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How to green your carpet cleaning
Whether it's wall-to-wall carpeting or area rugs, your floor coverings will eventually need a good cleaning. But the last thing you need is chemical cleaners.
Fri, Mar 26 2010 at 3:22 PM
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Photo: goforchris/Flickr
One of the problems with indoor carpet — other than offgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in some synthetic weaves — is that they are the ideal home for mites, molds and dust.
Vacuuming is your first line of defense. But carpet eventually means carpet cleaners, many of which contain the infamous dry cleaning agent, perchloroethylene (perc). We've written about this substance in the past. Another common nasty is naphthalene, a possibly carcinogenic solvent linked to red blood cell damage.
Beyond the potential cancer-causing risks of both perc and naphthalene, many people report dizziness, nausea and irritation from the fumes. Pets are equally affected. Neither substance has any place in a healthy home.
If you decide to hire a professional cleaner, inquire about plant-based alternative solvents and insist on nontoxic steam extraction methods. There are also green carpet cleaning solutions available for home use, suitable for some carpet machines and spot application. Their ingredients are generally agreed to be safe for people and pets. Seventh Generation Carpet Cleaner and a similar product by Simple Green aren't hard to find at local whole food and natural health stores, and can be ordered online.
Postpone a general cleaning with spot maintenance. Here you have some natural options: salt for mud, dirt and red wine; club soda for coffee stains; and cornstarch or cornmeal for grease. To control odors, liberally sprinkle carpeting with baking soda and allow to sit overnight before vacuuming. Direct sunlight is also a great deodorant. A couple of hours in the sun does wonders to freshen bathroom mats and area rugs.
Renting a commercial steamer? Rinse out the cleaning chamber with warm water and flush the residue. It's not the best solution, but it beats recirculating the pesticides and chemicals from other people's carpets through your home. Invest in your own steam cleaning unit, and you'll have peace of mind knowing only natural cleaners are keeping your home fresh, clean and healthy.
Copyright Lighter Footstep 2008
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good helpful tips here! Also consider using vinegar in your carpet cleaner with a bit of green works and sprinkle baking soda on the carpet itself
Cool!
www.dmsclean.com
In the past, find carpet cleaner has been difficult for various reasons. However, todays powerful ecommerce sites allow you to find carpet cleaning company with ease.
Thanks for putting this up. Basically, dry cleaning is what works for me. If you have spilled any organic matter, like dry corn cob or any meal, the dry cleaning fluid will be suspended in it. The stain is saturated with it. Which a cleaner from AZ floor covering told me.
I'm very pleased with the cleaning what i have now http://bit.ly/ajIPV0. This is my first home steam cleaner. I delayed purchasing one because I never thought a home cleaner could do as good of a job as the pros. But this Hoover made me a believer. I used it to clean up pet stains and the smell and stains are long gone. The suction and scrubbing are an A+.