Are There Any Green Carpet Cleaners?

A Reader Writes The Green Guide:

What should I ask for when hiring a carpet cleaner? Are there any safe carpet cleaning products?

The Green Guide Responds:

The main ingredients in most commercial carpet cleaning solutions are perchloroethylene, the infamous dry cleaning additive which can cause dizziness, fatigue, nausea, kidney and liver damage, and naphthalene, which is both neurotoxic and a possible human carcinogen, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Naphthalene and other petroleum distillates can also attract more stains, since their oily residue is never completely washed away. So when calling any cleaning service, "Look for those that use as many plant-derived ingredients as possible, and avoid solvent-based cleaners with ingredients like butoxy-ethanol and propoxy or butoxy diglycol ethers which go right into the air," says Martin Wolf, director of product and environmental technology for Seventh Generation. Companies like Bi-O-Kleen make plant-derived cleaners for almost all professional methods of carpet cleaning, including steam cleaning (or "hot water extraction"), shampooing and bonnet cleaning (which relies on a machine with an absorbant pad akin to a floor buffer). Ask cleaners if they use plant-derived products or will substitute products of your choice that you provide (see below). Read labels and look for problem ingredients—for a list, see our "Top Cleaning Product Ingredients to Avoid" sidebar at thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=113&s=rites.

However, spot cleaning stains yourself using home remedies or all-plant-ingredient cleaners can be a good way to reduce exposures to VOCs. This is especially true since carpets are often chemically pretreated with sealants, brighteners and insecticides, such as mothproofing, that can be released into the air when steaming or washing the whole carpet. For the safest do-it-yourself carpet cleaning suggestions, read on.

Carpet Cleaning Tips

1. Read Ingredients and Follow Manufacturers Instructions
"As with any cleaning product, choose a product that lists all of its ingredients over one that does not," says Wolf. Wolf also notes the importance of following manufacturers' instructions both for effective cleaning and to avoid exposures.

2. Provide Ventilation
"If a cleaner has a chemical smell, open a window to air out the room," says Wolf, adding that this is especially true of cleaners containing petrochemical solvents and certain plant-based solvents such as d-limonene and pine oil. For further protection, children and pregnant women should stay out of the house for at least four hours after carpets have been cleaned, to avoid breathing any chemicals that affect their developing bodies and brains.

3. Spot Cleaning
To reduce offgassing both from cleansers and carpets, it is best to address stains as they occur with spot cleaning. "Try to clean as small an area as you can and try using a hydrogen peroxide based spotter [on a clean towel] to avoid the use of solvents," says Wolf. Peroxide will remove the color from stains, but Wolf recommends spot-checking first by applying a small amount on the back side of a corner of the carpet to ensure it won't bleach the carpet as well.

For home remedies to handle a variety of stains, try the suggestions below from Sierra Club Canada.

Mud: Rub salt on the mud. Let it rest for an hour, then vacuum.

Coffee: Rub club soda into the spot. Clean up with a sponge.

Red wine: Cover stain with salt while wet. Let dry completely, then vacuum.

Chocolate: Mix Borax and water to make a paste. Rub into stain.

Grease: Cover with cornstarch or cornmeal, let sit awhile, rub in and vacuum.

For a heavy duty carpet cleanser take 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and vinegar and mix to form a paste, then rub onto carpet. Follow by vacuuming the spot thoroughly.

Take care when using enzyme cleaners as enzymes may remain in the carpet fibers after washing. Released in subsequent vacuuming, protease enzymes in particular can trigger asthma attacks. For more on enzyme cleaners, see "Enigmatic Enzyme Cleaners" at thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=113&s=enzymes.

4. Never Scrub
Scrubbing can grind dirt deeper into the carpet. Instead, use a clean, soft towel to blot out the stain. Vacuuming regularly will help prolong the lifespan of the carpet, preventing the accumulation of dirt.

5. Steam Cleaning
If you do need to steam clean your whole carpet, Annie Berthold Bond, author of Home Enlightenment (Rodale Books, 2005, $27.95, to purchase click here), recommends renting a steam cleaner and, before use, rinsing the machine to remove any residues of flea control products. Instead of detergent, use liquid dish soap or all-purpose solutions that contain essential plant oils. To avoid molds and mildew, dry the carpet as thoroughly as possible by keeping windows open and extracting water with the steam cleaner.

If you're looking to rent a cleaner, Consumer Reports rated the inexpensive Rug Doctor as the best option, but noted that performance varied between machines (depending on wear and tear).

Shopping Suggestions

AFM SafeChoice Carpet Shampoo ($6.90/quart; www.environmentalhomecenter.com)

Bi-O-Kleen Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator ($8.39/32-oz. bottle; www.drugstore.com)

Capture Carpet Cleaning System ($29.99; www.natlallergy.com)

Ecover Natural Stain Remover ($4.32/6.8-oz. bottle; www.kokogm.com)

Nature Clean Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner ($6.99/17-oz.; www.shopnontoxic.com)

Seventh Generation Natural Citrus Carpet Cleaner with hydrogen peroxide ($5.38/32 oz. bottle; www.shopnatural.com)