Recycling Carpeting - Some Things You Need to Know

There comes a time in the life of every carpeted room when the old carpet must go. High traffic, pet and food stains, and ground in dirt and grime all contribute to aging carpeting to the point that it really needs to be removed.

But, what to do with the old stuff? Most municipalities have rules and regulations about how to dispose of waste carpeting at the curbside. But, few have any opportunities for its recycling.

Carpet recycling facilities are still in their infancy in the U.S., but generally in larger metro areas there often exists such facilities. Start by inquiring with your city's waste disposal department. You can also inquire with Carpet America Recovery Effort (carpetrecovery.org) which has information on carpet recycling facilities around the U.S.

Why is Carpeting Hard to Recycle

Carpeting has many components, and each of those parts is made of different materials. The face fiber (or the fluffy top we walk on) can be made of fibers like wool, polyester, nylon, or Olefin. And the backing is often made from latex or polyvinylchloride.

These components have to be separated before they can be recycled. And proper identification of all the components is essential. Because the process takes time and skill it's not cheap. That's why many carpet recyclers need to charge a fee when you drop off your carpeting for recycling.

Carpet pad, on the other hand, is much easier to recycle. It's generally one component, so there's no wasted time separating materials. Rebond carpet pad (the kind that looks like a composite material with many colored pieces) is sometimes paid for by carpet recyclers. It's worth asking about.

Other Ways to Recycle Old Carpet

If you're not within reach of a carpet recycling center there are some other options to consider before sending it to the landfill.

1. Carpeting that is in "like new" condition is often accepted by building salvage centers, like Habitat for Humanity. The larger the pieces the easier they can find a new home for it.
2. Cut it into smaller pieces and use as floor mats in your car, inside your dog kennel or crate, or as a bed liner in your truck.
3. Use it in your garden as a weed barrier. Cut holes where the plants will go and cover with mulch to hide it.
4. Use it to smother and kill a weedy area of your yard that you intend to reseed with lawn grass or prairie seeds. This usually takes a year before everything underneath is truly dead. Remove the carpeting before planting.
5. Use the pieces to cover a cat scratching post or tree.

Increase the Life of Your Carpet

Taking better care of your carpeting, with routine vacuuming and cleaning, will increase the longevity of your product. Even if you can extend the life of your carpet and get another 5 years of wear out of it it will help reduce the overall amount of carpet that goes to our landfills every year.

And buying quality carpeting to begin with will give you a longer-lasting carpet. Cheap carpeting will wear out sooner because of poor quality construction and fibers. It just doesn't hold up over time like good quality carpeting. But, even with cheap carpeting the key to getting the longest life out of it is frequent vacuuming.

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Visit CarpetRecovery.org to find out more about carpet recycling efforts in the U.S.

The Benefits of Using an Upholstery Cleaning Machine

You've recently noticed your family couch is looking a little grungey and worn. Sure, you've gone through a lot together - movie nights, sleep overs, even a crash pad for the dog.

But, now it's time for it to get a good cleaning! Who knows what "coodies" are lurking in the fibers?

So what's the best way to get the job done? Try it yourself, or hire a professional? If you're going to try the DIY route should you rent or buy an upholstery cleaning machine?

Do It Yourself

It's natural for people to want to try and save some money by doing their own cleaning and home maintenance. And what could be easier than vacuuming and cleaning the furniture?

When trying to clean your own couch first remove any cushions that aren't permanently sewn down. Vacuum up any visible dirt, pet hair, cookie crumbs, bits of cereal, broken toys, etc.

There are many cleaning solutions for upholstery you could use, and everybody has their favorite. But, many of the cleaning chemicals for carpets can be used on upholstery, too (read the label first!).

One DIY upholstery cleaning solution I've run across frequently is to make your own "whipped" detergent mixture. Recommendations vary on how to do this, but generally you make a slightly dilute solution of detergent and whip it up with a hand beater or in a blender. Apply this mixture to your fabric with a damp sponge or rag or a soft brush. After scrubbing lightly into the fabric it's wiped with a clean, damp cloth.

Also, there are many warnings about doing a test spot on an area of the couch that's out of view. That way if the chemicals react badly with the fabric it won't be in a highly visible location.

