Maintenance

Does Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning Actually Work?

Eco Friendly Carpet Cleaning

Keeping your carpets clean is imperative to the health and well being of those living in your home. But the process that a carpet needs to undergo in order to stay clean can bring some pretty harsh substances into that home. There are plenty of environmentally safe carpet cleaning methods around lately. How do these measure up to the more traditional methods that use harsh chemicals? And are they actually better for the environment, or are many of them just ways for companies to monetize on the green trends that are taking over the world?

Harmful Carpet Cleaners

In addition to containing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that are prone to releasing harmful gases into your home, artificial carpet weaves are also an ideal place for mold, mites, and dust to propagate and gather. The first thing you should do is vacuum regularly, but that’s just not enough on its own. According to Brilliance Cleaning, all carpets will eventually need to be steam cleaned, especially if you are living in a rental or trying to sell your current home for as much profit as possible. Carpet cleaning compounds often contain things like perchloroethylene or naphthalene.

Ask for Greener Alternatives

Not only are there more environmentally friendly alternatives available, but there are options that will not put your family at risk just from living in your home. Many people will hire a professional to clean their carpets. If you take this route, ask them if they offer any natural solvents that are derived from plants. It is also important that they use a method of steam extraction that is 100% not toxic. When you are searching for a carpet cleaning professional to take care of your dirty carpets, avoid anyone who doesn’t offer green alternatives, and make sure that they are using certified products and methods.

Spot Clean Yourself

The best way to enjoy having a clean carpet is to stop it from becoming dirty in the first place. You can postpone having to bring in a heavier duty cleaning solution by using spot cleaning methods. This is more a type of maintenance than a full-blown cleaning alternative. You can use natural options like dirt for removing red wine, salt for getting rid of mud stains, cornstarch for getting stubborn grease out of weaves, or the old club soda trick for getting rid of stains left by things like coffee. There are more natural home cleaning recipes out there than you could ever try in one life time. Just be sure that you’re not causing more damage in the process.

Removing Bad Smells from Carpet

If you want to take care of unpleasant smells that build up in the synthetic weave of a carpet, try using a generous amount of baking soda, sprinkled all over and left to sit for the night. You can remove it the next day by vacuuming up all the baking soda, and hopefully taking the compounds that were causing the bad smells along with it.

Deodorize with the Sun

If you have rugs and mats that can be removed from your floors, try hanging them up in the sun for an afternoon. The direct rays of the sun are a wonderful bacteria cleanser, and they can deodorize even the stinkiest carpeting material without using any harmful substances.