Before and after photo app for carpet cleaners

Carpet cleaning is judged two ways: how much better the room looks, and whether the stain the customer pointed at has gone. Photos help with both, and most of all with the stains that won't shift.

What to photograph on a carpet cleaning job

• Every stain the customer shows you, close up and in a wider shot that shows where it is in the room.
• Traffic lanes in doorways, hallways and in front of sofas.
• Stairs and rugs, which wear differently from the rest of the carpet.
• Existing damage: frayed edges, burns, bleach spots, ripples and lifting gripper.
• Furniture you need to move, and its condition, before you move it.
• The same areas once dry, including stains that are lighter but not gone.

Stains you couldn't remove

Some marks are permanent. Bleach and some dyes strip colour from the fibre, and old stains rubbed with the wrong product can set for good. Tell the customer before you start, then photograph the stain before and after so they can see you reduced it as far as it would go. A clear pair stops the conversation turning into "you didn't even try".

Shoot carpet with the light behind you or from the side, and hold the phone at the same height for both photos. Pile direction changes how a carpet looks, so a freshly groomed area can look lighter or darker depending on where you stand. The faint before photo on the camera screen helps you stand in the same place.

Wet carpet flatters the result

A damp carpet can look darker and cleaner than it will once dry, and some stains wick back to the surface as it dries. If you can, take the after photos once the carpet is touch dry, or come back and add them later. A job stays open until you complete it, so there is no rush to finish the record on the day.

End of tenancy and lettings work

Letting agents and landlords often want proof of a carpet clean when a tenancy ends. Send them one link with each room as a before and after slider and your logo at the top. Label rooms once, such as Bedroom 1 or Lounge, so the agent can match them to their inventory. Upholstery works the same way: label each piece, like Sofa or Dining chairs.

Questions