Carpet cleaning can really a hassle for most people. This is why people take care of their carpets and make sure that they do not get dirty. Cleaning your carpet means scrubbing the stain thousands of times until it disappears, but you know that this never happens. What’s worse after that is you have to wait for a couple of days until your carpet dries out until you can use it again. Once again, technology has found a way to clean your carpets without the hassle of getting it wet.

Dry carpet cleaning is the newest way of cleaning the carpets without the use of water and liquid cleaners. It only uses a powdered cleaning agent and a solvent. This magically cleans the dirt right before your eyes. There are three types of dry carpet cleaning that efficiently remove all of your carpet stains.

Dry Powder Cleaning
This method is the easiest one to do, plus it dries so quick that it is almost ready to use once it is cleaned. You need to vacuum your carpet first before you start your cleaning job. Sprinkle your moist powder on the carpet and scrub it a little making sure that it reaches the insides of your carpet. After that, you vacuum your carpet again and your work is done. It removes the stain in the fastest way possible. Do not worry about the residue that will be left, you do not have to vacuum it again because even if it stays there, it will repel the dirt that will form over the stain.

Dry Chemical of Bonnet Cleaning
Start the cleaning job with vacuuming the carpet. This removes the dry dirt on the carpet. Then apply the cleaning agent on the stain and agitate it a little. Use the bonnet that comes with it to remove the stain. Allow it to dry for less than an hour and your carpet is as good as new.

Dry Foam Cleaning
Make sure that you vacuum your carpet really well before you clean it. Shampoo your carpet and allow it to dry for a few minutes. The shampoo absorbs the dirt and allows it to stick on the shampoo until it is cleaned. When the shampoo is dry, you can now vacuum the dried shampoo along with the dirt that is stuck to it.

Dry carpet cleaning is such a simple method that you can do to ensure that all the stains on your carpet are removed. Besides from this, you do not only enjoy a simple yet effective carpet cleaning method. There are also a number of benefits that you can enjoy with this.

These cleaning agents that are used and environment friendly and will not cause allergies. If you suffer from allergies, then this is the perfect cleaning method that you can use. It prevents the accumulation of allergens on your carpet. These cleaning agents are also milder and won’t cause any harm to your body.

The less water used in dry carpet cleaning can be advantageous to the environment. Water is not wasted by doing this method. Plus, you do not need to dump the cleaning agents to the water stream causing harm to aquatic life. You will reduce the pollutants that are entering the water system. You are saving the environment.

Since you are using less water to clean your carpet, it will dry faster. You do not need to wet the whole carpet just to clean that single stain on it. You just need to apply the cleaning agent in the spot where the stain is and you’re done. You can immediately use the carpet after you have cleaned it. This save you time from waiting a couple of hours or even days just to be able to use your carpet.

Humidity won’t be a problem anymore. A humid environment will cause your carpet to be damp even if it is dry. This will be the cause of mold formation on your carpet that can enhance sticking of the dirt on your carpet. What you need is a dry cleaning method that will ensure that your carpet will not be damp.

If you have recently bought an expensive carpet, you want to make sure that its delicate fibers will not be destroyed. If you use a traditional cleaning method, you are endangering your carpet fibers from all the cleaning solutions and scrubbing them into the fiber. Dry carpet cleaning uses mild cleaning agents that will not damage your carpet fibers. It will prevent your carpet from shrinking and buckling. Your carpet will last longer without looking ugly.

Of course, with any cleaning method, you need to remember some things before you do them.
Since this is a dry cleaning method, you need to make sure that your carpet is dry. Any presence of liquid can dissolve the cleaning agent and will over power it rather than clean the carpet. So if there are any liquids that spilled on the carpet, make sure that you dab a cloth or paper towel over it so that it will be absorbed leaving the carpet dry. You need to make sure that you have removed all the dry residues from your carpet. You may either choose to remove them manually or by using a vacuum cleaner. If you do not remove them, these will only dissolve in the cleaning agent and can even cause damage to the carpet. You need to make sure that you are are getting the most out of this method.

Carpet cleaning has never been this easy. Gone are the days when carpet cleaning meant a dripping carpet. You can now enjoy cleaning your carpet even when it is dry. This is a more effective method than the old soaking-your-carpet method. You will not only save time from waiting for it to dry, but you will also enjoy more benefits by using this method. Switch now to dry carpet cleaning and you will surely have a cleaner carpet in the fastest possible time ever. Now, stains on your carpet won’t be as harmful as it was before.

See: How to start a cleaning business

The Dangers in Dry Cleaning Solvent

The variable chemical compound, perchloroethylene, popularly used in dry cleaning of garments, is a primary cause of serious problems with regards to health to laundry and dry cleaning employees. This liquefied solution, used to dissolve solid dirt in garments, affects the employees by entering the employees’ body via nasal inhalation of vapor emitted by machines or by spilling it on the skin of the employee.

