In a previous blog I shared my experience dealing with the aftermath of vacuuming foam carpet cleaner before it had a chance to dry thoroughly. According to one reader, scrapping wadded up lint and gunk from the underbelly of my vacuum with a wooden chopstick is nothing compared to the negative impact foam carpet cleaner has on the human body.
Do tell…
The crux of the reader’s email was to inform me that chemical carpet cleaners are toxic and can cause a variety of health problems, plus they pollute the environment. Apparently, most foam carpet cleaners contain perchloroethylene, sodium hydroxide, pesticides, disinfectants and artificial fragrances. The aforementioned ingredients are known to cause:
*Respiratory conditions
*Allergies
*Headaches
*Nausea
*Asthma
*Eye irritation
*Coughing
*Congestion
*Fatigue
*Damage to the central nervous system
So what’s a homeowner to do when you’ve got an army of family members tracking every type of debris known to man on your carpet on a daily basis?
“Clean with green,” according to the reader.
There’s eco-friendly everything else, so why not carpet cleaners too?
In the last couple of weeks I’ve learned a lot about organic carpet cleaners. Most of them are dry products, which is great if you are pressed for time like me. You don’t have to wait for it to dry, plus there’s no sticky residue to deal with. In addition, you can get green carpet cleaners that are non-toxic, non-combustible and won’t irritate your skin or eyes. At this point I am not at liberty to recommend any one product, as I have only just begun my green carpet cleaning experiment.
However, if you are interested in getting your carpets clean without compromising your health and the environment, you might consider hiring a carpet cleaning service that uses green products. If your carpet sees a lot of traffic, it is a good idea to get it professionally cleaned at least once or twice a year to remove embedded dirt, dust and debris that a traditional vacuum misses. Look for companies who use only “Green Seal Certified” products and “Green Label Approved” vacuums.