever. He is supposed to come look at my carpeting on Tuesday but I don't think I want him to touch them again.

The annoying part is, that I do own a Hoover cleaner but wanted a "professional" job where they move everything etc.

Thanks for the tip about the distilled water and I think I will just bite the bullet and do it myself. I spent HOURS getting the rooms ready for this idiot as he "doesn't move furniture". That should have been my first indication not to hire him. We took everything out of a secretary desk, pie safe and put magic sliders under them and the sofa and love seat and put the coffee and end tables on the porch.
I did more work than he did with his one hour of ruining my carpets!!!

Live and learn and I should have done more research but a friend did recommend them.
clt3
15 years ago
Well, I don't think it was the peroxide. I've used it straight on dog throw up stains and ball point ink and it never left my carpet stiff.
nerdyshopper
15 years ago
I have a very competent carpet cleaning service, a one man operation. He uses softened water in his truck to make rinses. His cleaning machine was unique to me the first time he did carpats for me. It used a three fingered wand that rotated as it forced cleaning and rinse solutions deep into the fibers of my carpet. I know that thing removed "permanent wear paths" left by the previous service that used a steaming wand only. My current carpet cleaner says that any tool can work if the operator cares enough to get it right. If you want to rinse it yourself, I suggest you go to the store and buy 5 or 10 gallons of distilled water. It would cost less than $10 around here. Then heat some of it and mix with other to get it warm enough to work. You can rub it out with towels after but have lots available.
D M
6 years ago
Did you find a fix? I just cleaned and rinsed my own carpets with the same results, so I let them dry 24 hours and rinsed again. No change. I was careful not to use too much cleaning solution, and in fact used diluted vinegar in another room as a test, I got the exact same outcome. Vacuuming does nothing to revive them, either. They are awful! If you found a cure, I’d love to know.