Cleaning Without Harsh Chemicals
If you take Mark’s Carpet Cleaning Technician class, he talks about spot removal and when he gets a spot out, will sometimes say “that’s good chemistry”, and it is. However, for me, I see some of the products he uses as harsh chemicals and wonder “is there a non-harsh alternative?” The answer is sometimes.
One of Mark’s go-to spot removers is a hydrogen peroxide concentrate, and I will say this is also my go-to disinfectant and spot remover as well. When I know I want something cleaned well this product really works and 99% of the time it does the job. Here is my real life experience: when you have kids and pets, lots of messes happen. In this particular case, there was a substantial amount of blood (maybe a tablespoons worth) on the carpet in one particular spot. Unfortunately, I couldn’t clean it up right away, which can make spots more difficult to remove. But I knew what I needed to do to get the spot out - use the hydrogen peroxide concentrate and blot, don’t rub. I used paper towels (I know, not a sustainable choice but I didn’t want to have to try to get blood out of my towels) and lots of hydrogen peroxide concentrate. I sprayed it on and then blotted it with the paper towel. I had to repeat the process 4-5 times leaving a little bit of time in between to let everything work together.
Eventually I got all the blood out of the carpet. I would say that was good chemistry. Also, I used the CHAT method.
What is CHAT? Chemical, Heat, Agitation, Time. The idea is that you have these four components as part of your cleaning process. To clean something well you need all four, but if one is lacking you need to up the other three. For example, heat, if your solution is room temperature it would clean better warm or hot and if it isn’t, you will need to either agitate more or give it time and let it sit on the spot and work longer.
If you want to get to really non-harsh and “green”, did you know that water is a chemical? A simple definition of a chemical is a substance that has a defined and consistent composition. And water is always H2O, a combined substance of hydrogen and oxygen. Even though it is naturally occurring, it is still a chemical. Chemicals aren’t always made in a lab, sometimes they are found in nature. And as Mark would say, “water is the universal solvent.” If you just use water you are going to need to make sure it is hot and you are going to have to agitate more, but it will get things clean, you just need to have the right tools and patience.
Steam is good for sanitizing and for getting hard to get areas clean like grout on tile floors. Cleaning with steam alone may take more agitation because the steam cools quickly, but it will eventually get clean. Always check the manufacturer’s care and maintenance information as to the best way to clean all floors: carpet, tile, vinyl, laminate, and hardwood.
One last suggestion for your harsh chemical-free cleaning toolbox is white vinegar. White vinegar, also known as acetic acid, diluted in water can be helpful to not use as much time or agitation because it will react with the spot and clean it up a little quicker. Vinegar can be off-putting because of the smell so open some windows and doors when using it. Did you know that hard water and rust stains are alkaline in nature? That is why acetic acid can help remove rust and hard water stains. It is also good for disinfecting and odors. But never use vinegar on natural stone like granite or marble.
The sad alternative of using just water, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or any other non-harsh product is that it will take a bit more time or elbow grease (agitation) to get something as clean as a well formulated lab chemical. Many man-made chemicals used for cleaning are not as “green” as water, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide, but they can still be considered “green” or less harsh. Many of the “green” carpet cleaning chemicals that are available are biodegradable and have enzymes in them to help break down any organic substances in the carpet.
Bottom line, these three non-harsh chemicals, water, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, can be added to your cleaning closet to help clean and disinfect fabrics and hard surfaces in your home without using harsh chemicals. These chemicals used as your C in CHAT (Chemical, Heat, Agitation, Time) will help you clean just about anything.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire Violand Hobbs has been in the flooring industry almost her whole life. As the daughter of Mark (and sister of Jessica), she has overheard and experienced stories of cleaning and inspections. She has done her fair share of flooring related jobs such as being an assistant on a carpet repair as young as 12, helping to clean carpet and tile, and shadowing Jessica on a few inspections. When Mark started live streaming his classes, she quickly jumped in as Chief Technology Officer. She was able to monitor his Carpet Cleaning technician (CCT) and Carpet Repair and Reinstallation Technician (RRT) classes and became more knowledgeable about the industry. She is involved with other companies on how to best use technology to further the reach of industry education.