Carpet and upholstery cleaning is the clearest case in this whole trade of an exclusion deciding the policy. The claim a carpet cleaner makes is damage to the carpet: shrinkage, colour run, a pile flattened, a rug that should never have been wet cleaned. General public liability commonly excludes the item being worked on, so a policy without a treatment risk extension covers almost everything except the thing that will actually happen.
Treatment risk is the section, not an extra
Treatment risk, sometimes sold as damage to goods being worked upon, answers for damage to the carpet, rug or upholstery you were cleaning. It carries its own limit, usually far below the public liability figure, and that limit is the number to look at: an antique rug or a suite of furniture can exceed a low inner limit on its own. Insurers ask whether you clean natural fibres, silk or antique pieces for that reason.
Water, machines and the floor underneath
Extraction machines move a lot of water, and over-wetting damages the floor, the underlay and sometimes the ceiling below. That is third party property damage beyond the item itself, so it sits in public liability rather than treatment risk. Insurers distinguish between hot water extraction, low moisture and encapsulation methods because the water volume differs, and the method is worth declaring accurately.
Chemicals, and the surfaces they meet
Pre sprays, spotters and solvents are regulated substances at work, and using them brings duties around assessment, control and information. The claim they produce is a colour change or a surface damaged by a product that should not have been used on it, which is why insurers ask about training and about whether you test before treating.
The van, the machine and the round
A truck mount or portable extractor is often the most valuable single item a cleaner owns and can exceed a standard single item limit. It lives in a van and is a theft target. The tools or equipment section's conditions about locked vehicles and overnight parking decide those claims, and a truck mounted installation is a vehicle modification that needs declaring.
Questions people ask about carpet cleaner insurance
What insurance does a carpet cleaner need?
Public liability, treatment risk for damage to the item being cleaned, employers' liability once anybody is employed, and equipment cover for the machine. Treatment risk is the section this trade actually claims on.
Is damage to the carpet I cleaned covered?
Only under a treatment risk extension. Plain public liability commonly excludes property in your care, custody or control, which is exactly the carpet you were paid to clean.
What limit does treatment risk usually carry?
Far less than the public liability limit, often a few thousand pounds. If you clean antique rugs, silk or full suites of upholstery, check the inner limit against the value of a single item.
Does the method affect cover?
Insurers distinguish hot water extraction, low moisture and encapsulation because the water volume and the over-wetting risk differ. Declare the method you actually use and the fibres you accept.