Baby Safe Carpet Cleaning In Vancouver - How To Clean Safely For Babies
There is nothing in this world more important to parents than their kids. We will do anything to protect them and we are always looking for ways to make their environment safer.
Baby Safe Carpet Cleaning In Vancouver. Is Carpet Cleaning Safe For Your Baby?
Well the most accurate answer is YES, carpet cleaning is safe for your baby - if done properly. Carpet cleaning can actually be a bit unsafe for your baby, or even you, if the person or company doing the carpet cleaning doesn't know what they are doing. In this article we are going to dive a bit deeper into the safety of carpet cleaning for your baby.
Carpet Cleaning Is Safe For Your Baby...
If the carpet cleaning is done properly and by saying "done properly" we are not just talking about the physical aspects of carpet cleaning, we are talking about the entire cleaning process. But first let's get a few things clear:
A Few Things To Understand About Carpet Cleaning
Clean carpets are healthier than filthy dirty carpets. Many times carpets get a bad rap for being difficult to maintain and contributing to poor indoor air quality. This is simply not true if a few basic steps are taken to keep your carpets clean.
Any method can contribute to cleaner carpets, but the most recommended method for deep thorough cleaning is hot water extraction (HWE), which is commonly referred to as steam cleaning; although no actual steam is used.
The cleaning agents used to clean your carpet are VERY important in the overall safety of carpet cleaning, especially when you consider carpet cleaning with babies in the home.
Let's go over each of the three issues listed above in greater detail.
1. Clean carpets are healthier than dirty carpets. This should be pretty apparent but the issue we run into on a regular basis is that many people do not understand EXACTLY what is in their carpets. They just don't. Your carpet can hold a huge amount of soil, which is actually a good thing if you know how to empty the carpet of that soil, and much of that soil can be bad for a baby or anyone else.
The reason that carpets holding a lot of soil can be good is that the soil is held below ankle level, just waiting for it to be vacuumed out or more aggressively cleaned out. This soil is NOT being dispersed into your breathing zone, which contributes to good indoor air quality. The common belief that carpets hurt indoor air quality has been SCIENTIFICALLY proven to be NOT true. Clean carpets contribute to a healthier home more than other flooring surface.
The negative aspect of carpets being able to hold a huge amount of soil is that your baby is close to the carpet! Your baby is crawling on the carpet, playing with toys that are laying on the carpet, sometimes putting those toys that were laying on the carpet to their mouths. Of course having a baby do this on a dirty carpet is not good. Not good at all.
2. What Method Is Best For Baby Safe Carpet Cleaning?
Hot water extraction has been proven to be the best overall method for deep thorough cleaning and isn't that what you want when you have your carpets cleaned? This is not a statement by us here at Linton's Carpet Cleaning, this is a statement by Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a company that knows a thing or two about carpet and carpet maintenance. Take a look at the recommendatiions by Shaw in the picture below.
**Please click on the image below to enlarge.**
3. The Cleaning Agents Used To Clean Your Carpet Are Super Important When It Comes To Baby Safe Carpet Cleaning.
While the method used to clean your carpets can have a big influence on the overall soil removal the number one issue when it comes to baby safe carpet cleaning is the cleaning agents (chemicals) being used to clean your carpets and this is where a LOT of companies have it totally wrong. Really really really wrong.
There are many high quality and safe-for-baby cleaning agents that can be used to clean carpets. The reason more carpet cleaning companies do NOT use these cleaning agents is because they have one of the following problems or a combination of these:
A. They don't know proper cleaning techniques. This one is pretty common as far too many carpet cleaners think that buying a machine and a few cleaning agents makes them a good carpet cleaner. Simply doesn't work out well that way. Because these cleaners don't know proper cleaning techniques they take short cuts and "NUKE" the carpet with very strong chemicals that are NOT safe for your baby or you and even them. But they don't really care. They just want the carpet to look better and are not a bit concerned that a little baby might be crawling on it later.
