Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For health

Carpet and soft furniture coverings are actually very beneficial. Soft furnishings don’t create dust; they keep it away from your lungs. Our number one concern is that our cleaning creates a more healthful indoor environment. We’re removing soil, to containment outside your living space, using a process that leaves the least residue possible. While we have the ability to use any cleaning method (and each has their place) most often we’d prefer to use hot water extraction. Although this requires the most expensive equipment and highest level of skill, it also removes the most soil while leaving the least residue behind. We use cleaning products chosen for the safety of our technicians and customers, and specify that no dyes, odors, bleaches or brighteners be added. We’re providing clean, with no cover-ups.

Cleaning green

D. A. Burns has been “cleaning green” since long before the term came into use. We were the first company to work with a new locally-made product called Safe Clean, and once perfected it became our primary choice of cleaning products. We dispose of the water we extract from cleaning properly, and have been a leader in working with State and local agencies to help get other businesses to do the same. It would be easier for us to buy a “green certification” from one of the many organizations now in business to sell those certificates, but we’d rather do the work and not be guilty of “greenwashing” our customers.

Commitment to ongoing training

We hold regular training sessions at our location and via the internet. We’ll also send our people to seminars anywhere in the country if needed to make certain we’re not working with outdated information. Our people were instrumental in the writing of many industry guides and training programs, so we give back to the industry as well.

Our technicians hold multiple industry certifications from recognized training organizations and we are one of the few companies designated “Wool Specialists” by Wools of New Zealand (the best wool for carpet).

We buy from local companies whenever possible

In addition to reducing shipping waste and keeping money moving in the local economy, we get the advantage of being able to partner with local people we come to know and trust. In some cases we get to try new products and give feedback to the manufacturers, and we’re able to have products made for us so we have the absolute best product for a given circumstance. Our truck mounted cleaning machines are built in Mukilteo. Our cleaning tools and carpet dryers are made in Bothell and Mt. Vernon. The largest percentage of our cleaning products are made in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle and in Lynnwood. Our Spot-off carpet spot remover was developed by Dave Burns. (One of the sons of D. A. Burns and Sons)

We support local groups with charitable donations

Sometimes our charitable gift budget has more impact locally, or maybe it just seems that way.

We dispose of waste products properly and recycle

We’ve built waste water disposal stations at our Bellevue and Seattle locations to utilize the sanitary treatment system. We reduce waste by returning shipping materials to our local suppliers. We separate recyclables to recover paper and cardboard, plastic containers and plastic film, glass and metals. We’re working with a new local recycling company to recycle carpet remnants from our custom rug making facility. Even as we’ve grown, our recycling program reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by 50%, and we’ve reduced that by another 25% just this year.

We go to a little extra effort to reduce waste in other ways

Equipment is monitored to reduce running time. We’ve installed timers and other automatic controls on electrical equipment, and motor vehicles are not left idling. We route our vehicles to minimize driving time, which allows us to reduce fuel use. Our delivery routes are even planned to take right turns instead of left turns to reduce the amount of idling needed when waiting for traffic to clear before crossing thoroughfares. Besides being better for the environment, the fuel cost savings will allow us to continue to provide pick-up and delivery service without charging an extra fee.

We go to a lot of extra effort to ensure we continue to be a leader in
the industry.

D. A. Burns is recognized as having the knowledge and diverse background to act as an unbiased resource for others. We were a leader in working with a multi-agency task force to write new regulations for carpet cleaning waste water handling, and were the only cleaning company to assist with writing the State of Washington’s Sustainable (green) Cleaning Program for public buildings. Our cleaning plant draws industry visitors from around the world that are eager to see our clean, efficient operation.

To learn what we’re going to be cleaning in the future, we’re members of two designer’s organizations and a carpet manufacturer’s association. (We’re always happy to assist with questions regarding the cleanability of a particular textile, as the most impressive looking item may also require the most care to maintain.)

D. A. Burns was a founding member of the Carpet Cleaners Institute of the Northwest (CCINW) in which we freely share best practices with other firms in the northwest US and western Canada. We are also a founding member of the Association of Rug Cleaning Specialists (ARCS) an international association of professional rug cleaning companies that likewise share their knowledge. Members of the D. A. Burns team have served as Directors on the Boards of regional and national organizations, and have had more than one Presidency in that mix.

All of this is just a part of providing service you cantrust at a reasonable price.

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