If you have carpets in your home, you know how important it is to keep them clean. All kinds of dirt get trapped in carpets, and this can affect the health of your family. But what about the carpet cleaners available at the grocery store and those used by professional cleaning companies? Are they safe? And, if not, what can you do about it?
To understand the importance of shampooing your shag, it's first necessary to understand a little about how carpets get dirty. Impurities in your carpet can be oily or dry, and, if you walk on your carpets at all, there is no way to keep them completely free of dirt. Most solid soil can be removed with a good quality vacuum, but other materials are harder to get rid of. They include pollutants like smoke, dust mites, and even carpet beetles.
If carpets are not properly cleaned, they can have an impact on the air quality in your home, and therefore the health of its occupants. For example, dust mites can irritate conditions of the respiratory system. Asthmatics and those with allergies will find that dirty carpets can make breathing difficult. Even those without these conditions can be adversely impacted from soiled carpets.
Unfortunately, many of the cleaning products currently on the market may be worse for you than dirty carpets, and concerns about the safety of their use in homes have been expressed in recent years. Common ingredients in cleaning products include formaldehyde, pesticides, and lye. Long-term exposure to many of these chemicals has been linked to asthma, heart disease, and even cancer. Short-term exposure can result in symptoms like headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
So, if soiled carpets and the products used to clean them can both impact human health, what's the solution? Thankfully, there are several ways to avoid the potential risks associated with these cleaning products. One is to simply not allow potentially risky products to be used in your home. Many carpet cleaning companies now offer green cleaning or environmentally friendly carpet cleaning. The products they use are plant based, and don't contain toxic ingredients. You can simply ask the company whether they offer this option. This is a sure way to avoid risky exposure.
If you do decide to stick with the traditional cleaning products, however, there are still steps you can take. First of all, you can avoid handling these cleaners yourself by hiring a professional to do it for you. Arrange to be out of the home during and after shampooing to avoid inhaling fumes when they are at their strongest. Whether you decide to do it yourself or let someone else handle it, ensure the area is well-ventilated. Open as many windows as possible; turn on any available fans. Always use gloves when handling these products. They will protect against burns that may result from the corrosive material. Washing your hands thoroughly is also important. Finally, having your carpets cleaned regularly is also a way to reduce the risk. This is because letting the job go for too long means that harsher and larger quantities of chemicals will have to be used. Steam clean your carpets at least once or twice a year to avoid this situation.
Everyone wants to have clean carpets, and it is important if you want to have carpets that are long-lasting and will not lower the air quality in your home. Pollutants and dust can irritate allergies and asthma, and can even affect those in the home who do not have these conditions. Unfortunately, many carpet cleaners can also pose serious health risks, including cancer and heart disease. In addition, they often cause headaches and nausea. However, by using more natural products and minimizing exposure to harsher ones, the risks associated with carpet cleaners can be greatly reduced.
