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Non-Toxic Carpet Cleaning

September 16, 2008 By 31 Comments

My carpets needs to be cleaned. Bad.

The new puppy darts in front of me or my daughter goes screaming running from the new puppy and my coffee spills…every morning. It try for it to not happen but it does. The dog piddles way to much and I always catch him, in the middle of it. I guess I suck at this puppy training thing and my carpet is suffering because of it.

My carpets needs to be cleaned. Bad.

Being the green mom that I try so hard to be I’d like to clean my carpets with non-toxic cleaners but in my area this does not exist.  Trust me,  I’ve tried and called every single carpet cleaner two hours from my house. Do I need clean my carpet? I’ve considered this option.

My carpets need to be cleaned. Bad.

I have to share with you something I encountered today on my quest for non-toxic carpet cleaning. Something I believe many of us “greenies” run into daily if not hourly. A very pig headed, I’ve always done it this way, nothing is wrong with me and I’ve researched the chemicals and the government says they are safe, type of people.  Here is how my telephone conversation went:

” I’ve used your service before but do you now you a alternative to chemicals or do you still use chemicals during your carpet cleaning process?” OR something like this is what I said.


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  • http://simple-green-organic-happy.blogspot.com/ robin

    We broke down a long time ago and bought a carpet cleaner. We have three kids, we had two dogs, a husband in construction… our carpets get really dirty really fast.

    We use Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds and it works out fine. Are our carpets 100% clean and sterile? Probably not, but they’re clean enough. Not as well as a professional would do it, perhaps, so I just clean them a bit more often. I don’t mind. I’m saving quite a bit of money, I’m guessing.

    robins last blog post..That’s a Lot of APLS

  • Courtney

    Hello, I’m not sure where you live, but there is a small franchise called Citrusolution and they claim their cleaners are environmentally friendly. I’ve used them in my house a few times now and I am always pleased with the results. The house smells like oranges when they are done and he always shows me when he’s done the huge amount of pet hair he was able to get out of my carpets that day. Ew. But they are pretty small still, mostly in the south. Here’s the parent company website:

    http://www.c4.coop/cleaning_process.html

  • Michelle Gudmunsen

    I’m in the same boat as you regarding the state of my carpet. Nature Brite works wonders on those spots, but what about the rest of the floor? I’m going to try to find out about options NOT in our area, and then maybe I can convince someone around here to go more “green”.

  • http://gidgetgoeshome.com Gidget

    i used a company called oxifresh- they claim to be a “natural, safe” alternative, but I didn’t actually ask them specifically like you did. But there wasn’t a strong fragrance after they left so that was encouraging.

    Gidgets last blog post..Weekly Surf Spots

  • http://greenbabyguide.com Rebecca (Green Baby Guide)

    Perhaps you should invest in a steam cleaner. You use just water–no chemicals or soap or anything. This is supposed to clean 99.9% of germs/bacteria/etc. I’ve also heard that you can rent those Rug Doctors at the grocery store and fill it with plain old water. Our real estate agent actually recommended that method. She said the soap leaves a residue and carpets get dirtier faster when you use it. Surely some professional could come over and steam clean everything?

    This is my advice, coming from someone who has never used a steam cleaner and doesn’t have any carpeting in my new house. I think it’s good advice, though!

    Rebecca (Green Baby Guide)s last blog post..Make Better Packed Lunches with a Copy of Vegan Lunch Box (Giveaway!)

  • http://www.greenandcleanmom.org admin

    Very neat suggestions. The steam cleaning doesn’t actually remove the stains and that is an issue. My area is very not green on the company front.

  • Jackie B.

    I received a free sample of a product called FIZZION recently. My boyfriend used it this weekend and was amazed at the results. It is an eco-friendly product that comes in tablet and you drop them in water and they fizz like Alka-seltzer. He spayed it on the spots then steam cleaned the carpets with water and it looks great! They have a website at fizzionclean.com.

  • misty

    http://people-friendlyproducts.com/why.htm

    this is a “everything” product i came across last year. we haven’t tried it on our carpets yet but i have been able to do some other amazing things with it. i have gotten oil stains out of already washed and dried clothes. that is amazing to me! anyway, worth checking out the site cuz it’s organic and your child could eat it…that’s what sold me:) mine actually broke into the cleaning cupboard and sprayed it into her mouth and eyes(she has a thing for spray bottles). she was fine and it was nice to not have to worry. i called poison control out of curiousity for what they would have to say and they thanked me for choosing to have such a natural safe product in my home. i just tried there laundry bar and got old poop stains out of our cloth diapers…love it!

  • http://www.kimwoodbridge.com Kim Woodbridge

    Vinegar helps remove stains and odors if you scrub it into the stained area. I think this needs to be done shortly after something is spilled.

    This isn’t a long term deep cleaning solution but you can deodorize your carpets with baking soda. Liberally sprinkle it all over the carpets and then vacuum it up – it really does work.

    I think the best solution is to not have carpets. :-)

    Kim Woodbridges last blog post..WordPress – How to Find the Best Free Themes

  • Jill

    Not sure where you live but http://www.ecovian.com lists green cleaning services in a number of cities.

  • ava

    We just moved into a rented apartment and there is carpet that they cleaned with some awful chemical. It still smells after a month and makes us feel nauseous and gets on our lungs (sore throat). My question is how do I get this poison out of the carpet?
    The manager couldn’t care less and and says the smell will fade.

  • Hailey

    I rent a rug doctor and use a safe, non-toxic cleaner called Sol-u-mel and another called tough and tender. You can’t buy them at any store so I can give you the info on where to get it if you would like to email me at hailey@saferforyourhome.com. IT WORKS BETTER THEN THE TOXIC CLEANERS WITH NONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS!