Rent or Buy?

Having a machine that's designed to extract dirt out of carpeting and upholstery for your sofa cleaning adventure will make your job a lot easier - and more effective. There's only so much dirt you can get out of furniture with a brush and damp rags.

Using an upholstery cleaner lets you get a LOT more dirt out of the fabric. Many are designed with a spray jet underneath the handheld upholstery tool so you can spray your fabric as you move along.

But, the question here is really should you buy your own upholstery cleaner, or should you rent one. Fortunately, renting an upholstery or carpet cleaning machine is very common and easy to do. Most grocery stores and hardware stores have units available right near the checkout.

If you're intending to clean your couch or other furniture just once, or very rarely (maybe once a year) then renting a machine is probably the best way to go. If, however, you intend to do some deep cleaning on your furniture every few months - or you have pets and kids that regularly have "accidents" - then owning your own upholstery cleaner is definitely something to consider.

Hire a Pro

Probably the best reason to hire a professional to clean your furniture is if you really don't have the time and the couch just really needs to get cleaned (before the in-laws come over!). Also, if you have very finicky or delicate fabric (silk, wool, leather, some microfiber, etc.) then a pro is better equipped to get the job done right.

Sure, the cost may give you some sticker shock, but if the end result is some beautifully cleaned furniture that looks as good as new it just might be worth it.

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Disclaimer: This article is for information only. We cannot guarantee results from using this information on your own furniture.

Do You Prespray Your Carpets?

Prespraying carpets with cleaning solution can be one way to start the cleaning process off to a good start. If you're dealing with particularly grungey carpeting it can be a challenge to get it clean enough with just a regular carpet extractor.

There are a number of cleaning solutions you can use in your prespray treatment, but generally you want to go for something that will help to loosen the dirt from the carpet fibers. Most detergents and enzymatic cleaners can do that kind of job well. Detergents help to break the surface tension of the dirt that's adhering to the fibers, while enzymes will actively break some of the chemical bonds between the dirt and carpeting.

Another advantage of using a prespray treatment on carpeting is that the cleaning solution has some time to loosen the dirt before coming in with a carpet machine. This waiting period is called "dwell time" - generally the amount of time you let the solution sit on your carpet before extracting it.

What do you use to prespray carpeting? If you don't have a professional type sprayer you can always start off with using a regular trigger spray bottle. However, with a large room your hand will quickly become fatigued.

A better solution than a trigger sprayer is to use a pump type spray bottle. With this kind of device you use a pump to pressurize the container. Then you can simply pull the trigger with a steady pressure and dispense an even stream of solution.

When you have a lot of carpets to clean then a professional electric or battery powered sprayer is in order. This way the tank is always kept pressurized so you can continually grip the spray nozzle and dispense a large amount of solution onto your carpet.

So, if you're serious about doing a deep cleaning job on your carpeting you definitely should consider prespraying with a solution and letting it dwell for several minutes. Your results will be much improved over using a carpet cleaning machine alone.

Your Prespray Options

Add a trigger sprayer to a bottle of your favorite cleaning solution Ready To Go.	A pump up sprayer with a 1 or 2 gallon tank is a great improvement over a trigger sprayer.	For large spraying jobs you may want to consider a battery powered or electric model.

For more information on sprayer options take a look at all of our pump-up, electric, and battery sprayers at CarpetExtractors.com.

Ready to Get Into Green Carpet Cleaning?

The name of the game in green carpet cleaning is to reduce carpet chemical usage. Using "green" or biodegradable cleaners is definitely preferable to the old-school cleaners with VOCs (volatile organic compounds), but you still want to use as little as possible. The main reason, of course, is to reduce the amount of any chemicals going into the air or down the drain. But, you'll also save more money in your carpet cleaning operations by cutting down on cleaning solutions.

In addition to reducing the amount of cleaners you use there are several other factors to consider to reduce your environmental impact. These include using cold water over hot water whenever possible, keeping your carpet extracting equipment in good working order so you get the longest life out of it, and reducing the moisture left behind in the carpet so you reduce the drying time by air movers.

Another advantage of reducing your cleaning solution usage is having less plastic bottles to dispose of. If you have access to recycling this may not be an issue for you, but if you don’t you get the added advantage of the warm fuzzy from reducing your waste stream.

