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Tip 42: How To Clean Carpet
Christopher Gavigan
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Think of your carpet as a large, flat air filter: most airborne particles and soil end up there. Then add the compounds already in the carpet — vinyl backing, fire retardants, chemical surfactants — and you've got quite a mix.
When you want your carpets cleaned – follow these guidelines – for chemical free solutions.
Use a biodegradable, preferably vegetable-based soap when shampooing carpet. I would recommend AFM’s SafeChoice Carpet Shampoo, which you can buy from GreenNest.
Avoid products containing tetrachloroethylene (spot remover) or hydrofluoric acid (rust remover).
Mineral water makes an excellent spot-remover. Use a clean terry cloth to blot out spots as soon after the spill as possible. Be persistent. Not all spots come out easily.
For fruit and wine spots - immediately blot with a towel and add cold water, continuing to blot.
For grease use boiling water followed with dry baking soda.
For blood use cold water or hydrogen peroxide or try a paste of cornstarch, corn meal or talcum powder. Allow to dry and brush away.
For rust: - saturate with lemon juice and rub with salt.
If you are like me, the cleaner the better, so enjoy the pleasure and inner satisfaction the non-toxic cleaning.
