Green clean your rugs

(Apr 8, 2008) Our rugs take a beating during the winter months and getting them back in shape is part of any spring cleaning. But conventional carpet cleaners and spot removers contain some of the most dangerous chemicals out there.

Read the label
Check your products for tetrachloroethylene or butoxyethanol and ethanolamine. These chemicals are recognized carcinogenics that cause serious side effects like nerve damage, dizziness, nausea along with liver and kidney damage. Throw them away! Also check any fabric and stain repellents since they contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) -- the main ingredient in Teflon -- considered one of the most toxic chemicals every invented.

Green alternatives
Cleaning your carpets more often means you won’t need those stronger chemicals to get your carpets clean. Set up a maintenance program and start using organic cleaners. You can make your own from ingredients found in your own kitchen. If you’re hiring a professional cleaning company ask them to use non-toxic, natural cleaning solutions with no fragrances.

Green carpet care
The Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) has started a Heal the House campaign to provide safer environments for children. It makes the following recommendations for rugs:

1. Consider replacing wall-to-wall carpets. Not only are they reservoirs for dust mites, dirt and mould, carpets emit polluting fumes (VOCs) for up to five years after installation. Switch to machine-washable throw rugs.

2. Place doormats at all entrances and encourage family members to wipe! This can reduce the amount of cleaning you need to do.

3. Leave your outdoor shoes at the front door. Shoes can track pesticides, pollutants and dirt onto carpets.

4. Vacuum two or more times per week to reduce dust and dust mites. Use a vacuum with strong suction and a HEPA filter. Go back and forth over the same spot several times, especially in high traffic areas, to get all of the dirt and dust.

5. Clean up spills on carpets immediately to prevent stains. Soak up liquid spills by covering them with clean white towels. Scrape sticky substances off carpets with a spatula or spoon. Don't rub the spil -- that will damage carpet fibres and make the stain spread.

6. Use household ingredients to clean carpet stains:
Club soda removes red wine stains.
Use an ice cube to harden gum and candle wax, then scrape off.
Take up greasy stains by sprinkling baking soda, corn starch or corn meal and letting it stand for six hour and then vacuum. Mix 1/3 cup vinegar with 2/3 cup warm water and apply to the stain. Then blot with a clean towel and repeat until the stain comes clean.

7. For tough to remove stains, try rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. But first test it on a hidden spot to ensure it won’t lighten or bleach the carpet. Apply a small amount to the stain, and then blot with a clean, white towel. Repeat until the stain is gone.

8. Use baking soda to remove odour from carpets. Until most carpet deodorizers and fresheners simply mask the smell but baking soda soaks up odours. Let it stand for 15 to 30 minutes and then vacuum.

9. Steam clean carpets with plain water. You don’t need the toxic detergents since the hot water will remove most of the dirt. Or you can put in 1 cup of white vinegar to every 9.4 litres (2.5 gallons) of water. If you must use soap or detergent, use a mixture of no more than 3-4 tablespoons of mild liquid soap or detergent with at least 3.4 litres (one gallon) of water. Do not mix vigorously because suds may clog the machine. Check your local whole food store for organic and safe carpet cleaners.

10. Avoid steam cleaning carpets in winter, when you can't open windows or on very humid days when carpets will be slow to dry. A slow drying time increases the chances of mould developing. To speed up the drying, keep the windows open and use fans.

Aisha Ikramuddin wrote the CHEC tips. Read her full article Clean Carpets without Dangerous Chemicals at the CHEC website.



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