Safe Carpet Cleaning Helps Green Your Home

It's hard to tell when a carpet is dirty because the dirt is microscopic, unsuspecting, and can come from a variety of sources. Carpet fibers hang on to a plethora of unwelcome guests, including dust, allergens, pet dander, air pollutants, pesticides, lead, mercury, outdoor dirt, and even mold if they get wet. This would be bad enough for healthy people, but imagine how uncomfortable this could be for those with asthma or allergies.

Fortunately, the solution is simple: Get your carpets cleaned on a regular basis, and follow up with routine maintenance to keep your indoor environment healthy and clean.

Traditional methods of carpet cleaning include renting a shampooer or hiring a professional to do the job. Either way, the process requires you to wet carpets and apply chemicals to the area. As with most cleaning products, the actual chemical ingredients are not always listed on the bottle of most rug shampoos.

Not only will these chemicals and stain removers sit on the carpet, they give off fumes too, ranging from formaldehyde, fragrance, disinfectants, acids, lye, and pesticides. The chemicals give off fumes and the residues remain on the carpets even once the cleaning has been completed, because it's impossible to remove every last drop of soap. Moreover, the shampoo lingers on the fibers of the carpet, making them sticky and prone to attracting more dirt. If you want to know more about the chemicals found in carpet cleaners, or any other cleaning supplies, feel free to consult the Household Products Database for more information.

The other big issue with carpet cleaning is that it tends to wet the carpet and the under padding, meaning that if the area does not dry properly, the carpet will become a breeding ground for mold spores. Unfortunately, mold and mildew in carpets is quite common and virtually impossible to remove, forcing you to spend a pretty penny to replace your carpet. Chronic conditions such as headaches, allergy symptoms, sore throat, and other respiratory issues often stem from mold. Even if you were to use a dry product such as a powder or foam, chemicals still circulate (ventilated or not) and will add to indoor air pollution, which is a known way to trigger symptoms such as runny eyes, itchy skin, headaches, coughing, and sneezing.

What should you look for when choosing a service professional to clean your carpets? Make sure to choose a dry carpet cleaning system that is both chemical-free and shampoo-free and which dries in under an hour or so. You will most likely need to shop locally for these providers, making sure you ask the right questions and don’t settle.

Rule of thumb, if your carpets get heavily soiled—from pets, smoking or wearing shoes in the home—you should be having them cleaned every three to six months, and if your carpets are lightly treaded, a visit every six to 12 months will probably suffice.

Between cleanings, proper maintenance is important. Vacuum one or two times per week, that way you are continually removing the dirt that comes in from pets, kids, visitors, and other household traffic. Shoes should never be worn in the house; socks or slippers will keep feet warm and help maintain the cleanliness of your carpets. To deodorize, sprinkle baking soda on the carpets 20 minutes before vacuuming. Keeping a window or door slightly open (even during the winter months, if possible) is the best way to circulate air in your home and cycle out dust, dirt, and other allergens.

By following these tips, you should be armed with the knowledge to ask the right questions and the skills needed to maintain your carpets and help reduce indoor air pollution. You want your carpets so clean that you can eat off the floor.

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