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What to photograph on a carpet cleaning job: lanes, stains and damage
Once a carpet is clean and dry, customers forget how bad the traffic lanes and the stains were. And because carpet is soft, pre-existing damage is easy to blame on the cleaning.
A few photos in each room, taken before you start and after the carpet has dried, show the change, record what you could not fix, and protect you from claims about burns, bleach spots and worn patches.
Before you start
- Photograph each room before you move furniture, then again after you have moved it, if you do.
- Use the lights and the windows. Raking light shows texture, matting and stains best.
- Photograph existing damage before you start: burns, bleach spots, pulled loops, worn patches, seams.
- Plan the after photo for when the carpet has dried.
The shot list
10 photos, in the order to take them. For each one: what to shoot, how to frame it, and why it is worth the few seconds.
Before you start
- Each room wide, from the doorway
How: A fixed spot, with the carpet and the baseboards in the frame.
Why: It is the anchor for the pair.
- Traffic lanes and high-wear paths
How: Along the lane, with side light, then one close shot.
Why: The difference in lanes is the most dramatic change.
- Each stain, one at a time
How: Close up with a coin for scale, then one step back to show where it sits.
Why: It records what was there and how bad it was.
- Pet areas, spills and spots near furniture
How: Close up, at an angle to the light.
Why: These are what the customer has been worried about.
- Stairs, runners and edges along the baseboards
How: One wide shot, then the worst spots.
Why: Edges and stairs hold the most soil.
- Existing damage
How: Burns, bleach spots, pulled loops, fraying, seams that are lifting.
Why: It protects you from damage claims.
After the clean
- Each room from the same spot, once dry
How: Same height and same light, with the pile groomed.
Why: Wet carpet looks darker and flatter, which hides the result.
- The same lanes and the same stains
How: The exact spots from the before.
Why: It proves what came out, or what did not.
- Stains that did not come out
How: Close up, with a note on what you tried.
Why: It is honest, and it shows you did the work.
- Protectant, deodorizer or spot treatments
How: The area treated, if you add them.
Why: It supports the extra charge.
Get the angle and the light right
- Low, raking light shows soil, matting and texture. Overhead light hides all of them.
- Shoot from the same spot at the same height, so the room lines up.
- Take the after when the carpet is dry. If you must photograph it damp, say so in a caption.
- Keep the wand, the hose and the machine out of the after shot.
Mistakes that make the result look smaller
- Photographing the after on wet carpet.
- Missing existing damage, then being asked about a burn mark.
- Shooting each room from a different spot the second time.
- Not recording a stain you could not remove.
When it is not a standard job
A stain that is set in
Photograph it before and after, and write a short note, such as "Old stain, lightened. Likely set into the backing." It sets honest expectations and shows the work.
Upholstery, area rugs and tile
Photograph each piece on its own, with a close shot of the worst spot. These are often add-ons, and the photos explain the price.
Rental turnovers
Photograph every room when you arrive and when you leave. A landlord or an agent may need the record for a deposit.
Printable checklist: carpet cleaning
Tick each one before and after.
- Each room wide, from the doorway
- Traffic lanes and high-wear paths
- Each stain, one at a time
- Pet areas, spills and spots near furniture
- Stairs, runners and edges along the baseboards
- Existing damage
- Each room from the same spot, once dry
- The same lanes and the same stains
- Stains that did not come out
- Protectant, deodorizer or spot treatments
photoluego.com/guides/carpet-cleaning-photo-checklist
From photos to proof
A folder of photos is not a report. Photo Luego for carpet cleaners lines up each before and after shot with a ghost of the first photo, pairs them for you, and turns the best pairs into a report with your logo, your review links and a pay button. It works in your phone's browser, and it has an always-free plan. New to it? Start with Getting started, then see how to send a report.
Questions
When should I take the after photo?
When the carpet is dry enough to look true. Wet carpet looks darker and flatter, and hides what you did. If you finish before it dries, photograph it then too, and take the final photo on a later visit if you can.
How do I show a stain that did not come out?
Photograph it before and after, with a short note on what you tried. The photos show the work, and the note sets honest expectations.
What damage should I record on arrival?
Burns, bleach spots, pulled loops, worn patches, seams, pet damage and old stains. Photograph each one close up and from a step back before you start.
General advice, not legal advice. Rules about photographing people and property vary by place, so check yours.