Re: cleaner for carpets - soap or vinegar

[Guest guest]

,

Despite the advertising (brain washing) about how each cleaning

job must have its own specific product, almost all cleaning is

based on a simple detergent with warm or hot water.

Use a cleaning agent you can tolerate, usually with no fragrance

or odor. Mix it slightly weaker than recommended rather than

" stronger. "

If the carpets have been cleaned several times before with a

detergent then vinegar (an acid) will sometimes work better than

more detergent (a base).

The most critical thing is to thoroughly rinse the machine and all

the application hoses before using on your carpets. You don't want

what was left over from the previous job going onto your carpets.

A small portable unit like you rent from the grocery will need

6-10 gallons of water before it is clean. Bigger units will

require more.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

I want to have my carpets in the bedrooms cleaned with a machine.

Which cleaner or soap can I use?

Is there anything what is allowed for people with MCS?

Or is it best to only use vinegar?

[Guest guest]

,

Try using one of those machines you rent ONLY if it is clean. I've rented them

full of old sopa scum, stinking of mold, and general disgusting dirt from the

previous hundred or so users.

Then, once you clean the machine (outside far from your living space), you

should vacuum FIRST with a very strong vacuum, do it a couple times.

Then, try using it FIRST with clear plain hot, very hot, water. Remember, those

machines you rent do NOT heat the water, they only spray it out and suck it and

the dirt back up. As you clean, the bucket of hot water quickly cools and loses

any heat advantage - stick your hand in it and test - if it's cooled down,

change it out immediately, you're just wasting your time once it's cool.

You will be amazed at the dirt you get just from plain water.

this will help remove the old soap residue, which may be a little on the

alkaline side when water is added, but the water will dissolve and the machine

will remove.

Then, like Carl suggested, maybe try a light vinegar solution .

Then, find your personal detergent. Use the methods for testing that Carl has

described many times, and in his book.

Carpet cleaners are harsh, so be careful. However, they are well designed to

clean with those machines, and to remove the dirt from carpet fibers.

The detergent you pick must be a low sudsing one, otherwise you'll have foam in

your carpet and will take forever to get it out.

It sounds to me like a series of cleaning methods will find your best choice.

When you thinking you've cleaned good enough with the detergent, you really

should do it one or two more times with clear plain water to rinse out the

residue. The typical carpet detergent will stick to the carpet and leaves a lot

behind. but that's becasue of the cheap rental machine, a commercial unit will

do it better. It's just imporssible to get the commercial cleaning companies to

work with you on this.

If the carpet feels too wet, your are either doing the vac portion too fast, or

the vac (sucking) is not working. The spray trigger might be squirting the wrong

way, too much a stream rather than a light mist. When you go back over the area

to suck the water up, go slow and steady.

>

> ,

>

> Despite the advertising (brain washing) about how each cleaning

> job must have its own specific product,

[Guest guest]

I must not be getting the full threaded e-mail message on this, so forgive me if

I seem redundant or like I wasn't listening...but I guess I wasn't. I was just

wondering if anyone mentioned professional steam cleaning? We use Stanley

Steamer in our area and they are very accomodating. I just tell them I can't

have any...ANY... chemicals, only steam, and they put it on the order and when

they fill the tank on the truck in the morning, they don't add the chemical. Of

course, there is some residue in the tank, and I suppose in the hose, which is

no small issue for someone with severe MCS. Since I am the only one in the

house with the problem, I have them start in the bedroom at the opposite end of

the house as mine. But if I wanted them to, they would flush out the leftover

chemical that is in the hoses before applying to my home. They have done this

for me for two years and it has been wonderful. They are sweet and

understanding, and reasonable. They do all the lifting and moving and are in

and out in about 1-2 hours.

It is always so nice to be respected.

[] Re: cleaner for carpets - soap or vinegar

,

Try using one of those machines you rent ONLY if it is clean. I've rented them

full of old sopa scum, stinking of mold, and general disgusting dirt from the

previous hundred or so users.

Then, once you clean the machine (outside far from your living space), you

should vacuum FIRST with a very strong vacuum, do it a couple times.

Then, try using it FIRST with clear plain hot, very hot, water. Remember, those

machines you rent do NOT heat the water, they only spray it out and suck it and

the dirt back up. As you clean, the bucket of hot water quickly cools and loses

any heat advantage - stick your hand in it and test - if it's cooled down,

change it out immediately, you're just wasting your time once it's cool.

