Bellingham Carpet Blog

Apartment Carpet Cleaning Bellingham WA

2011-11-17T16:25:00.001-08:00

Here's a pretty dirty and stained apartment carpet cleaned this week. Saved this customer some money on replacing this one.

Here's a video from a recent job.

2011-01-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

I made a video from a job this past week. Turned out pretty well!

2010-12-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

This Winter we have decided to have our BIGGEST SALE EVER! What a great time to get the whole house cleaned. In addition to the savings we are offering free deodorizer and discounts on our carpet protectors.

This is re-published from our website:

HUGE Carpet Cleaning Specials!
Specials good now through February 28, 2011

This Winter we are offering our biggest SALE EVER!

Carpet Cleaning Specials:

The $249 whole house special up to 3000 sf. home special is NOW JUST $219.

The $219 whole house special up to 2500 sf. home special is NOW JUST $189.

The $189 whole house special up to 2000 sf. home special is NOW JUST $169.

The $159 whole house special up to 1500 sf. home special is NOW JUST $139.

The 4 area special is NOW JUST $109 (Normally $119).

Have any 3 areas cleaned for JUST $95 (Normally $110).

AND FREE DEODORIZER!
In Addition we are now offering our unique extra-strength Deodorizer through February 28, 2011 for FREE! This is an additional value of up to $25.

Carpet Protector Specials:
Our Premium Carpet Protector is now just $10 / room through 2/28/2011. (Normally $15 / room)

Our Clean Shield Protector is now just $5 / room through 2/28/2011. (Normal prices are on our RATES page)

Bellingham WA Carpet Cleaning House Specials from $119

2010-05-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

In order to highlight our "no hidden charges" philosophy, we introduced a line of Whole House price specials. The price includes all taxes, extra fees, pre-vacuuming, stain treatments, pre-spray, low moisture cleaning, and post-grooming. You can expect your carpet to be dry in about 2 hours

Others charge extra to treat a few kool-aid stains, coffee stains, pet stains, etc. With us you get up to 15 minutes of this sort of specialty spot treatments at no extra charge. The only services that cost extra are our super strength Pet Deodorizer, Anti-Allergen treatment, Certified Green Carpet Protector Application, and special Pet Urine treatment (price depends on severity).

Our House Specials:

$119 4 Area Special
•Any 4 areas (4 rooms; 3 rooms plus stairs; or 2 rooms, hall, stairway, etc.)
•Combo rooms, great rooms count as 2 areas
•Includes all the extras listed above!
•Add our Pet Deodorizer for just $10

$159 Small House Special
•Valid for any home size up to 1500 square foot home size.
•Includes all the extras listed above.
•Includes cleaning ALL exposed carpet (stairs, closets, halls, etc.).
•Huge savings over our standard rates!
•Add our Pet Deodorizer for just $15

$189 House Special
•Valid for any size home up to 2000 square foot home size.
•Includes all the extras listed above.
•Includes cleaning ALL exposed carpet (stairs, closets, halls, etc.).
•HUGE savings over our standard rates!
•Add our Pet Deodorizer for just $20

$249 Whole House Special
•Valid for any size home up to 3000 square foot home size.
•Includes all the extras listed above.
•Includes cleaning ALL exposed carpet (stairs, closets, halls, etc.).
•HUGE savings over our stndard rates!
•Add our Pet Deodorizer for just $25

Standard Rates: Open Areas (Minimum Charge is $80)

Up to 400 s.f. carpet $80
Additional area: .20 / s.f.
Stairs: $2.50 / per stair (landings = 2 stairs)

My Daughter

2010-03-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this cute picture of my daughter. She is just waiting for the day she can get to work!

Proper Vacuuming

2010-02-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Vacuuming your carpet is perhaps the most important thing you can do to maintain a clean air environment in your home. However, it is also good for your carpeting.

Bellingham Carpet & Floor Cleaners will always vacuum your carpet thoroughly before beginning cleaning. During this process, we are often asked about our vacuum equipment, how often to vacuum, and other questions of this nature. So I thought this would be a good topic to post here.

Vacuuming tips:
How often should you vacuum? There really isn't one answer for all. If you have someone with severe allergies in your home vacuuming once a week or even more can significantly help. If you have cats and/or dogs in your home and want to keep a handle on the amount of hair and dander you may also want to vacuum frequently. I recommend in any case vacuuming at least every two weeks in order to keep down dust and to remove the larger particles such as sand out of your carpet. Sand is an abrasive material that grinds and damages your carpet as it is walked on. Frequent vacuuming helps extend the life of your carpet.

What kind of vacuum do I need?
It seems like there are hundreds of vacuums to choose from, and these days some of them look like they came from outer space. The first and perhaps most important factor to use is to choose a vacuum that you will actually USE! If you like your vacuum or think it is fun to vacuum, you will use it more often. I can't tell you how often I see a certain expensive $1000+ vacuum in customers closets who tell me that they don't vacuum very often because their vacuum is too heavy. So in some cases having a much less expensive but light-weight vacuum may be a better choice for these folks.

I break down the purchase decision into two different (yet both valid) ways of thinking.

First, you can get a $100'ish "cheapie" vacuum almost anywhere. These vacuums will often perform quite well for a period of time. If you teach yourself how to change the belt and do so every few months you may have a high-performing vacuum that can last you for several years.
Pros: Inexpensive, these vacuums (such as Bissell, Hoover, Dirt Devil) usually perform well if the belts are changed regularly. If you live in a small apartment or don't have pets, etc. it may be all you need.
Cons: All the space-age tubes and hoses often leave a lot of small gaps where some dust escapes the vacuum. So while most will advertise "hepa" filtration, all of the air may not be channelled through the filter. Many of these vacuums are quite loud, and performance may be unreliable. You may get somewhat of a lemon, or you may get a "good one" and have years of reliable service.

