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Where to Find Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning Options

Traditional commercial carpet cleaning solutions contain a cocktail of noxious synthetic chemicals. One, perchloroethylene, is a notorious dry cleaning additive known to cause dizziness, fatigue and nausea if ingested or inhaled. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC also links perc to kidney and liver damage. Another chemical, naphthalene, a solvent manufactured from coal tar, is considered toxic to the human central nervous system and a possible carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Carpet cleaning chemicals get into the air of a room when applied during cleaning, and can also be ingested by kids who play on the floor soon afterwards. Besides such on-site health threats, carpet cleaning chemicals can pollute local groundwater if disposed of improperly - Such as directly down your drain. Wastewater from carpet cleaning requires treatment and/or filtration in order to neutralize contaminants. Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning Professionals Thanks to growing awareness about the potential health impacts of carpet cleaning, a new breed of professional services has sprung up that eschews dangerous and polluting chemicals in favor of more natural solutions. Some of the newer and more green-friendly cleaning solutions used by professional services are plant instead of chemical based, and include such brand names as Bi-O-Kleen, Capture, AFM SafeChoice, NatureClean, SimpleGreen and Natural Citrus Carpet Cleaner by Seventh Generation. Most carpet cleaning services are local businesses, and many have greened-up their processes in recent years. If you need your carpets cleaned you should call around and ask questions. If a service does not know whether their cleaning solution is plant or chemical based, or if they do not have systems in place to treat or transport wastewater responsibly after cleaning, they should probably be avoided.

Article Sources About.com

Secret Chemicals: Why Choose a Green Carpet Cleaning Service?

In a report from the Washington Post, Almost one-fifth of commercial cleaners contain secret potentially harmful chemicals, according to the EPA. As far as our green carpet cleaning service is concerned, this is not a surprise; however, it is surprising that the EPA has finally provided the percentage of cleaning products that are protected from disclosing a chemical ingredient list. Being a green carpet cleaning service, it is not uncommon for us to see popular cleaning solutions targeted by the EPA. In fact, many of our customers are surprised to learn that even infamous brands, most notably Teflon and Scotchgard, have been forced by the EPA to basically discontinue or reformulate their carpet cleaning products due to toxicity (read more on our Green Carpet Cleaning page). However, it is certain that a much larger number of chemicals would similarly be deemed toxic if they were not so heavily protected under trade secret policy. Because of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, companies do not have to foreclose the secret chemicals contained in their products. What was meant to encourage business and protect companies has ultimately hurt consumers. In recent years, 95% of new chemicals are deemed trade secrets, and the companys who make these cleaning chemicals request that the government not disclose the substances they contain. Environmental groups and scientists agree that the Toxic Substances Control Act is being abused, and also allowing the introduction of harmful chemicals into the environment and our households. What does this mean for consumers looking for a safe carpet cleaning service? Well, we believe that selecting a quality green carpet cleaning service is the only way to ensure a safe cleaning solution will be used to clean your carpets. It was decades before Scotchgard and Teflon were recalled, and these two products represent the most popular commercial carpet cleaning solutions of all time. And while the EPA does an excellent job of policing cleaning products, there are certainly toxic substances still available on the market today, comfortably protected under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. We started GreenChoice Carpet due to this very problem. Instead of exposing our customers, and even ourselves, to mysterious products that may or may not contain toxic chemicals, we simply use organic carpet cleaning solutions. Even if you dont select a GreenChoice Carpet Cleaning Service, find a local cleaner that uses an effective organic cleaning product.

Article Source www.greenchoicecarpet.com

Carpet Cleaning: For good looks and good health

You once loved your carpet, but now its not looking its bestand maybe its even making you sneeze and sniffle. Dont despair. With the right cleaning practices and products, you can clear the air without filling your house with toxic chemicals. And your old carpet might just win its way back into your heart. The first step in green carpet care is all about maintenancekeeping dirt outside, vacuuming regularly, and cleaning up stains quickly. But no matter how stellar your housekeeping habits, your carpet will need a deep cleaning occasionally. For DIYers, the most common method is hot water extraction. Its also called steam cleaning (even though no steam is produced). You can also dry clean your carpet, which involves sprinkling it with a powder saturated in solvents and/or detergents. You work the powder into the pile by hand or with a machine, then vacuum it up with dirt attached. Since the carpet never gets wet, its ready for action sooner than a steam-cleaned carpet. Another option is hiring a carpet cleaning company. Traditionally, the pros have used either hot water extraction or dry cleaning. But these days some companies use a system that bubbles up the dirt with carbonated water. They say it reduces the use of both water and cleaning chemicals.

Article Source: www.sierraclubgreenhome.com