Misting an air freshener after cleaning is a fabulous tool, and makes for happy repeat customers. Remember, in their minds it's clean when it smells clean. When talking about deodorizing, I am not referring to this final step. We never charged a penny extra for that squirt of cherry or spice following a cleaning. Of course, many refer to this as "free deodorizing." It is not deodorizing, no more so then that Glade plug-in you have in your wall socket. It may mask odors temporarily, but it is not a form of odor remediation.

Do you clean carpets and upholstery on a full-time basis? Do you consider your occupation as simply a job and nothing more, or do you find yourself putting just a little more thought and energy into it than either you or your spouse would like?

Over the years, there were indeed many facets of my cleaning business that I took great pride in. Certainly the quality of work we performed sits near the top of the list.

We've all heard about the importance of attending classes and seminars, as well as traveling to industry-sponsored events like conventions, trade shows, etc. Well, it's all true.

The professional cleaner reads a number of articles and tutorials on the various ways to tackle spots, stains, and other pitfalls indigenous to our industry.

As a carpet-care professional, you owe it not only to your clients but to yourself to offer upholstery cleaning.

While most folks entering the carpet-care industry anticipate client concerns over the cleaning method they will employ, in my 23 years in business I can count the times we've been asked that on one hand.

It's the same routine every year. The boys hit the sheets around 11 p.m., and Mr. and Mrs. Santa pull out all the gifts I worked the entire month of October to pay for, and place them under the tree - with care, of course.

Preparation is a necessary, but often ignored, step when applying pre-conditioner to carpets and upholstery, one that could cost you immediate dollars as well as repeat business if not given the proper respect.

I'd like to talk about maintenance for a moment. No, not a maintenance schedule for your client's carpets, but one for your equipment and, just as important, for you.