  • http://www.dmsclean.com Greengo

    DMS Carpet Cleaners Connecticut offers a safer way to clean your carpeting. We use products from a company called “Bio-Kleen”. Now this is not just a plug..as this company offers a carpet shampoo available for home use! We sell it locally but it can be purchased at drugstore.com. This stuff works effectively for our professional operations and will do wonders for your home machines!

  • http://greencleaningmom.blogspot.com greencleaningmom

    I can’t say enough about Citra Solv. Dilute it and use it for cleaning everything. Use the Citra Spot on really bad areas. It’s natural and smells great without using any chemicals!
    .-= greencleaningmom´s last blog ..America’s Pastime: Laundry =-.

  • http://www.wowgreen.net/21463 Shelley

    wowgreen Carpet and Upholstery cleaner can be put in the carpet cleaners you rent. My friends have used 2 bottles in the carpet cleaner tank and had great results. non-toxic, all natural check out my website wwwdotwowgreendotnet/21463

  • http://www.dmsclean.com/ Greengo

    You have options. There is a company called Biokleen they are in Washington State. They have a product that you can use in your home machine. Also, When hiring a professional you can ask that they use a product such as biokleen. It is easily available and when used in a high powered truck mount you will get amazing results! My company DMS Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners Greenwich Ct. uses the Biokleen line of commercial cleaners and have been doing so for the past four years. So..who said it's not east to be green?

  • http://www.dmsclean.com/ Greengo

    You have options. There is a company called Biokleen they are in Washington State. They have a product that you can use in your home machine. Also, When hiring a professional you can ask that they use a product such as biokleen. It is easily available and when used in a high powered truck mount you will get amazing results! My company DMS Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners Greenwich Ct. uses the Biokleen line of commercial cleaners and have been doing so for the past four years. So..who said it's not east to be green?

  • http://www.waytogogreen.org/green-cleaning-products-non-toxic-cleaner/.html Environment

    I believe every word of yours that we use toxic cleaning products very often. We need to switch to green cleaning solutions to protect our environment and our families.

  • cleanhome

    I understand your frustration and there is a simple solution. Von Schrader is one company that manufactures a professional carpet cleaning machine that uses Green seal approved detergents. The alkaline based product doesnt leave a residue and there is no cosmetic smell. It is a very reliable cleaning machine and gives excellent results. Keep in mind that the quality of the work is up to the operator always. Contact Von Schrader and ask them if there is a company near you that services your area.
    If you are going to steam clean your carpet I wouldnt recommend a rug doctor or what you can rent at a store. You will leave residue and cause more harm then good, plus lose valuable time. If you use just water, well dirt plus water equals mud. You must have the patience to extract the water that you put in your carpet. If not the carpets will be left wet for a long time and the deep down dirt will wick up. Secondly by using only water on the soil in you carpet, which is alkaline based, there is emulsion to help you transfer the soil to the machine.
    If you cant find a Green seal product using company and dont want to do it yourself but remain safe with products that come into your house. I would have them steamed cleaned with a acidic rinse solution. This will neutralize the alkaline based dirt in your carpet. That is about as close you can get without using chemicals in house. But remember, without allowing the company using alkaline based pretreatment, you run the risk of those heavy traffic areas not coming as clean as you wanted.
    Good luck!!

  • http://www.greencleansolution.co.uk/blog adam cleaner

    it's funny that a lot of people think carpet cleaning still leaves residue, and as a result this seems to be pushing green carpet cleaning, as most think at least the residue left will be non-toxic, which is completely untrue, in the past maybe but no longer do professional carpet cleaning machines leave any residue, unless the clean is done by someone untrained

  • mitchdcba

    Truck mount carpet cleaning equipment is the best way to get your carpets cleaned, thoroughly flushed and rinsed and depending on how much power your carpet cleaner’s machine has, it will even leave your carpet relatively dry without the aid of any additional equipment.
    carpet cleaning lakewood

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    Carpet Cleaning Vancouver

  • sarahkozer

    It’s a very good post I have come across.I really like this post very much.It’s a very appreciated post.Thanks for sharing.Keep blogging. Thank you for bringing a well thought out and reasoned comment to the discussion.

    Carpet Cleaning Vancouver

  • http://cleanrz.com/ Cleaning Services

    There are many “Green” cleaning services on the internet…are you sure there is nothing in your area?

  • http://www.orientalrugcare.com/ rugcleaning

    very inspirational! I'm impressed with his work.

  • http://www.visadiaries.com rug

    If you want rug cleaning at your house then you should find out what specifically you need to start this. You prefer to make sure that the area area rugs in your home are as thoroughly clean as they can be, and not holding onto just about any dirt and debris that could result in your loved ones to become ill. That is why making use of organic products to wash these types of rugs are recommended when it comes time to eliminate and loosen virtually any undesirable dirt and debris from your home. There are a number of approaches for area rug cleaning, and you can be certain you need to do so correctly by reading ahead.

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  • Anonymous

    There’s definitely nothing wrong with being pro-green. I honestly think it’s more safe for our kids and the people at home to be using less harmful ingredients for cleaning the carpet. There are products like these available in the market and there are absolutely carpet cleaning companies who apply environment-friendly cleansing products too. If there’s none, then I guess this can be a very great opportunity to start a carpet cleaning business in your area specialized in using organic products.

  • Anonymous

     

    Dear
    friend,

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    It would be best to timetable it on dates when you have a long weekend or for
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    thanks