Second, you can spend a little bit more money and get a vacuum that will last you many years. Vacuums that should last you many years go under brands such as Sebo, Lindhaus, ProTeam, Kirby, Riccar and others. With most of these vacuums after the initial purchase you will likely just need to purchase bags, the occasional filter, and take them in for service every year or two. By taking them in for service your vacuum will continue running "like new" for many years.

In our experience the more expensive vacuums don't necessarily work better in the short run, that is the less expensive vacuums if in good condition, will pick up just as much soil. However, you can expect them to run at a high performance level for years to come, whereas with the less expensive vacuums you may be lucky to get a couple years of solid service out of one.

Recommendations / Tips:
1) If you use a bagless vacuum, I recommend changing the bin outdoors. That way when emptying the bin you will not be breathing the fine dust or releasing it back into your home.
2) If using a bagged vacuum, change your bag at least every few months even if it isn't full. This will keep the growth of bacteria in the vacuum bag to a minimum.
3) If your vacuum has a hepa or other additional filters, remember to change these. Change these once a year under light use, more often under heavier use or with pets in your home.
4) Unless you vacuum is fitted with a "lifetime belt", I recommend changing the belt on your vacuum 3-4 times a year. With most vacuums, belts are very inexpensive, and surprisingly easy to change. This simple step will keep your vacuum's brush-roll performing at its highest level.

Where to go locally?
If you are looking for a high quality vacuum or service, we recommend Rectors Vacuum shop, located on Meridian Avenue across from Haggens.

Carpet Cleaning Scams

2010-01-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

If you see a carpet cleaning deal that looks too good to be true, it probably is, or there is probably a big "catch". Here's a news story we thought we'd share. Hopefully this hasn't happened to you.

Our take on Steam Cleaning carpet.

2009-11-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

As our customers know, we have always provided great results at an affordable price with our low moisture pad cleaning process.

In the recent months we have begun offering Steam Cleaning as an option. We believe both of our available methods work great and we will recommend one or the other where we think they will work best.

The system we use has achieved the Gold Seal from the Carpet and Rug Institute, the highest rating for quality available. This system is unique, and hooks up to any faucet in your home, and pumps out right to your toilet or drain. With our steam cleaning option your carpet will be dry in 4 - 8 hours, while with our low moisture system the dry time is closer to 2 hours.

This system has been tested and works as well as a standard Truck-Mounted system. Here is a video of our unit beating a truck-mounted unit in a head to head comparison:

Our Steamin Demon extractor boasts a highly efficient vacuum system capable of extracting 94% or more of the water. The result is a cleaning system that delivers higher rates of soil removal and quicker drying times. In fact, the Steamin Demon solves the over-wetting problems commonly associated with most wet cleaning systems. In three documented commercial field tests, the Steamin Demon:

• cleaned faster
• reduced labor costs
• removed more soil
• removed soil more efficiently

Steam Cleaning vs. Low Moisture "Quick Dry" Cleaning

2009-11-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is a topic that is debated daily. What is the best method?

My opinion is that it comes down to personal choice. Certainly Steam Cleaning is what you see as most commonly offered, and the large industry groups and carpet manufacturers recognize this as the industry standard. Many people love steam cleaning (also known as "Hot Water Extraction" or HWE).

Many of our customers have come to us due to bad past experiences with Steam Cleaning. Some have told us that their carpet took 1 or 2 days to dry, other have mentioned that many of their stains came right back. Others have found that the method worked pretty well but just prefer a clean carpet that's dry by dinner time. Still others don't care about the method, they just want to make sure that non-toxic products are used in their home. Bellingham Carpet specializes in using natural, bio-based products in carpet cleaning.

I believe that both methods have their place and both can achieve excellent results.
This is why we have recently introduced Steam Cleaning as an option. With our steam cleaning process we always include several steps that other "budget" steam cleaning companies in town often skip. First, we always include a pre-vacuum step to remove dry soil with a high end, commercial vacuum cleaner. Second, we always include an agitation step to work in the pre-spray prior to extraction. In addition, we make sure to take an extra dry pass to maximize dry times. With these extra steps we are able to avoid many of the problems commonly associated with steam cleaning.

Also, the green products we use has attracted more and more new customers as well. I have had many experiences all over town where people mention how toxic their home smelled after they had their home steam cleaned previously. I continue to receive positive feedback regarding the mild, pleasant citrus fragrance of our green pre-spray.

My opinion regarding the method is that most people who have a preference of one method over another have this preference due to a bad past experience. Usually, however, the bad experience can be traced to a poor technician, or technician that was more worried about getting to the next job than with doing quality work. The fact is that both methods can achieve excellent results when done correctly.

With Bellingham Carpet, we can accomodate cleaning with either method. If you have a preference, I will be happy to accomodate your request. But perhaps more important, is that with Bellingham Carpet you can be assured that since the owner of the company will be your technician, you won't have an inexperienced technician doing the work in your home.

Welcome to our blog!

2009-11-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

I am introducing a carpet and floor cleaning blog at the suggestion of some of our customers and friends.

Over time I will add some tips for maintaining your floors, carpets, spot removal suggestions, and so forth. I also plan to post information from articles, tips for avoiding scams, etc.

Your feedback regarding our service and what you would like to see discussed on our blog are welcomed.

Again, thank you for visiting our blog!