How to choose the wrong carpet cleaner and other Unique stories

Larry Rosenthal is the owner of Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning, 801 Bach St., Northbrook. For more than 30 years, and locally since he moved to Illinois in 2003, Rosenthal has been cleaning homes with an amazing level of energy and enthusiasm.

It's often not easy, but we were able to catch up with him to talk about Unique and his family of specialists.

Herald: Carpet cleaners are everywhere. What's unique about Unique?

Larry Rosenthal: You're right, from guys with an old van and a secondhand shampooer to big corporations that clean out wallets as quickly as they clean floors. Lots of choices.

But there's one word I think makes us stand out - respect. Respect your client and play no price games. No too-good-to-be-true advertising to get in the door.

And respect your team. For our specialists, this is a career, not a job until something better comes along. They take pride in what they do, and it shows.

H: Cleaning services can treat homes as if a bull in a china shop. How is your firm any different?

LR: That's a big concern with any homeowner, and we're asked about it a lot. Truthfully, the actual cleaning is the easy part. What is done before the cleaning makes all the difference. Experience plays a big part - knowing what to look for before you flip on the machine. Good communication also is key - talk about any concerns beforehand. Sure, it takes longer, but that is what it takes to do the job the right way.

H: We've heard Unique costs more than the Discount Dans of the world. Why is that?

LR: We've all heard the saying, "You get what you pay for." This is true with carpet and upholstery cleaning, too. There is a right way and a wrong way to do the job. The right way takes an experienced cleaning specialist, high-quality equipment, the absolute best cleaning agents and, most importantly, time.

Flooring and furniture is a big investment for most folks. Finding the cheapest way to take care of it makes zero sense. Buy a cheap cup of coffee if a bargain makes your day. I've found the thrill of using cheaper cleaners evaporates about as quickly as the dirt begins to reappear on your carpet within days or weeks of cleaning.

H: Here's a good one - talk to us about pet cleanup.

LR: Being a doggy daddy most of my life has helped me understand the particular challenges pet lovers face with their furry friends. Sooner or later, the outdoor bathroom becomes your living room. Not only is this embarrassing for Rover's ego, it can play havoc with your carpet, padding and sofa - I'm talking from personal experience.

This is why I took a special interest in tackling these sorts of cleaning challenges. I've gone to cleaning schools all over the country to learn the best techniques in pet mess cleanup. The decontamination system we've devised not only removes the stains, but the bacteria and it's unpleasant odor as well.

H: Why did you decide to enter this line of work?

LR: Frankly, I saw the potential in the industry. I started working with another company for several years in the 1980s. It had a very good cleaning process, but I realized it could be made even better. I went out on my own, and since then we've taken that process - technically and from a service standpoint - to an entirely new level. For me, that's the fun of it.

H: Have you every encountered a cleaning job that was so nasty you gave up on it?

LR: Truthfully, that hasn't happened too many times over the past 30 years. There have been times that we felt our service would not dramatically improve the look of the carpet or sofa. We don't want to waste people's money.

There have been pet issues so bad that it wasn't worth the client spending money to try and clean it. Sometimes things are just too far gone.

Sure, we might talk ourselves out of a cleaning job that day, but in the long run I've developed many great client relationships because we didn't clean their carpet. In the end, a long-term relationship is what we're all about.

H: What service makes your phone ring the most?

LR: Of course, carpet cleaning is our largest and most common project. I'd follow that with upholstery cleaning. Furniture takes such a beating in most households because it gets used a lot and many clients forget about all the activity on couches and sectionals.

Cleaning hardwood floors, tile and grout has really increased over the years, especially since we've seen more and more hardwood and tile installed in place of carpet. Each surface presents its own challenges, and that keeps things very interesting and exciting.