Green Cleaning Ingredients besides Vinegar
When it comes to green cleaning, you've probably heard the same solutions. Vinegar, vinegar, and more vinegar. Toss in some baking soda, too, if you like. If it seems that the only options you have to clean your carpets safely is smelly vinegar, don't despair. There are actually many other safe, green, cleaning options that work just as well as vinegar or maybe even better.
Castile Soap
Castile soap is an all-natural, organic soap made from vegetable-based oils. It is also non-toxic, making is safe for kids and pets. You can find it in many forms, including bars and liquid. The liquid soap is the best option for your green carpet cleaning needs. Use it in your wet-vac instead of harsh soaps with irritants and harmful chemicals. You can also use it to take care of stains right after they happen.
Salt
Salt has a couple of tricks to help with carpet cleaning. First, it can stop stains from spreading. As soon as something spills on your carpet, dump a pile of salt on top of it. It will absorb the stain instead of letting it spread farther on the carpet. Second, salt acts as an abrasive. This is useful for older stains that you'll need to scrub hard to get out. The salt will help to grab on to the stubborn stain and break it apart.
Citrus
There's a bigger reason why so many cleaners are lemon-scented and not just because it makes the room smell nice. Citrus peels are chock full of something called D-limonene. This substance is a solvent, which means it can dissolve substances. That's right. D-limonene will dissolve the messes you, your kids, or your pets have left on your carpets. Since citrus is biodegradable and perfectly safe for the environment, you won't worry about using it.
Powdered Milk
Powdered milk is often used as a DIY, green facial cleanser. It is used because the powdered milk will soften the skin. It will do the same for your dirty carpet. Adding some powdered milk to your green cleaner or spreading some onto the carpet after cleaning, will leave your carpet feeling soft. You shouldn't leave the dry milk on the carpet for long because it will get sticky. Leave it on the carpet for 20 minutes and then thoroughly remove it with a vacuum.
Did you know all of these green cleaning alternatives? Toss out the vinegar and use these better smelling ingredients instead. For more information, talk to a professional like Southwest Chem-Dry.