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Sunday, April 11, 2021

 

How Air Fresheners And Powdered Deodorizers Are Wrecking Your Carpet And Your Health

       Whether it’s apple pie, lavender, ocean breeze,or pumpkin spice, we all have a favorite fragrance.What method do you use to have this fragrance greet you when you enter your home or of ice? Bowls of potpourri? Plug-ins? Candles?


Powdered carpet deodorizers? Powdered carpet deodorizer users likely do not know that most are made from abrasive substances. In fact, some of these deodorizers, if used for an extended period of time, can actually cause a carpet to soil rapidly, lose its dimensional stability, and delaminate the backing. 

Studies have shown that vacuuming only removes about 65% of a typical powdered deodorizer. And these products are not just harmful to your carpet—they damage your vacuum, too.

      Components of powdered deodorizers


There is a variety of substances found in powdered carpet deodorizers, and many are abrasive, such as baking soda, calcium carbonate, sodium silicate, and hydrated silica (sand).

                               One Major Cause Of Ugly Carpet

     

As such, it’s alarming to see people intentionally spreading abrasive soil—powdered deodorizer—on carpet. This abrasive soil scratches carpet fibers, making the carpet appear lighter in color in the trafficked areas and causing the fibers to lose their luster. This creates a condition known as traffic-lane graying, which makes a carpet look worn and ugly.


Aerosol air fresheners, the most common product people grab to freshen the air quickly, may be no better. They start out in the air but will eventually fall—right onto the face of the carpet, possibly leaving a sticky, soil-attracting residue. 

  How Plug In Deodorizers Cause                                                   Your Carpet To  Get Dirty Fast

Even plug-in style deodorizers evaporate and become airborne oil, which leaves an oily film on everything, including the carpet.Then this oily film becomes a magnet for soil. And there is, of course, the same  problems are caused by burning petroleum based scented candles.

                                 How Deodorizers Damage Your Carpet

Many common powdered products come with the narrative of being green and safe to use. While this may be the case, the main ingredient of most powdered carpet deodorizers is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Sodium bicarbonate is an abrasive that is hydrophilic (water loving),hygroscopic (moisture absorbing), and water soluble.

 This means it tends to stick to carpet fibers and then scratch them every time they are walked on.To test this phenomenon, we took two popular brands of powdered deodorizer, sprinkled them on Plexiglas, rubbed the powders with our fingers, and then wiped the glass clean. The scratches left on the Plexiglas were astonishing.

Sodium bicarbonate easily dissolves in water, such as when a carpet is being cleaned. During cleaning, the sodium bicarbonate from the deodorizer dissolves, but as the carpet dries, the sodium bicarbonate turns back into a powder and appears as a white  film over the surface of the carpet (since carpet dries from the bottom up). Correcting this issue is a challenge.

. Vacuuming alone will not remove it, and several acid rinse treatments might be needed to remove the contaminant from the carpet. Over time, some of the sodium bicarbonate and sodium silicate also sifts into the backing of the carpet. The water-loving properties and alkalinity of the sodium bicarbonate and sodium silicate powder will even break down the latex adhesive used to manufacture the carpet.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Plug In And Aerosol Chemical Air Fresheners

Tests by the Environmental Working Group and the National Resources Defense Council found chemical air fresheners do not remove the odor molecules-they simply cover them up.

 The odor molecules are still there, you just can’t detect them anymore. So after spraying the product, you’re not only inhaling the odor molecules, but the air freshener chemicals as well Many air fresheners contains chemicals linked to cancer.

  1. They contain chemicals linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems.
  2. They contain chemicals linked to neurotoxicity, which means the chemicals are poisonous to the nerves or nerve cells.
  3. They contain chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs.
  4. They contain chemicals linked to allergies and asthma.
  5. None of the most popular brands  disclose any of these potentially harmful ingredients. So if it weren’t for studies like these by the EWG and the NRDC, we would have no idea what we were sniffing.

      6 Natural Ways To Make Your Home Smell Awesome                                                 

We strongly recommend you avoid  using powdered, aerosol ,plug-ins and candles for deodorizing your home or office since they may ruin your carpet and your health. Instead, use natural alternatives like a bowl of potpourri, fragrant house plants, reed diffusers with natural oils, pomader balls,simmering a small pot of water with citrus, mint or spices, and charcoal bag air fresheners. If it's within your budget, an electronic air purifier would be your best bet. Check out the one featured here by copying and pasting this link into a new page and save 59% off list ( if you just click on it -it won't work) :

                                 tinyurl.com/jnnam2th

If you carpets and rugs are starting to look dull and dingy because of the use of air fresheners, just give us a call. We can make them look like new again by using all natural and  organic cleaning solutions that are safe for you, your family, your pets and the earth.

Until we meet again, stay well,

Rodney & Michele

www.AllstateCleaning.Com

All Kinds Of Carpets, Floors, Drapes & Upholstery

Organically Cleaned & Restored Like New - You Must Be Happy Or Its FREE !       

                      For Voice Or Text Service 

                           Ring  609-586-5833

  

Covid 19 Update: We are open for business.  For your safety and peace of mind,  we take care to disinfect our equipment  between each assignment. Then we include the free application of an all natural  botanical EPA registered  disinfectant on most  fabric and flooring we clean,  and we wear the appropriate protective gear when in your home or office.

 

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