B. They know proper cleaning techniques but are in a hurry. This is very common with low-priced bait and switch carpet cleaning companies. Because they charge such low prices they have to get in fast and get out fast so they also take shortcuts. When you are offering whole house cleaning specials for $99 what do you expect? You certainly should not expect high quality carpet cleaning from a company that actually prices that way or has their main goal to be in and out of your home as fast as possible.
Most of these companies have one goal in mind: to raise the price they quoted or displayed in their ads. If they cannot do that then they have to move FAST to get onto the next job, and by using dangerous cleaning agents it allows them to "clean" the carpet faster and get to the next....uh...victims home.
C. They don't actually know they are using very toxic and unsafe cleaning agents because they haven't been taught properly. Many companies simply use what they were told or taught by a "veteran" carpet cleaner. The problem with using what some of the older carpet cleaners used for cleaning is that these cleaning agents were/are loaded with dangerous chemicals. The cleaner never questioned what was being taught to him/her and just decided to go with the flow and use what someone said was good. This is also a very common problem.
D. Another important aspect of baby safe carpet cleaning is dry times. Long dry times, over 12 hours, can lead to some potentially serious issues. These issues are mold and/or bacteria growth. No matter how aggressive a carpet cleaner is when they clean your carpet dry times should not exceed 12 hours.
And here is another issue when it comes to NOT cleaning safely
Ok, so the carpet cleaner uses safe and effective cleaning agents and they care about what they put in your carpet. Sounds good, right? Well there is one more issue when it comes to baby safe carpet cleaning and that is rinsing out what you put into the carpet.
Even with really safe cleaning agents it is very important to rinse all or most of those cleaning agents from the carpet. And here is where so many well-intentioned cleaners go wrong. They do NOT rinse the carpet well.
Please take a look at the video below. This is a video of the Rotovac360 in action while using baby safe carpet cleaning agents. This amazing tool makes over 700 separate cleaning passes a minute.
A cleaning pass is when the water is sprayed into the carpet and extracted. A normal carpet cleaning wand can make about 40 cleaning passes a minute until the cleaner eventually drops over dead of exhaustion or slows way down. Either way, the carpet is NOT rinsed nearly as good using a standard wand.
The Rotovac360 can make over 700 cleaning passes a minute all day long. This leads to much more thorough rinsing of anything we put into your carpet and therefore leaves your carpet cleaner, not only of soil but of the cleaning agents we use. This is a much better way to clean safely for babies.
Clean carpets are good for babies. They are good for everyone in your home. And clean carpets are not just about getting the soil out, it is also about getting out what was used to get the soil out. In fact the definition of soil in a carpet is the following:
Anything not related to the construction of the carpet is considered to be soil.
So, yes, the cleaning agents use to clean your carpet are eventually also considered soil if they are not removed from your carpet. And dangerous NOT-baby-safe-cleaning-agents are a real issue that you need to be aware of.
Baby Safe Carpet Cleaning In Vancouver - Safe Carpet Cleaning For Babies
Do have your carpets cleaned. Clean carpets are better for babies than dirty carpets. Clean carpets contribute to good indoor air quality. Clean carpets are just better all the way around.
Ask your carpet cleaner what they use to clean carpets. Ask them what they are going to use to clean your carpet. Ask them to show you. While this does not guarantee they are using baby safe cleaning agents, and techniques, it can help.
Ask them about the method they are going to use and if they take their time to rinse the carpets properly. Again, just asking does NOT ensure they are going to do the job right, but it puts them on notice you are paying attention and therefore you have a better chance of getting your carpet cleaned safely. Let them know a baby will be crawling on the carpet and you expect that carpet to be clean and safe for the baby.
Linton's Offers Baby Safe Carpet Cleaning In Vancouver, Wa.
If you have a baby and are worried about having your carpets cleaned - don't worry! Just give us a call at Linton's Carpet Cleaning and we will be happy to answer any and all questions related to our carpet cleaning service in Vancouver and how we go about SAFELY cleaning your carpets.
