Carpet, Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and carpet & upholstery cleaning for residences, as well as commercial establishments, offices and restaurants.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Find someone who will come to see your particular situation, and give you a firm quotation. The best way for someone to quote your job is to actually investigate what needs to be done. If they can quote you on the phone, beware of changes once in your home. Don't get scammed, you might find that too good to be true....is too good to be true.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. There are lots of bait and switch guys out there, check out IICRC.org find carpet cleaners who are knowledable & certified in the science of carpet cleaning. Check out NADCA.com to learn about air duct cleaning and finding a certified professional. No bait and switch with companies certified by these organizations.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. 1st, be sure that your contractor is insured. For air duct cleaning, verifying they are certified by the national air duct cleaners assoc (NADCA) is critical. Easily done on www.nadca.com. There are many folks out there using low price and bait and switch, so be sure to find out exactly what will be done for what price. A proper air duct cleaning takes the better part of a day, so if it's priced below $300, watch out...and ask exactly what (and how) it will be cleaned. On the NADCA site, there is a brochure, "how to select a residential duct cleaning contractor", it will give you many tips, and help keep you from being taken by the fly-by-nights...or you can call DUCTZ of the Upper Bay Region and we will be happy to discuss your situation.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. For carpet, it's helpful to know the actual dimensions of the areas to be cleaned, and also what type of fiber the carpet is made from. For air ducts, the number of ducts, both supply and return registers count. That would allow a "ballpark" price. If you really want the best job, call us at 410-692-9775 for a free assessment and quotation.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We use Total Care to respect you and your home/business. We really do care the job is done right the first time, to your complete delight. We depend on referral business, so your complete satisfaction is your expectation, and our promise. For air duct cleaning, we do more than most (even the reputable) cleaners, proven by the pictures we take before and after in each duct. For carpet cleaning, we take pride in achieving a clean carpet, not the activity of "carpet cleaning"

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Providing better indoor air to beathe. Many folks have commented that the difference we make in their home is truely surprising. Its very gratifying to have a customer really feel and breathe better.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How often should I have service performed?. For air ducts, it really depends, but typically is 5 to 10 yrs, call us at 410-692-9775 to discuss your situation, and get a free assessment. For dryer vents, if over 15 ft long, we recommend annual cleaning. For carpets, it really depends on your use and lifestyle, call us to discuss your situation.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. All air duct cleaners and carpet cleaners are not all the same. A "way low" advertised price is rarely the actual price, so beware of those companies. An educated consumer will be a DUCTZ client. They will recognize the difference between a pro, and a scammer. Search nadca.com and iicrc.org to find a true professional.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. We make a difference in peoples lives. We do help you breathe better air. We like to think we've made a difference in people's lives.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. Actually, I'm proud of all our jobs. We take pride in our work, and work hard to assure that our clients are completely thrilled. We know we are different than other guys, and we work hard to prove it. Put us to the test! Call DUCTZ 410-692-9775.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. We get continuing education in both air duct cleaning as well as carpet cleaning. (It's required to maintain our NADCA and IICRC certifications). There's always more to learn, and we put that learning into improving our service and the indoor air in our clients home.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Indoor air quality is just beginning to be on people's radar. Most simply never realized that the carpet in your home is a big filter, or that the accumulation of contaminants in your air system can be cleaned and make a significant difference. It's especially helpful for sufferers of asthma and allergies to have both carpets and air ducts properly cleaned.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. A typical air duct cleaning project for a single system home takes 5 to 7 hrs to complete. Beware of folks who say they can clean it in an hour or two....it simply is not that easy. Thourough brushing, followed by air washing while under negative pressure is right way to clean air ducts, and that takes some time. See http://ductz-upperbay.com/faqs for more Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Dryer vents: $125 for most (might be more if it requires auxilliary fan cleaning, which is rare)
Carpets: price per square foot, fiber type, and degree of soiling, so having us in for an assessment is worthwhile.
Air Ducts: $445 for 1st system, includes 10 vents, then $15 per vent for more than 15, BUT let us come check out your system to give you a firm, no surprises later, quote. We do offer additional indoor air quality services such as UV-C germicidal lighting, and deoderizing/sanitizing services.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Do you clean the air handler? Yes, DUCTZ will actually clean the inside of the air handler, clean the blower fan via pressure washing (not just blow some air on it) and clean accessible evaporator coils. Cleaning the entire system is required to get the benefits of the clean system.