Carpet Cleaning professional or do-it-yourself. What’s the difference? Good question. They may both look nice, but the residue that a do-it-yourself carpet cleaner leaves behind can affect your family’s health without you knowing it.
Carpet Cleaning:
As a professional, being in the carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaner field for 25 years, I’ve learned that the choice is really between “clean-looking, fresh-smelling” carpets and healthy carpets that are not harming you, your children, or your pets.
Those terms — “clean-looking” and “fresh-smelling” — sound good, but they’re really deceiving. They often simply mean that a sticky, toxic residue and a topical scent were applied to the carpet to make it smell “fresh and clean.”
Non-Toxic Carpet Cleaning:
But even without added chemicals, carpet-cleaning rentals or store-bought machines will probably leave unhealthy toxins in your home. The truth is, your dirty carpets are a pool of toxins. Think about it: they’re horizontal and on the floor, which means they collect everything — never mind what they are made of. Do-it-yourself carpet cleaners simply cannot create hot enough water to break down soil and kill the germs & bacteria; nor do they have enough extraction power to remove remaining water or soil.
On the other hand, these machines can be very effective for spot cleaning, if used correctly. The term “used correctly” is a matter of opinion. Mine is that carpets have to be cleaned with the least amount of cleaner, and rinsed with high-temperature water to remove all residues. Over the years in my carpet cleaning experience, I’ve seen hundreds of mistakes made when using these machines. If you plan to use one, please take a look at my short video on safe, non-toxic carpet cleaning.
My carpet cleaning company, NewAge, focuses on restoring good health to carpets. We remove of all these toxins and leave your carpet void of loose soil, spot cleaners (from use of over-the-counter products or home remedies), and previously applied do-it-yourself cleaners.
“Clean” does not smell like anything; clean has no odor. We have been conditioned to believe that clean smells like pine needles, lemon or some other pleasant odor. Actually that’s the residue, which is toxic. So please, when choosing a carpet-cleaning company or a carpet-cleaning method, be informed and be selective. The health of your family and indoor environment depends on your understanding what good, healthy carpet cleaning is.