Does Carpet Stain Protection Cause Cancer?

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Many carpet cleaners offer stain protection as an add-on service after carpet cleaning. We don’t. Research has raised concerns about the negative health and environmental impacts of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals, which are or were commonly used in stain protection products including Scotchgard, Gore-Tex and Teflon. Even though some manufacturers have stopped using PFAS chemicals, the replacement chemicals are suspected to be just as harmful.

PFAS chemicals? It's not worth the risks

PFAS chemicals are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in a variety of consumer products, including carpet cleaning products, because of their ability to repel water and stains. However, they are also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in the human body over time.

Research has linked PFAS exposure to a range of negative health effects, including cancer, reproductive and developmental issues, and immune system problems. PFAS chemicals have also been found to be harmful to wildlife and the environment.

PFAS are nasty. They virtually never break down in the environment and are found in people, fish, and wildlife all over the world, with no realistic solution in sight. Dr. Joseph Allen, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard University School of Public Health dubbed them “forever chemicals,” “a group of toxic chemicals that may be associated with testicular cancer, kidney cancer, high cholesterol and suppression of vaccine effectiveness in children.” They are released by our consumer products, including carpets, bit by bit, through ordinary wear and tear. They make their way into our bodies and household dust. They are washed down the drain, contaminating wastewater and related biosolids used as compost. They are released to surface water and groundwater from the industrial facilities that manufacture and use them. 

Which Carpet is the Healthiest? Busting the Myth on Carpet Claims, Bill Walsh, Healthy Building Network, March 2019 Newsletter (link below)

Given these concerns, Advanced Dry Carpet Care has made the decision to not use stain protection or other PFAS chemicals in our cleaning products. We believe that it is important to prioritize the health and safety of our customers and the environment.

We use only eco-friendly cleaning products that are effective at removing stains and dirt without the use of harmful chemicals. These products are made with natural, biodegradable ingredients that are safe for use around children and pets, and do not have the same negative environmental impacts as PFAS chemicals.

To summarize, the use of stain protection and other PFAS chemicals in carpet cleaning products has the potential to cause negative health and environmental impacts. We have chosen to prioritize the well-being of our customers and the environment by using eco-friendly cleaning products that are free of these harmful chemicals.

References:

Rainy Day Carpet Cleaning

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weather-cleaning carpet on a rainy day-14169278_sCan you clean rugs and carpet on a rainy day?

You bet.

With our dry cleaning systems for carpet care, it is not necessary to schedule cleaning on a sunny day. You don’t need to open the windows and pull out the fans. We’re able to continue cleaning carpet on a rainy day. 

Save Water. We simply use less cleaning solution, so there is less that needs to evaporate. In a typical house, we use 2 – 3 gallons of cleaning solution and extract about half of it with our Teri-Towel System. That leaves only 128 fluid ounces of liquid that needs to evaporate into the air. That’s why you’re able to use your carpets and rugs 2 hours after we’ve finished. On a rainy day, give it an extra hour. That’s all. Call us for all-weather carpet cleaning.

Even Better for Cleaning Carpet on a Rainy Day

cleaning carpet on a rainy day - all weather carpet cleaning

I cleaned the lobby carpet of Healdsburg Orthodontics in the morning. They were receiving patients at noon.

With our HOST dry cleaning system, your rugs and carpets are ready to use immediately after we’ve cleaned them – rain or shine! That’s because we only use the moisture that is encapsulated in the organic sponge material we use. Our counter-rotating brushes work the sponge material through the carpet, rubbing against the carpet fibers, drawing soil to the sponges. When we vacuum up the sponge material, your carpet is left dry, no matter the weather.

Compare that to the typical hot water extraction method of carpet cleaning (aka “steam cleaning” of truck-mounted systems such as COIT, Stanley Steemer and North Bay Carpet Care). In a typical house, 30-60 gallons of solution are blasted into your carpet. Even with the best extraction vacuums, many gallons of liquid remain in your carpet. If your carpet doesn’t dry quickly (which can easily happen on a rainy day), you’ll have mold and mildew in your carpet, leaving a musty smell and a real health threat.

You can avoid that fate. If rain is in the forecast and you need your carpet and rugs cleaned, call us for rainy day carpet cleaning.

Call or Text: 707-575-0114.

 See Also:

Host Dry Extraction for Cleaning carpet on a rainy day

Advanced Dry Upholstery Cleaning

Image credit: ensiferum / 123RF Stock Photo

Preparing for Our Visit

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A little preparation will help us to get right to work on what we do best. This should clear up most of the most frequently asked questions.

Clear the Area

  1. Generally pick up and remove anything you want us to clean under.
    Definitely remove trash cans, lamps, piles of books, trash, clothing, small chairs, coins, paper clips, etc.
    Many customers prefer to leave large pieces of furniture in place, such as beds, couches, tables. We can reach underneath tables and desks and about four inches underneath beds, couches and other items that are on legs.
    If you want us to remove any furniture, let us know ahead of time so we can come prepared. There is an additional charge for furniture moving. We don’t move beds or dressers, or anything with fragile items on or in them (ex. china cabinets).
  2. Vacuuming? You don’t need to vacuum before our visit. We’ll do that.
  3. When we arrive, show us what needs to be done and point out any areas of special concern, especially pet stains. You may want to mark them ahead of time with a post-it note.
  4. We love your pets. We’re happy to greet your dog if that helps the dog relax. Please secure your pets when we’re working.
  5. We bring our own water, but may need to refill a sprayer tank with a few gallons of warm water. We will need access to an electrical outlet.
  6. Provide a place to park that is close to the building so we can unload and load equipment. A driveway space is preferable, but a spot in front of your house will work.

COVID-19 Precautions

  1. We are fully vaccinated and happy to wear masks throughout our visit. Just let us know if you would prefer that.
  2. Give us room to work. We can’t work if pets, children or adults are walking through the room where we’re working.

Still have questions?

See Frequently Asked Questions

Or just ask. Call or text (707) 575-0114 or Send an Email.

Restore or Replace Carpet?

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“Can you clean this? Or is it hopeless?”

Can you clean this carpet?

We’re often asked that. Of course, the carpet above should be replaced and the pad as well. But, that’s costly. Many homeowners and tenants hope to get a little more use out of their carpet before springing for new. We did our best deep cleaning. Here’s the work in progress.

We're attempting to restore this carpet.

Carpet restoration work in progress

Before and After carpet restoration

Here’s a close-up Before and After picture of the entry area of the room shown above.

How about this one? Restore or Replace Carpet?

Can you clean this carpet?

Can you clean this? Restore or Replace Carpet?

Restoring carpet with deep cleaning

Yeah, we can restore this carpet.

Restored carpet. Deep cleaning carpet

Restored carpet. Clean, sanitized and deodorized. Maybe not “good as new” but serviceable.
We saved the owner a lot of money.

Read More: How We Clean Your Carpet