Carpet cleaning in Chester County, PA: new homes, wells and flood risk
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What is different about carpet cleaning in Chester County?
Chester County has a larger share of recently built housing than the state as a whole, so more of its carpet is young enough for the warranty to matter. Its homes are large, which makes the way a quote is built important. And the county itself calls flooding its most significant hazard, while its health department warns that a flooded private well may not be safe to clean with, which changes what you can wash carpet and rugs with afterwards.
Is your carpet new enough for the warranty to matter?
Quite possibly. The Census Bureau estimates that 10.7 percent of Chester County's 212,491 housing units were built in 2010 or later, against 6.1 percent for Pennsylvania. The county's planning commission says about 1,500 new units have been added in most years since 2010, with a growing share of twins and apartments.
If your carpet is still under warranty, read the maintenance terms before you book. The Carpet and Rug Institute, the carpet makers' trade association, says every manufacturer requires proper maintenance and that not following the maker's guidelines may void the warranty. The Federal Trade Commission adds the other side: federal law does not let a manufacturer require specific parts or services to keep coverage unless it supplies them free or has an FTC waiver. Keep the warranty and your cleaning receipts together, as the FTC advises for any warranty.
New carpet in a new house also raises the question of smell. The institute says most off-gassing from new carpet is over within about a day and that 48 to 72 hours of good ventilation should clear the odor. If it lingers, it suggests a hot water extraction cleaning after ventilating and vacuuming have not worked.
Do bigger houses change the price?
They change how you should compare prices. Chester County's median home has 7.0 rooms, against 6.0 statewide, and 73.0 percent of homes have three or more bedrooms. The institute advises measuring the area before you call and being careful with per-room quotes, because rooms vary in size. The cost guide sets out what the surveys publish by area.
What does the county say about flood risk?
Chester County calls floods the most significant hazard it faces and says every community in it is at risk, some more than others. It explains that a high-risk flood zone has a 1 in 100 chance of flooding in any year, which adds up to a 1 in 4 chance over a 30-year mortgage, and it points residents to FEMA's map service to look up their own address. The county lists mobile home communities among those that can suffer worse impacts; the Census Bureau counts 2.1 percent of the county's housing as mobile homes. Chester was also one of the counties where individuals could get federal help after the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Is your well water safe for cleaning after a flood?
Not until it is tested, if the well was flooded. The Chester County Health Department says water from a well affected by flooding may not be safe to drink, cook or clean with, and that a submerged well should not be used until it has been tested. NC State Extension gives the same warning for rugs: floods can contaminate a private well, so do not wash throw rugs until you know the water is not contaminated.
The health department also warns that mold and mildew can grow in the flooring of flooded buildings, and that people with asthma or mold allergies may have trouble breathing, a stuffy nose, skin and eye irritation, or chest tightness and wheezing. It publishes a flood recovery guide on managing mold.
How do you check a company in Chester County?
No county consumer affairs office for Chester County turned up in the research for these guides, so the checks are the state's. The Attorney General's contractor search can be filtered to Chester County and shows only active registrations, and the office takes complaints online. Whether a business that only cleans carpet must register is not settled in the state's guidance; what Pennsylvania requires sets out what is known. Companies that serve the county are on the Chester County carpet cleaning page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Housing Report - Units By Type, Chester County Planning Commission
- Flooding, Chester County
- Environmental Health, Chester County
- President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Pennsylvania, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Water-Damaged Carpets and Rugs, NC State Extension
- CRI 205 Residential Carpet Standard: Residential Warranties, The Carpet and Rug Institute
- Warranties, Federal Trade Commission
- Frequently Asked Questions, The Carpet and Rug Institute
- Hire a Carpet Cleaning Professional, The Carpet and Rug Institute
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Submit a Complaint, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General