Ever wonder what chemical free really means?
There is a lot of information online regarding carpet cleaning and chemicals, or chemical free, residue free… And, this list could go on. We want to help clear the air a bit. We will explain what chemicals are, and how they can help or hurt us, and what chemical free REALLY means, especially when it comes to carpet cleaning.
The word Chemical is rooted in a bit of a mystery. Its true origin is unknown. It is most generally accepted that it stems from Alchemy, which was considered a Black Art. Which gives it an immediate negative notion. However, chemisty (the act of using chemicals) is used in just about everything we know. This includes our body, which has about 60 known chemicals. But these chemicals are different, you say? Yes. And No. Surely the main chemicals in our body, are safe.. Right? While our body contains the life producing chemical oxygen and carbon, it also contains things like chlorine. Chlorine is an extremely strong oxidizing agent, and in higher quantities can cause serious complications. So you see, chemicals aren’t bad, and they’re not necessarily good, but rather needed… in the right amounts.
So now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at how chemistry applies to carpet cleaning. First, I’d like to point out that “Chemical Free Carpet Cleaning” is 100% not possible, and I would avoid anyone claiming that. Since water is made of chemicals, it is absolutely impossible to clean anything (especially carpeting) without the use of chemicals. Heck, even the carpet itself is made from, and contains chemicals. Now I understand that there are varying degrees of harm a chemical can cause, but the words “Chemical Free” is a flat out lie. For companies that claim “Chemical Free Carpet Cleaning”, be cautious of what else they are lying about. Second, we can talk about those varying degrees of chemicals. It seems it would be obvious that a carpet cleaning company using any cleaning solution on a daily basis would want to avoid being exposed to harmful toxins. Well, that’s not true. It’s mostly from not being educated on what is in a carpet cleaner or any cleaner for that matter. So what they don’t know, can harm you. There are a few things I think are good to look for when choosing a company to clean the carpet in your home; “Non- toxic” is a better term to use, since it has a certain criteria for use. “Reside Free” typically means the carpeting won’t have a residue after the carpets have been cleaned, either because the cleaning solution in neutral in nature, or there is a neutralizing agent used in the process that will eliminate the residue that would have otherwise been left behind. Finally, I would like to point out one of the easiest ways to identify if a cleaning solution is harmful. Now I want to preface this comment that this “test” does not apply to the chemical world as a whole, but rather limited to cleaning, and particularly to carpet cleaning. That would be the scent or fragrance of the cleaning solution. A lot of manufacturing companies will mask harsh chemicals with strong deodorizers. Just because something smells nice, does not mean it is nice. “Fragrance Free” is a great way to tell if the cleaning agents are being masked or not.
So you see, “Chemical Free Carpet Cleaning” is more of a gimmick. Chemical free anything might be a gimmick. Most of the known universe is made of complex chemical reactions. Now you see carpet cleaning companies and the stuff they use is not excluded from that.
