What Our Customers Are Saying About Us:

I was particularly impressed with the preparation and care that was shown. The job was done efficiently and thoroughly. I was very pleased with the results.

Charlotte Wyatt
Pasadena, MD

Came upon Carpet 1st from a neighbor. The company and owner was very professional from both a business and Tech standpoint. I would recommend them to anybody.

Ronnie Jacobs
Owings Mills, MD

I found Kris to be knowledgable and compitent. Also, he was very enthusiastic about his job. This is the best job of 3 carpet cleaners I have had.

Jean Townsend
Lutherville, MD

We had 3 bedrooms restretched and Kris did a great job. He is a fine young man and an asset to your company. We will be calling soon for a cleaning as we are preparing to sell our house.

Gary Compton
Catonsville, MD

Professional Certifications Mean a Lot More than you think.

Did you know that 9 out of 10 cleaning companies/persons in the market place are not trained or certified by a professional school in their profession? This is one item that can turn a seemingly "easy" decision into a nightmare very quickly if you choose the wrong company for your services.

The IICRC (The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) is the main training and certifying body in our industry of textile cleaning. They offer dozens of certifications from Carpet Cleaning Technician, Upholstery Fabric Technician, Water Damage Restoration Technician, and many more. Can somebody learn from a seasoned pro over year through an apprenticeship? Of course, but just how do you know they were trained properly in what they are doing?

There are two ways that you can be certified through the IICRC, the first is the company itself being certified. This will allow a company to be shown within their "Locate a Pro" search on their website. The second way, is as an individual. Every individual who is certified through the IICRC will have a certification card listing out everything that they are certified in through the IICRC. For example, Kris Sokalski's (the owner of Carpet 1st) certification card appears as:

Be it known that: Kris Sokalski
is certified in these areas:

Carpet Cleaning
Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning
Water Damage Restoration
Carpet Repair & Reinstallation
Journeyman Textile Cleaner
Journeyman Water Restorer

Furthermore, by being certified through the IICRC, the registrant has:

Qualified by service and examination with a satisfactory score to ascertain their competency.
Demonstrated a thorough and working knowledge of cleaning and restoration techniques to the satisfaction of an approved IICRC instructor.
Pledged themselves to strive constantly to promote the goodwill of those they serve and to use their best talents to preserve by proper care the properties of their customers.
Agreed to subscribe and continue an effective training program approved by the IICRC to upgrade themselves as a true professional.
Pledged to hold above all else honesty and thorough workmanship in all their customer relations.