Green Carpet Cleaners

There are several "green" cleaners out on the market now that tout a more environmental ingredient list. The consumer really has to do their homework to determine which products are really green - it's often too easy for a manufacturer to just slap a label on a bottle that says it's green. Looking at the MSDS sheet (Material Safety Data Sheets are standard documentation in the US to list the potential hazards of a product) for a particular product will give you the best idea of its green-ness. Looking at VOC's and health hazard potential are important factors to consider.

Green Seal Certification is another indicator of green products. The Green Seal is administered by a non-profit organization that does standardized scientific testing on products claiming to be green. If something passes muster with their testing it wins the ability to display their seal right on the bottle.

A green carpet cleaner we carry at CleanFreak.com is Ready to Go. Its hydrogen peroxide based formula gives you superior cleaning abilities without the usual VOC's you find in many carpet cleaners. Available in both the quart size (6 to a case) and gallon size (2 gallons per case).

Types of Carpet Cleaning Machines

Some carpet cleaning machines use quite a bit of water during operation. If water usage can be kept to below 1 gallon per minute you're on your way to greener carpet cleaning.

You may think that using copious amounts of water will clean your carpets better, but that's not necessarily so. A more important factor is how efficiently your machine can inject water into the carpeting and how well it can suction it back out. If you end up using too much water and cleaning solution on your carpet and can't effectively remove the majority of it you're stuck with the risk of encouraging mold or bacterial growth. And having to compensate for wet carpets by bringing in several air movers increases your electricity usage - definitely un-green.

Carpet Steam Cleaning

One alternative to using cleaning chemicals (in certain circumstances) is to use hot water. Technically there are no carpet extractors that use just steam to clean carpet, but rather the process of using hot water creates some steam as a byproduct. So when people talk about getting their carpets steam cleaned it's really using hot water.

But, using hot water can give you an extra cleaning boost when you really need it. Any dirt or soil with an oily or greasy element will definitely benefit from using hot, or even warm, water on it. One place you might see this is a car dealership or repair garage. Personnel from the service area walk through greasy floors all day, then when walking over a patch of carpeting in the customer waiting area a bit of that oily substance gets cleaned off their shoes - onto the carpeting.

Restaurants and food service can be another potential area where carpets could use some hot water cleaning. The grease and oil from food gets tracked from the kitchen into the dining area by servers and bus people. Tightly woven commercial carpeting is great for resisting this kind of staining, but sooner or later the soiling will happen.

Cold vs. Hot Water Cleaning

Assessing whether you really need to use hot water is another important factor in keeping your carpet cleaning green. Heating water takes a lot of electricity (or gas if you're drawing from a gas-fired water heater). For the majority of carpet cleaning scenarios hot water really isn't necessary. The judicious and sparing use of a green carpet cleaner, in conjunction with your cold water machine, can be a lot more effective than using gallons upon gallons of hot water.

High Traffic Areas

In most businesses with carpeting (and in homes, too) there will be areas that get dirtier because of heavy foot traffic. The constant coming and going of feet between dirty areas and clean areas is a sure formula for more soiled areas. You usually see these in hallways, on stairs, or the entrance area into a building.

If you can restrict the use of cleaning chemical to these high traffic areas you'll be using less chemicals overall, even if you don't use a green cleaner. Using a spray bottle to apply cleaner in your target areas is a great way to know just where and how much you're putting onto the carpeting.

Be aware that many carpet cleaners recommend letting the solution sit on/in the carpeting for a short amount of time before coming back to extract it out. This is called "dwell time". Dwell time will be different for different solutions, but the idea is to let the cleaner take some time to chemically interact with the dirt in the carpet fibers. This will make it much easier for the extractor machine to effectively remove the grunge.

Reducing Moisture to Reduce Drying Times

Whether you use one or several air movers or let your carpets dry on their own you want to remove as much left over moisture from the fibers as possible. It will greatly reduce your drying time. If you can get your carpets extracted sufficiently so that use of or an air mover is cut in half you're saving substantially on the electricity used to run that machine. If you live and work in a dry climate you might be able to avoid using or owning an air mover altogether.

