Re: Vapor Cleaner/Steam Cleaner,Carpets, furnishings

[Guest guest]

A few years ago a friend of mine whose husband was a chirpractor said

that she used ammonia in steam cleaning. She said it was the best thing

to use to not cause mold growth and kill germs. I tried it once and

about knocked myself out with the ammonia fumes!

>

>

> My understanding if that steam cleaning may just stir up toxins and

that vapor cleaners are much more efficient. Also, that much steam

cleaning can cause mold itself....logical...it's wet, for longer, I

guess.

>

> Is vapor cleaning safe in the presence of mycotoxins, or even helpful

getting rid of them?

>

> Does anyone know the best type/brand?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Katrina

>

[Guest guest]

FOr those who haven't reached chemical senistivity and use things like

comet/ajax to clean say a bathrub/shwer. DO NOT use them IF you have some

shampoo on the area to be cleaned, the mixture will create noxious fumes.

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008, jackiebreeze wrote:

> Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:24:37 -0000

> From: jackiebreeze <jackiebreeze@...>

> Reply-

>

> Subject: [] Re: Vapor Cleaner/Steam Cleaner,Carpets, furnishings

>

> A few years ago a friend of mine whose husband was a chirpractor said

> that she used ammonia in steam cleaning. She said it was the best thing

> to use to not cause mold growth and kill germs. I tried it once and

> about knocked myself out with the ammonia fumes!

>

>

>

>>

>>

>> My understanding if that steam cleaning may just stir up toxins and

> that vapor cleaners are much more efficient. Also, that much steam

> cleaning can cause mold itself....logical...it's wet, for longer, I

> guess.

>>

>> Is vapor cleaning safe in the presence of mycotoxins, or even helpful

> getting rid of them?

>>

>> Does anyone know the best type/brand?

>>

>> Thanks,

>>

>> Katrina

>>

>

>

>

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

This use to be a problem when I worked in the hair

business. By state law, we were required to use

Clorox to disinfect but the chemicals we used in hair

coloring and shampoos and etc always caused fumes with

the bleach. Sometimes I wonder if my sensitivities

started when I worked with so many chemicals...maybe a

combo of mold and chemicals. It is important to

disinfect when dealing with the public, hair and skin

and etc because disease can run wild in a dirty salon

but sometimes, using what was required had risk and

was not good.

[Guest guest]

Katrina,

Steam vapor is an outstanding means for killing all insects and reducing

allergen loads without the use of any chemicals. It is also a safe way to

clean all kinds of surfaces.

The amount of actual water that gets into furnishings is really minimal;

things dry out in minutes to hours (like using a steam iron). The water

vapor that gets into the air can be eliminated with air circulation from an

open window or window exhaust fan.

I have used my Fogacci (cost $400 years ago) to turn carpets and a mattress

from unusable to usable. They are great for cleaning AC coils, baseboard

convectors and radiators.

Get one with a stainless steel tank, at least one or two liters capacity and

one that goes to at least 40 psi. The no-pressure fill is an expensive

feature that is not really necessary. You don't have to spend more than

$500. Sharing a purchase is a good way to lower the cost; it's well worth

it.

Here's an article I wrote on SV:

http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/a_565-Use_Dry_Steam_Vapor_Treatment_for_H

ealthier_Carpet_Upholstery

C. May, M.A., CIAQP

May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

3 Tolkien Lane

Tyngsborough, MA 01879

617-354-1055

www.mayindoorair.com

www.myhouseiskillingme.com

> 12a. Vapor Cleaner/Steam Cleaner,Carpets, furnishings

> Posted by: " kattemayo " kattemayo@... kattemayo

> Date: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:10 pm ((PST))

>

>

> My understanding if that steam cleaning may just stir up toxins and that vapor

cleaners are much more efficient. Also, that much steam cleaning can cause mold

itself....logical...it's wet, for longer, I guess.

>

> Is vapor cleaning safe in the presence of mycotoxins, or even helpful getting

rid of them?

>

> Does anyone know the best type/brand?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Katrina

>

>

[Guest guest]

Wall to wall carpeting is bad news for people with mold issues. The

first thing many people do is take it out, and wax the floors.

Good old fashioned wax..

[Guest guest]

I sure agree about the carpeting, but your suggestion would be assuming that one

actually has a floor to wax under there. As opposed to say, concrete or

something lol.

K

>

> Wall to wall carpeting is bad news for people with mold issues. The

> first thing many people do is take it out, and wax the floors.

> Good old fashioned wax..

>

[Guest guest]

Jeff,

Thank you so much!

Other questions:

Do you know if this unit would also work in a car, both the vents and leather

seats that have been exposed to mold and smoke?

Or, are there professional places that could use vapor for these?

Do you know if the Vapor process would help a new carpet outgas chemicals? (I

have heard that steam cleaning helps this, but never tired it).

Thank you,

Katrina

>

> Katrina,

>

> Steam vapor is an outstanding means for killing all insects and reducing

> allergen loads without the use of any chemicals. It is also a safe way to

> clean all kinds of surfaces.

