In the past we've hired Stanley Steemer to come in and clean our 24-year-old carpets once a year, but when Cole and Skye both died right before the holidays I just couldn't deal with it. Then we got the puppies the following year, and I wanted to wait until they were grown and fully house-trained before we cleaned the old carpets. That's why it's been two years since the carpets were cleaned.
The price of Stanley Steemer's service has doubled since the last time we used them. We've tried cleaning them ourselves in the past with the rental machine Rug Doctor, which didn't do half as well as the commercial service. My guy did some research, and found out that Bissell also had a rental machine available at Lowe's that had gotten sterling reviews. So we gave it a go right before Thanksgiving.
We've always moved the furniture ourselves, even with Stanley Steemer, so that was nothing new. The Bissell machine is big, clunky, heavy and a bit hard to maneuver in tight spots. It took three hours to do our livingroom (my guy went very slowly, which may have contributed to the time involved.) Those are the major downsides.
That said, the Bissell machine pulled so much soil from our carpets that the return water was literally black (and I vacuum our carpets every week without fail, so I was really shocked.) The cleaning solution and spot treatment we chose got up even the oldest stains as well, and left the old carpet and our house smelling wonderful. The carpets also dried overnight with just the ceiling fans on.
Best of all, the total cost for renting the machine for 2 days and the solution we bought is about $50.00. We can clean as many rooms as we like. Stanley Steemer's minimum charge is $200.00 for up to 5 rooms, and then they charge more for every room after that.
Comments
To be honest, I've reached the point where I would rather do without carpeting. I'm beginning to regret them in the guest rooms and Greg's den, but since they don't get a lot of traffic, it's fine.
If I ever have to redo them, I'm going with tile and just put in throw rugs. It's just easier to clean and disinfect.
Secondly, we've always cleaned our own carpets. And I agree. Bissell is so much better than Rug Doctor. You made a good choice.
Kudos on 24 years!