Is Green Carpet Cleaning for You?

As you can see there are many small factors to consider in getting to green carpet cleaning. Even if you decide to implement one or two of these factors in your routine you'll be ahead in terms of money savings. But, for those consumers looking for green carpet cleaning in their homes or business you'll be able to offer a unique and valuable product to them.

Carpet Cleaning Rentals - Are They a Good Deal?

In these tight economic times it's reasonable to try and do as much home maintenance and repair on your own as possible. And when thinking about cleaning the carpets you may assume doing it yourself will be a piece of cake.

Carpet cleaning isn't necessarily a highly technical job, nor one that's tremendously physically demanding. So, for the average person cleaning the carpets may be a totally do-able job. There are a few things to consider before tackling your own carpet cleaning, though.

DIY Carpet Cleaning

When you rent your own carpet cleaning machine and buy cleaning solutions you're in for a bit of exercise (for a few hours at least). The average carpet machine rental isn't that light, although an average person can handle the machine on their own.

You also have to be able to read, and follow, fairly simple instructions on how to mix cleaning solutions and set up the machine properly.

Do you have a high tolerance for noise? Or some good ear protection? Carpet cleaning machines can be pretty noisy - be prepared.

Tackling your own DIY carpet cleaning isn't for the faint of heart, but you don't have to have a college degree to get the job done either. Strong muscles and an ability to follow directions are about it.

Carpet Cleaning Reviews

If you decide to go with a professional carpet cleaning service you should definitely find as many reviews for them as possible. Just going through a web search and calling the first shiny Internet listing may lead to dissatisfaction with the end job.

Do your research ahead of time. Do searches for stuff like "carpet cleaning reviews [your city]" or "business reviews [business name]". You may even want to invest a few dollars in an Angieslist.com membership to get some really good inside information on a company.

Green Carpet Cleaning

If you're into the green/eco/environmental mindset you might resist having your carpets professionally cleaned because of some of the chemicals they use. Some cleaners and solvents can cause some unfavorable reactions in people and pets.

When you rent your own carpet cleaning machine you can go ahead and clean your carpet with just water. Or mostly water with a tiny bit of your favorite "green" cleaning solution. Caution: make sure to test that "green" cleaner on an area of carpet that's out of view!

Managing your own carpet cleaning rental puts you in control of exactly what goes into your carpet when you clean it. That's a big bonus when doing it yourself. You can make your carpet cleaning as green and eco-friendly as you'd like.

The upside of doing your own carpet cleaning is there's fairly little money outlay. Renting a machine for a day can be a LOT cheaper than hiring the professionals. But, if you have a particularly dirty or stain-ridden situation then doing it yourself probably isn't a good idea. Try a rental for a little money, and if it doesn't work you can always call the pros.

Carpet Spotters

When you have an area of carpeting or upholstery that needs some deep cleaning a handy little carpet spotter may be just the right tool for the job.

Sometimes spots and stains can be handled with hand cleaning and dabbing... if you're lucky enough to clean the spot while it's still fresh and wet. But, sometimes a spot or stain is really stuck in the fibers and needs a little more forceful cleaning. Do you rent or buy a full-sized carpet cleaner?

Although certainly an option, the full-sized machine can really do a wonderful job on getting out tough stains. But, when your stained area really isn't that large, one of our smaller carpet spotters may be in order.

The Portable Option

Why lug around a large, heavy machine when you only need to clean up a small area? Carpet spotting machines are wonderfully portable. Most come under 20 pounds (dry weight), with heated model at about 35-40 pounds. That's a heck of a lot easier to handle than a 50-75 pound carpet extractor.

Sure, adding water and cleaning solution will add to the weight, but the solution tank on carpet spotters is usually 2-3 gallons, which only adds another 15-25 pounds.

And some models have built-in wheels so you can drag it around like a canister type vacuum cleaner. And some have a separate, lift-off solution tank that makes it easy to fill it with water right under the kitchen sink.

Carpet Spotter
with Handle
The Trusted Clean Bravo carpet
spotter is one of our best sellers.
Available from CarpetExtractors here.