You will be amazed at the dirt you get just from plain water.

this will help remove the old soap residue, which may be a little on the

alkaline side when water is added, but the water will dissolve and the machine

will remove.

Then, like Carl suggested, maybe try a light vinegar solution .

Then, find your personal detergent. Use the methods for testing that Carl has

described many times, and in his book.

Carpet cleaners are harsh, so be careful. However, they are well designed to

clean with those machines, and to remove the dirt from carpet fibers.

The detergent you pick must be a low sudsing one, otherwise you'll have foam in

your carpet and will take forever to get it out.

It sounds to me like a series of cleaning methods will find your best choice.

When you thinking you've cleaned good enough with the detergent, you really

should do it one or two more times with clear plain water to rinse out the

residue. The typical carpet detergent will stick to the carpet and leaves a lot

behind. but that's becasue of the cheap rental machine, a commercial unit will

do it better. It's just imporssible to get the commercial cleaning companies to

work with you on this.

If the carpet feels too wet, your are either doing the vac portion too fast, or

the vac (sucking) is not working. The spray trigger might be squirting the wrong

way, too much a stream rather than a light mist. When you go back over the area

to suck the water up, go slow and steady.

[Guest guest]

I am extremely sensitive to all chemicals. I have my professional steam cleaner

do just that...steam clean. They normally use some mild chemical with the

steam, but I ask them to omit absolutely everything but the water and they are

very accommodating.

On Nov 14, 2010, at 10:08 PM, wrote:

> I want to have my carpets in the bedrooms cleaned with a machine.

>

> Which cleaner or soap can I use?

> Is there anything what is allowed for people with MCS?

> Or is it best to only use vinegar?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I was going to do a post on carpet cleaning.  I figured on having the eco

company where I bought my air cleaners steam clean my carpets when the time

comes (w/ just water).  However, I am wondering if I can even do that.

 

A few days ago I awoke w/ MCS symptoms plus my tachycardia shot up extremely

fast.  I was so ill I rushed to get dressed and leave the house.  I am

guessing it was the motor/equipment of the Stanley Steamer that set off the

symptoms.

 

Has anyone else had a reaction when a carpet cleaner was close to your house? 

Does this mean that I would not be able to hire any company to steam my carpets?

 

....Corky

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Nov 14, 2010, at 10:08 PM, wrote:

> I want to have my carpets in the bedrooms cleaned with a machine.  ... 

what is allowed for people with MCS?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi -

 

In my case, I just use the pros.  Where I live, Stanley Steamer and Chem Dry run

coupons/specials all the time that end up being close to what it would cost to

rent a machine anyway.  And besides, I wouldn't rent a machine anyway cause who

knows what someone has used in it prior to me.

 

Stanley Steamer and also ChemDry are two carpet/furniture cleaning companies

that many people w/MCS have reporting using with success, myself included 

Because my house (thus carpets) is on a slab, I won't use SS for the carpets

because although they use a veggie based enzyme as their cleaning agent which I

have never reacted to, they still do a typical water extraction method thus the

item is very wet after cleaning and needs to dry.  I don't want wet carpet on my

slab, particularly considering that I live in a cold climate with interior

humidity issues to begin with.  Talk about a big fat invitation for the mold to

move right in...lol...  So since living in this slab house, I've used SS for

my furniture cleaning then relocated the pieces on the hot sunporch where they

could thoroughly dry.  I have also had them clean the interior of my automobile

as well.  For me, the quality of their work has always been fantastic.

 

With my carpets, I used ChemDry when I first bought this house.  They shake a

carbonation powder on the carpets first, lightly spritz it with water then use a

scrubbing style machine that has a soft felt like pad that circulates...it looks

like a floor waxing machine  So basically it's carbonation that they swirl on

the top part of the carpet which releases the dirt and the felt pad picks it

up.  Because it's cleaning the top part of the carpet without a lot of water,

the idea is that the deeper pile on the carpet and also the under padding does

not become saturated with water.  It is unreal how fast my carpets dried, which

is one of their selling points.  However, although I saw the filthy felt pads

they used on my house, I was overall not that impressed with the quality of

cleaning compared to SS.  But sometimes that's the tradeoffs having MCS..lol.. 