>

> The amount of actual water that gets into furnishings is really minimal;

> things dry out in minutes to hours (like using a steam iron). The water

> vapor that gets into the air can be eliminated with air circulation from an

> open window or window exhaust fan.

>

> I have used my Fogacci (cost $400 years ago) to turn carpets and a mattress

> from unusable to usable. They are great for cleaning AC coils, baseboard

> convectors and radiators.

>

> Get one with a stainless steel tank, at least one or two liters capacity and

> one that goes to at least 40 psi. The no-pressure fill is an expensive

> feature that is not really necessary. You don't have to spend more than

> $500. Sharing a purchase is a good way to lower the cost; it's well worth

> it.

>

> Here's an article I wrote on SV:

> http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/a_565-Use_Dry_Steam_Vapor_Treatment_for_H

> ealthier_Carpet_Upholstery

>

> C. May, M.A., CIAQP

> May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

> 3 Tolkien Lane

> Tyngsborough, MA 01879

> 617-354-1055

> www.mayindoorair.com

> www.myhouseiskillingme.com

>

> > 12a. Vapor Cleaner/Steam Cleaner,Carpets, furnishings

> > Posted by: " kattemayo " kattemayo@... kattemayo

> > Date: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:10 pm ((PST))

> >

> >

> > My understanding if that steam cleaning may just stir up toxins and that

vapor cleaners are much more efficient. Also, that much steam cleaning can cause

mold itself....logical...it's wet, for longer, I guess.

> >

> > Is vapor cleaning safe in the presence of mycotoxins, or even helpful

getting rid of them?

> >

> > Does anyone know the best type/brand?

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> > Katrina

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Oops, I'm sorry. Like an idiot, I was just assuming the floors were

hardwood. Good call.

Carpet on a concrete slab or on a concrete basement floor, especially,

is very likely to lead to mold problems.

If you are talking about a concrete outer surface (wherever its cold

or especially, cold and damp on the other side)

go to buildingscience.com and look at the recommendations they have

for putting a layer of foam or a similar insulation

material that would prevent a sudden transition between moist

conditioned air and cold wall - floor. It seems to me that that

is almost required in those situations, unless there is some miracle

material that I don't know about. They would know.

Hopefully that is enough. I am again making an assumption, that the

concrete is solid and in good shape and that there are no

cracks with water seeping through them!

Seriously, this is a major subject for experts that people spend days

debating. The many ways to do things like this. But they do all agree

that carpet on concrete is often problematic. If you live in one of

those new concrete and steel buildings and the concrete is just your

floor and there's

a heated neighbor's apartment down there it might be different. I

don't know. But even then I would guess that there still could be

problems, especially if they spend lots of time away and turn their

heat down during those absences.

On Jan 29, 2008 7:13 PM, kattemayo <kattemayo@...> wrote:

> I sure agree about the carpeting, but your suggestion would be assuming

> that one actually has a floor to wax under there. As opposed to say,

> concrete or something lol.

>

> K

[Guest guest]

Katrina,

Steam vapor definitely increases off-gassing. I have noticed that

after steaming synthetic carpet that the chemical odor was

temporarily much stronger. I would NOT use steam cleaning for this as

much too much water is used and the fibers do not get nearly as hot.

If you are trying to increase off gassing, you would do the

treatment with steam vapor with windows open and an exhaust fan in

place. Of course, there is no guarantee that when the carpet cools,

the odor will be so low that it will no longer bother someone. But

it's definitely worth a try or two.

I can't see why you would not use steam vapor on leather. But check

with a manufacturer.

May

www.mayindoorair.com

> >

> > Katrina,

> >

> > Steam vapor is an outstanding means for killing all insects and

reducing

> > allergen loads without the use of any chemicals. It is also a

safe way to

> > clean all kinds of surfaces.

> >

> > The amount of actual water that gets into furnishings is really

minimal;

> > things dry out in minutes to hours (like using a steam iron). The

water

> > vapor that gets into the air can be eliminated with air

circulation from an

> > open window or window exhaust fan.

> >

> > I have used my Fogacci (cost $400 years ago) to turn carpets and

a mattress

> > from unusable to usable. They are great for cleaning AC coils,

baseboard

> > convectors and radiators.

> >

> > Get one with a stainless steel tank, at least one or two liters

capacity and

> > one that goes to at least 40 psi. The no-pressure fill is an

expensive

> > feature that is not really necessary. You don't have to spend

more than

> > $500. Sharing a purchase is a good way to lower the cost; it's

well worth

> > it.

> >

> > Here's an article I wrote on SV:

> > http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/a_565-

Use_Dry_Steam_Vapor_Treatment_for_H

> > ealthier_Carpet_Upholstery

> >

> > C. May, M.A., CIAQP

> > May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

> > 3 Tolkien Lane

> > Tyngsborough, MA 01879

> > 617-354-1055

> > www.mayindoorair.com

> > www.myhouseiskillingme.com

> >

>