When Small is Better

When your spot or stained area is just a couple square feet - or less - setting up a small carpet spotter will be a lot less headache than a full-sized machine. Disposing of the dirty water and cleaning out the machine for storage will also be much easier.

This comes in real handy when you have repeat offenders (attention pet owners out there!). When areas of carpet or upholstery keep getting "attacked" it's easier to quickly get out your small carpet spotter and tackle the job. Keep it handy in your kitchen or hall closet for a quick assault on that "accident".

A Lot of Cleaning Power in a Little Package

Even though carpet spotters are easily portable they still pack a real cleaning punch! With powerful solution pressure, to get that cleaning solution deep into the fibers, and suctioning power, to get it all out again, they're cleaning power rivals the big machines.

Using a handheld upholstery tool you can spray your solution on, wait a bit, and suction out all the dirtiness. Using a handheld tool also lets you do a more detailed cleaning job on a spot than a regular carpet extractor would.

Cost Effective Spot Removal

There may be a little sticker shock when shopping for a quality carpet spotter. Never fear! All of the carpet spotting machines we sell are very well made machines to give you years of use. Varying warranties even come with these quality machines (each manufacturer is different - we can help you sort out the details).

When you step back and compare the cost of commercial carpet and upholstery cleaning - or even carpet replacement - with the investment in a quality carpet spotter the choice becomes more clear. When you have that little carpet spotter on hand to immediately deal with stains you're ultimately saving the long term life of your carpet. When stains sit in fibers for extended periods before tough cleaning it can damage their lifespan.

And commercial carpet cleaners will charge extra for special attention paid to spots and stains. A "regular" carpet cleaning usually doesn't include extra time spent on extra dirty and stained areas. So if you can handle them yourself you'll ultimately save money.

In the end a little carpet spotter is a great investment to keep your carpets and upholstery clean and tidy on short notice. Take a look through all of our carpet spotters to find just the right one for your situation.

Stains in Carpet

Dealing with stains in carpet can be one of the most frustrating things for a tidy house keeper. And it seems that, according to Murphy's law, that the lighter the color of carpeting the more prone it is to having things spilled on it.

Never fear, if a spill can be removed while it's still wet there's a good chance of getting it completely out of the carpet. Generally, when a spilled liquid is left to dry on carpeting the molecules end up binding much more tightly to the carpet fibers.

Here are some basic steps on dealing with stains in your carpet:

1. Deal with the spill RIGHT AWAY. The longer you put it off the harder it's going to be to remove the substance from the carpet fibers. Granted, the type of fiber in your carpeting can make a big difference in your ability to lift out a spill, but many modern carpets are made with nylon, which is naturally stain-resistant. Carpeting (or rugs) that are made out of organic substances like cotton, wool, or silk will be a little harder to treat. So, flushing the spill with plain water and suctioning up as much as possible with a wet-dry vac is your first step.
2. What exactly is in the spill? Knowing what that liquid is that's soaking into your carpet is half the battle. Why is it important to know what it is? There are many different spot removing solutions that are designed for either acid vs. alkaline substances, or organic (eg. grape juice) vs. man-made type (eg. hair dye) substances. Identifying what you have will lead you to the best stain remover to tackle it with.
3. Vacuum up dried stuff first. If you happen to come across the stain after it's dried into the carpeting then start with vacuuming up as much of that stuff as possible before applying a stain remover.
4. Test a small area first. If the stain area is large enough it's advisable to test a stain-removing solution on a small portion of it first. This will tell you 2 things: 1) If it will work on your stain substance, 2) If the stain remover is color-safe for your carpeting.
5. Time and agitation. Letting a stain remover sit on/in a stain for some time (read the manufacturer's specific directions because they can vary widely) will give it a chance to chemically interact with the stain to lift it from the carpet fiber. Also, using some mechanical help to remove the stain might be advisable for some substances. This is another way to facilitate the chemical reaction of the stain remover on the stain. You can do this by either using a gloved hand to manually work in the remover or using a small brush to lightly scrub the stained area.
6. Blot, don't rub. If you don't have a way to vacuum out the cleaning solution then your next tool of choice for removal is a simple rag or towel. At this point you want to blot the substance out of your carpet. Trying to remove it with a wiping motion will only cause it spread out sideways in the carpeting. This is how stains in carpet get bigger and never go away. Keep blotting with fresh rags or paper towel until you don't see any stain transferring to the rag any longer.