Anyway, here's the link that describes it pretty well:

http://www.abcchemcleaners.com/res-carpet.php

 

One heads up with both companies...I hovered closely while they were in my

house.  Both companies have the prespotters, stainer lifters and all that stuff

that have the usual chemicals...AND...ChemDry uses a petroleum based dry

cleaning solvent for their furniture cleaning division, which makes no sense to

me at all.  So I would only use ChemDry for carpeting.  At least SS uses the

same enzyme on furniture that they use on carpets but they also have the

chemical based spotting agents and scented stuff too.  I let the guys know when

they first show up that I have chemical issues and they can't use anything else

other than the main non-toxic product.  But that said, repetitive human nature

can sometimes kick in that may endanger my life.  I mean how easy would it be

for one of the guys to encounter a spot on my carpet/furniture and just

instinctively grab the same bottle of chemical stain lifter they've used in a

zillion other homes

without thinking about it.  So I just hover when they're around to ensure that

does not happen.

 

For my own spot cleaning, I use the old version of OxiClean that does not

contain the bleach.  I have this special cloth that soaks up tons of liquid so

I spritz the spot with the OxiClean, comb my fingers through to pick up the

stain, spritz with water then use this special cloth to wick up any moisture. 

Then use a hair dryer to dry it off (yes, I am THAT mold paranoid..lol..)

 

I just finished with the nightmare of replacing the windows in my house and with

that done, eventually need to replace the flooring in my entire house which is

going to be scary for sure.  Fortunately in this day and age, there are a lot of

less toxic alternative than years ago.

 

Kathy

>

> I want to have my carpets in the bedrooms cleaned with a machine.

>

> Which cleaner or soap can I use?

> Is there anything what is allowed for people with MCS?

> Or is it best to only use vinegar?

>

>

[Guest guest]

when I was living with my g/f Carl suggested a company to clean the

carpets, not only did they do an excellent job whatever it was they used didn't

effect me in the least. Perhaps you can email Carl and ask him for his advice.

>

> I want to have my carpets in the bedrooms cleaned with a machine.

>

> Which cleaner or soap can I use?

> Is there anything what is allowed for people with MCS?

> Or is it best to only use vinegar?

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm so sorry for your symptoms. I hope you're better.

My husband cleaned ours in a home steamer w water. The problem was in the past

he used a cleaner in it. It caused all over burning for me. I had to sit outside

for hours. Any soap w a scent bothers me.

If you can keep the windows open if it was something in the steamer or kicking

up chemicals in the carpet.

Kathy

From: corky lux <corkylux1@...>

Subject: Re: [] cleaner for carpets - soap or vinegar

I was going to do a post on carpet cleaning.  I figured on having the

eco company where I bought my air cleaners steam clean my carpets when the time

comes (w/ just water).  However, I am wondering if I can even do that.

 

A few days ago I awoke w/ MCS symptoms plus my tachycardia shot up extremely

fast.  I was so ill I rushed to get dressed and leave the house.  I am

guessing it was the motor/equipment of the Stanley Steamer that set off

the symptoms.

 

Has anyone else had a reaction when a carpet cleaner was close to your

house?  Does this mean that I would not be able to hire any company to steam

my carpets?

 

....Corky

[Guest guest]

So sorry about your medical trials. I can't help you with your survey, I am

not affected like that. But if it helps, Stanley Steemer in my area has cleaned

our home w just water. There was chem fr day before in lines but they were so

accommodating I wouldn't be surprised if they would drain the lines out first.

You'll have to ask them.

We have a steam carpet cleaner. I recently heard someone say they use theirs

w/o chemicals...just water. I haven't tried it yet. You'll have to check with

each brand. I recently heard of a model, unsure of brand, that cleans both

carpets and non-carpeted floors. Along those lines, I also have a Sharp steam

mop, and a Sharp hand steamer for countertops and clothes etc.

I wish you the best in your journey. Don't get discouraged.

On Nov 29, 2010, at 12:48 PM, corky lux wrote:

> I was going to do a post on carpet cleaning. I figured on having the eco

company where I bought my air cleaners steam clean my carpets when the time

comes (w/ just water). However, I am wondering if I can even do that.

> Â

> A few days ago I awoke w/ MCS symptoms plus my tachycardia shot up extremely

fast. I was so ill I rushed to get dressed and leave the house.  I am

guessing it was the motor/equipment of the Stanley Steamer that set off the

symptoms.

> Â

> Has anyone else had a reaction when a carpet cleaner was close to your

house? Does this mean that I would not be able to hire any company to steam my

carpets?

> Â

> ...Corky

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know if this is different than Chem Dry. Recommended on a website for

those w MCS. Teaches emf lowering. I think many of us are sensitive & don't

realize.  I'd like to here what Carl & others think?

 http://www.createhealthyhomes.com/mcs.php 

http://www.myzerorez.com/services/carpet.htm

Kathy