Is wall-to-wall carpeting safe?
The problem with carpeting is that it's a perfect home to microorganisms such as mold, mildew and dust mites. It is also a reservoir for everything you track indoors on your shoes soil, lawn chemicals, lead dust from chalking house paint, asbestos fibers from automotive brake linings, animal feces, and anything else found on the ground outdoors.
Wall-to wall carpeting is virtually impossible to clean thoroughly, so it is always going to be a source of allergens. Plus, cleaning can cause additional problems:
- Routine vacuuming often stirs up dust making it airbourne.
- Damp-cleaning processes can add enough moisture to cause the microogranisms living in the carpet to thrive.
- And, most carpet shampoos contain fragrance, solvents, or other chemicals that can bother some people.
The active ingredient likely to be found in most rug, carpet and upholstery shampoos is percholroethylene, a solvent commonly used as a spot remover. It is a known human carcinogen. Rug, carpet, and upholstery cleaners may also contain naphthalene, which, according to the The Condensed Chemical Dictionary is "toxic by inhalation". Naphthalene is also suspected of causing cancer in humans. Ethanol, ammonia and detergents are other common ingredients in these products.
The safest carpet cleaners on the market are those with a baking-soda base. To deodorize your carpets with baking soda, sprinkle it liberally over the entire carpet (making sure the carpet is dry first). You will need several pounds for a nine-by-twelve-foot room. Wait 15 minutes or longer, and then vacuum. You can leave it on overnight.