More Information

Tackling stains in your carpeting should be handled with care to be done right. There are MANY different substance that can cause staining. Knowing what you have on your hands is half the battle.

For more information on removing stains found in your carpet, please take a look at our Stain Removal Guide, and our Stain Removal Chemical Usage Chart.

We have a wide variety of Spot & Stain Carpet Cleaners to pick from as well as Enzyme Carpet Cleaners and Spot Removal Kits.

What is a Carpet Extractor?

Have you ever had the question "What is a carpet extractor?" Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people search for that question on the Internet, too.

More popular terms that come to mind are things like "carpet cleaning machine" or "carpet shampooer". Not many people use the term "carpet extractor" - unless you're in the business of cleaning carpets. For those people looking for information on cleaning their home carpet you will probably run across more information on the first 2 terms listed above. "Cleaning machine" or "shampooer" are terms that rental places use more frequently because it makes sense to the average person just looking to clean their carpets once a year with a rented machine.

But, if you're becoming more serious about getting into the cleaning business and starting to do your research you'll find out that "carpet extractor" is the term most commonly used for this kind of machine within the industry... which you are probably starting to find out. So, how does a carpet extractor differ from a "shampooer"? Not much, really.

Let's take a look at some styles of carpet extractors out there...

Different Styles of Carpet Extractors

There are 2 main styles of carpet extractors: box style, and self-contained. The style that you'll find at most rental places is the self-contained type. The carpet scrubbing and suctioning happen on the front end of the machine, but a vacuum hose can usually be attached at the back if you want to do stairs, upholstery, or maybe your vehicle.

Typical self-contained style carpet extractors.	Typical hot water box style carpet extractors.

The box style carpet extractor is, essentially, like a box with 2 chambers - one for clean water (and maybe some added cleaning solution), and another for the dirty water. A hose is attached to the machine, along with a carpet wand or an upholstery tool, to deliver clean solution to your carpet and then vacuum up the dirty water right away.

Here's a video on how to use a box type carpet extractor, the Galaxy 5 Upholstery & Car Detailer. The video also demonstrates how the external heater is used with this machine. This heated carpet extractor is a bit unique in that it runs on one power cord. Most heated machines use 2 power cords - one for the vacuum motor(s) and one for the heater. (If you have a heated machine with 2 separate power cords it's critical that the cords are plugged into different outlets that are on different circuits - plugging both cords into the same circuit will cause the circuit to trip because of the amount of electricity that's being drawn for the machine.)

The above video is particularly useful because it also shows how to mix in your cleaning chemicals, how to use defoamer to prevent soapy foam from entering the internal vac motor, how to pre-spray upholstery, and how to prime the solution hose. Even though the video just demonstrates use of an upholstery tool the instructions are equally applicable to using a carpet wand attachment.

Here's another video, this one demonstrating how to use the EDIC FiveStar, which is one of our small self contained extractor.

Which One is Right For You?

If you have some experience using one of those rental carpet machines then you have a bit more information on what it's like to run a self-contained carpet machine. Next time you rent one make sure to take along the optional vacuum hose to try out how it feels to manage a long hose and upholstery tool.

With either kind of machine you'll have to manage filling the solution tank with clean water/solution when you run out, and then emptying the dirty water tank when it gets full. The smaller the machine the more you're going to be filling and emptying it during the course of your cleaning.

And don't forget the carpet extractor defoamer! Defoaming agent is absolutely necessary to keep the suds down in your recovery tank. If suds get too high within the recovery tank you run the likely risk of suctioning them into the vacuum motor - this is a bad thing. Any water suctioned into the motor will reduce the lifespan of your machine, as well as possibly voiding your warranty. Using defoamer is cheap insurance to keep your carpet extractor running smoothly for years to come.

So now you have a little more information to answer "What is a carpet extractor?" For further information take a look through some of these carpet cleaning machines.

Welcome to Carpet Extractors

We're here to bring you great information on cleaning carpets and selecting the right tools to do the job with.  For a fantastic selection of carpet cleaning machines check out CarpetExtractors.com