Symptoms

These exposures will cause the victims to experience the following symptoms:

• Light-headedness, drowsiness or loss of balance
• Appearance of blisters and red rash on the skin after an untreated contact
• Low level loss of memory
• Decreased eye sight
• Slower reactions to any situation may materialize after years of constant exposure
• Severe damages to the kidney and the liver which could progress into cancer.

Carcinogen
The National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, on top of these findings, have both proclaimed perchloroethylene as a “probable human carcinogen”. In their studies and researches, these two reputable health agencies have found specific parts of perchloroethylene may cause cancer to other parts of the body aside from the liver and kidney. This chemical is not just a health hazard to these employees, but it is also a death sentence to them. Proper safety measures should be installed and practiced. And employees should never compromise their employees’ health for business.

Employees exposed
Employees working in dry cleaning companies are exposed to this harmful chemical by just doing their regular duties and responsibilities as well as doing maintenance jobs on the dry cleaning machines. The contamination happens when the employees start:

• Loading soiled clothes into dry cleaning and washing machines, which emits chemically infused air, blowing it out of these machines
• Removing newly washed and cleaned clothes from the machines, especially thick items, before these dry up
• Transferring by hand without gloves clothes that have been soaked in this chemical from the machines to the dryer
• Ironing newly dried clothes
• Applying a perchloroethylene based cleaning agent by hand without the use of gloves, goggles, face mask
• applying a perchloroethylene based waterproofing liquid by hand witout the use of gloves, goggles and face mask
• Cleaning garment fiber and button holes on the machines without the use of gloves, goggles, face mask
• Taking out the still to inspect and clean liquifying unit residue without the use of gloves, goggles, face mask
• Changing the chemical filter without the use of gloves, goggles, face mask
• While cleaning and inspection of the water separator without the use of gloves, goggles, face mask
• The disposal of chemical waste without the use of gloves, goggles, face mask

Add to these the fact that dry cleaning machines emit what people call ‘fugitive emissions’ which are not caught by vapour recovery and are emitted through an opening or when the machines loading vessel is opened. Leakages in the machine’s armour, hoses, vents, screws and bolts also contribute to this type of emission. So, careful inspection, scrutiny of every inch of every part of every machine should always be done on a periodic basis. Machines that are found to have leaks and defective should be given the proper attention and repaired right away for the sake of the employee’s health.

Updating machines with newer ones will lessen the employees health hazards because older type of dry cleaning machines, also known as transfer machines, expose employees to extreme amounts of vapours while transferring clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. The newer dry-to-dry-machines filter the vapour and re-circulate the solvent for use. This decreases vapour release to the employees, so unlike older machines that always vented outside. The newer machines also lessen the employee’s exposure to the chemicals thus minimizing the use of this solvent.

Old and new machines should be maintained and serviced on a regular basis and, if possible, older machines should be replaced. To effectively control the existence of perchloroethlylene in the dry cleaning places, a sufficient exhaust system should be put in place. Ducting, overhead fans, exhaust vents and a superior, functional exposed ventilation hood are effective ways to suck the vapours away from employees and customers, while an external ventilation system continuously supplies the concerned areas with fresh air. Newer machines do not emit unfavourable vapours as these have built in ventilation systems. With the installation of air monitoring gadgets, the level of chemicals can be kept in check.

Preventive measures
Listed below are preventive measures to lessen or eliminate employees’ exposure to harmful vapours produced by perchloroethlylene. This can be exercised by:

• not loading dry cleaning machines beyond capacity.
• not opening machine doors while these are in operation.
• keeping machine doors close most of the time.
• not making shortcuts by stopping the drying cycle before drying is done and finished.
• Keeping the head and face turned away from the machine while handling clothes that are laden with solvent.
• not transferring the solvent to the dry cleaning machines by hand or with the use of an open container. A closed tubing system that’s connected directly from machine drum to dry cleaning machines should be used.
• waiting for machine and solvent temperature to come down before employees star performing maintenance.
• not always using spotting agents.
• storing solvent containers and waste vessels in air tight vehicles.
• cleaning up spills immediately with the use of the correct materials and implementation of proper procedures.
• washing off with soap and water the part of the skin that has been exposed to the chemical.
• flushing immediately with water any splashes to the eyes.
• A certain portion in the dry cleaning area should be focused on how to deal with eye splashes. This area should have the proper first aid kit.

Employees in dry cleaning environments should be given the proper training procedures pertaining to safe work and how to handle solvent spills. Employers should also provide employees with protective equipment such as goggles, safety masks and jumper uniforms and safety gloves.

See: How to start a cleaning service