Question from Inna Rivkin
Hi Debra,
I need to have carpet cleaning done, for decades-old carpeting and rugs in my home (which have long finished off-gassing), but I have chemical sensitivities.
Both Chem-Dry, and another company which uses steam cleaning and Procyon instead, use products that are claimed to be non-toxic and green with no VOC’s or off-gassing.
Which is better for people with chemical sensitivities?
In previous responses on the toxic-free forum I’ve seen both steam cleaning and chem-dry recommended.
The MSDS sheet for Procyon says non-toxic, non-irritating and no health hazards, but lists the ingredients Sodium – phosphoric acid – silicic acid, OSHA PEL, and ACGIH TLV. MSDS info from Chem-dry is harder to obtain.
Debra’s Answer
I don’t have any personal experience with either, as I haven’t had carpets in my house for more than thirty years. I looked at the Procyon MSDS and it lists only phosphoric acid, which is pretty safe for cleaning carpets (I wouldn’t drink it, though it’s found in soft drinks.
I actually have Chem-Dry on Debra’s List It’s just carbonated water. “The secret…is the millions of microscopic carbonating cleaning bubbles in our cleaner…The carbonating solutions penetrate deep into the base of the carpet, literally exploding dirt and grime off of the fiber’s surface. Then, we use hot water extraction to lift the dirty particles to the surface where they are whisked away…Because it uses a fraction of the water compared to steam cleaning, and contains no soaps, detergents, solvents, enzymes, or other harsh chemicals, it can be used around your entire family, including your pets.”
So your choice. Either is fine, to the best of my knowledge.
