Looking down at my hardwood floors while sipping my morning batch brew, I found myself drawn into an interesting online discussion about carpet cleaning that brought back memories of my rental property days. The topic sparked quite a debate about what constitutes “clean” when it comes to carpets, and whether property managers are actually delivering on their promises of professional cleaning.

The discussion centered around a tenant who moved into a supposedly freshly cleaned apartment, only to discover some confronting results when they did their own cleaning four months later. What fascinated me most wasn’t the dirt itself, but the varying perspectives on what constitutes “normal” carpet buildup.