By Kathy Cook Hunter
Harold and Kristen Sweeney of Silverton are proud of their carpet-cleaning business and all it offers. That’s why they named it Magic Carpet Cleaning & More.
In addition to the usual rug cleaning and removal of odors, pet stains, wax, oil and paint, his Water Claw device extracts water or urine from carpet as well as the pad beneath it, and the firm conducts a paid-ahead “Stay Beautiful” program that he says ends up saving the customer about 50 percent on a yearly cleaning schedule.
Sweeney cleans upholstery and offers Scotchgard, 3M’s carpet and upholstery fabric protector. “I give out a 3M folder explaining the process and it comes with a stain removal guide,” he said. “It’s something to keep, and the customers really like it.”
Scotchgard “typically lasts about a year, depending on the traffic. What we use is a professional line, a lot different than what they can buy in a store.”
A veteran of 16 years in the carpet-cleaning business, Harold Sweenwy says he has seen it all, but the funniest experience was the time a steer, a goat and three dogs started to come inside a farmhouse with him as he began to bring his equipment in.
“The cow came up and started nudging me with her head,” he recalls. Finally he phoned his longtime customer to explain the situation. She said her animals would follow him inside a gated area, which they did, and he went on with the job.
Kristen Sweeney writes a yearly client newsletter and makes phone contacts with customers to check on the service. “We’re really into customer satisfaction and want them to know (if there’s a problem) we’ll come back until they’re happy,” she said.
When Sweeney gets a call asking for an estimate, in addition to the estimate, the customer is given a carpet-care guide and the bottle of Spot Out.
“It doesn’t cost the customer anything,” he said. “Maybe later you’ll decide to use the service.” He also arranges his schedule so he can do the job immediately, and he leaves free booties to wear until the carpet’s dry.
Sweeney uses a Rotovac, a rotary jet extraction device.
“It’s so incredible,” Sweeney said. “The suction slots hit all sides of the carpet fibers, and it’s designed to lift the fibers and make them fluffy. We’re the only carpet-cleaning company in this area that uses this equipment that we’re aware of.”
Rotovac uses hot water but the steam stays in the unit and the water is extracted from the carpet immediately. “He really did his research and found this brand,” Kristen Sweeney said.
Sweeney charges a flat rate of 20 cents per square foot of carpet. The first time a customer uses Magic Carpet, he gets 20 percent off the bill. The couple have also instituted a referral system where they give 10 percent of the cleaning fee to the person who referred them.
“This creates cheerleaders for the company,” she said. “It’s really helping our business grow and thrive.”
Magic Carpet Cleaning & More can be reached at 503-391-7406.
