Meet Your Merchant: Floor cleaner's book helps spot the carpetbaggers

Summit Cleaning Service has been in business in Carson City since 2003, but owner Stephen Jaenchen has nearly 30 years' experience in the business and wants to share it with homeowners in his new book.

"Thousands of Northern Nevadans about to embark on their annual spring cleaning quest now have a new resource to improve their odds at having an outstanding carpet cleaning experience, something often difficult to achieve in the unlicensed industry," Jaenchen said.

In "How To Avoid Nightmare Carpet Cleaners," Jaenchen offers an insider's perspective to the tricks, scams and horror stories of the industry. He also provides a guide with do-it-yourself cleaning tips and questions to ask that he says will almost guarantee outstanding service when hiring a professional.

"If I were to hire a carpet cleaner myself, or advise a close friend or family member on who to hire or not to hire, these are the questions I would ask to make sure they got what they paid for and were not left unhappy, or worse," he said.

Jaenchen is a Clean Trust-certified master textile cleaner, a must for anyone in the industry, he said.

"Because our industry has no licensing or certification requirements, the door is open wide for uneducated, uninformed and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners to come into people's homes and create damage, sometimes extensive, through the use of improper chemicals or procedures," he said.

"This is especially true in a down economy when a flood of out-of-work people enter the industry. I have met locals who have experienced bait-and-switch, theft, damage, drunks, even a family that was sent to the hospital because of a nightmare carpet cleaner in their home," he said.

Jaenchen's wife, Ruth, who handles the office while he is out in the field, said services include steaming and resealing of wood floors, carpets, fine rugs, upholstery, leather, all stone and marble polishing, tile and grout cleaning, carpet stretching, dying and repairs, and draperies.

"His book explains that there are a lot of unscrupulous carpet cleaners out there who are not on the up and up in this industry. The book tells how to select and get the best service by asking the right questions," she said.

"It explains what makes us different and includes stories about the nightmares we've run across," she added.

For a copy of the book, call 775-267-9960.