By Blythe Copeland | Mon Jul 20, 2009 15:15
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Buy Green: Carpet Cleaners
Wipe out that stain without negatively impacting indoor air quality with these five carpet cleaners—all harmful chemical-free.
An eco-friendly carpet may protect your floors and your feet, but it can also hold onto dirt, spills, and stains with a surprising grip. Keep your home clean from top to bottom with these green carpet cleaners: Made without bleach, ammonia, and fragrances, they'll improve your indoor air quality while keeping your rugs clean enough for baby's playtime, napping pets, pre-teen sleepovers, and all the other floor-based activities that are part of your life. So go ahead: Drink wine in the living room, eat ice cream on the couch, and serve pizza during movie night—these cleaners will take care of the rest.
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Carpet Spot & Stain Remover From Seventh Generation
Why We Like It: Seventh Generation Carpet Spot & Stain Remover is the kind of product you want close at hand if you have kids, pets, or a penchant for dinner parties. Just spray it on and the active ingredient—hydrogen peroxide—goes to work on all kinds of stains.
Eco-Factor: Like the rest of the Seventh Generation line, the carpet cleaner is biodegradable, non-toxic, and won't leave a harsh smell behind. The hydrogen peroxide is a natural replacement for the bleach in traditional cleansers, and the spray bottle means you don't need to fire up the steam cleaner for a good scrub.
Try It On: The after-effects of last night's wine and chocolate tasting party.
Where: Seventh Generation
How Much: $6
Image courtesy of Seventh Generation
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Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner From EPIC
Why We Like It: The Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner by Environmental Products for Important Causes (EPIC)—is part of a biodegradable cleaning line that donates all of its profits (after taxes) to environmental charities for research, education, and conservation, so you know your money is going back to your favorite cause.
Eco-Factor: EPIC's Carpet Cleaner works in most cleaning machines, so you can get to the root of the dirt without ammonia, chlorine, fragrances, or dyes. It's also super concentrated—giving you 16 gallons of cleaning solution in one bottle—saving on packaging and trimming the carbon footprint.
Try It On: The coffee cup that tipped over on the floor of your car.
Where: EPIC
How Much: $22
Image courtesy of Epic
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Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner From EnviroRite
Why We Like It: EnviroRite's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner was created especially for people with asthma and other allergies, so it makes it easier for everyone to breathe—and while it was developed for residential customers, it's part of a line that also caters to industrial cleaners (so you know it's tough on dirt and stains).
Eco-Factor: This vegetable-based carpet cleaning solution replaces the petroleum-based versions used in most cleaning machines. It's made without fragrances, dyes, or other allergy-inducing ingredients, and promises to rinse clean so you won't have to pay the price for clean carpets with dirty residue.
Try It On: he gray spot at the front door, the upstairs hallway, and other high-traffic areas.
Where: EnviroRite
How Much: $16
Image courtesy of Enviro-Rite
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Naturals Carpet Cleaner From Simple Green
Why We Like It: Simple Green Naturals Carpet Cleaner pulls out dirt and stains from carpet without using chlorine to oxidize food, drink, and pet residue.
Eco-Factor: The Naturals line is, as the name implies, naturally-derived: Ingredients include coconut, palm, minerals, salt, and sugar. The solutions are biodegradable, non-toxic, and sold in 100 percent recyclable bottles.
Try It On: Fido's favorite napping spot.
Where: Simple Green
How Much: $4
Image courtesy of Simple Green
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Bac-Out Foaming Spray From Biokleen
Why We Like It: Biokleen's Bac-Out may be a favorite of professional carpet cleaners, but it also comes in a household version that works on mold and mildew, carpets, upholstery, cloth diapers, and laundry stains—that targets odors, too.
Eco-Factor: The company credits "enzyme-producing cultures" with the breakdown of stains, and uses lime peel extract and vegetable-based surfactants instead of bleach, phosphates, and allergens.
Try It On: Spills on the carpet under the dining room table.
Where: Green Home
How Much: Four 32-oz bottles for $34
Image courtesy of Biokleen
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