Chem Dry carpet cleaners: The most environmentally friendly alternative out there?

  Carpet cleaning in the home is a perfect example of one of those unappealing household chores that nobody in their right mind really wants to deal with but that almost evryone will find themselves dealing with at some point in their lives when faced with the task of cleaning of their abode - whether it is before a move or just a seasonal top-to-bottom cleaning.  when the time comes to clean your carpets, the first important decision that has to be made is whether you are going to go the do-it-yourself route and rent a carpet cleaner or instead go and find someone to do it for you.  If you choose to do it yourself, then one of the few major decisions that you have to make is where to rent from, since the choice of type of commercial carpet cleaning equipment available for rent is itself rather limited, with most rental locations offering the basic assortment of steam cleaner and carpet cleaning chemical or solution.  The names may vary from place to place, but the methods don't.

  If you choose to go the proffesional cleaning company route, and do want to see your precious (or even not so precious) carpets handled by cleaning carpet specialists, then you have to decide what kind of treatment you are looking for.  Most smaller or lower foot traffic households won't be looking for industrial carpet cleaners but will still want a company with equipment and commercial cleaning supplies that will do a decent job.  If you choose to go with a company that offers home carpet cleaning as a side operation to their business, (such as many department stores, like Sears, to name just one) you need to keep in mind that the potential quality of service could really vary just as it can if you choose to deal with the optical department of a large department store: you might get great service and a good product at a great price, or you might get crap - and there is no good price for crap.

  So you have chosen to go the professional route and maybe you have now decided to avoid the companies that are sub-operators of the big stores, and now you have to choose someone.  As well, you have to decide if you are at all concerned about the actual chemicals and chemical process that is to be used; there are a variety of treatments used by the commercial carpet cleaning services out there and it is up to you the consumer as the potential customer to ask the right questions.  For example, it might not be enough to ask how effective their choice of carpet treatment is for actually cleaning out set in carpet stains but also how environmentally friendly their chemicals are.  By environment I am not even really referring to the overall environment (although that is always important, of course), instead I am talking about the home environment: are there any strong traces of chemical likely to be left over in the carpets that are overly toxic?  Another way of looking at this is to enquire about whether or not the process used is pet-friendly or toddler/baby/infant-friendly for any possible close contact that they will have with the cleaned carpets in your home?   If you decide that this is a relevent concern for your home, a quick search on the internet will show that there are a number of environmentally friendly alternatives or options out there for you to consider.  One that I have noticed a larger amount of references to - and with most of those being positive overall - is for a company called Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning & Upholstery Cleaners Carpet Cleaning; This company (ironically enough) is actualy listed as being adivision of Home Depot (they make that claim right on their homepage) but that is not really abad thing considering Home Depot's reputation as abusiness.  And remember I said that going the sub-company route can be either good or bad, and this one looks to be one of the 'good' alternatives out there.  In their own words, the company claims to offer an environmentally sound alternative to traditional cleaning processes:

 "Chem-Dry professional technicians use the power of Hot Carbonation Extraction for a deep healthy clean. You can trust our powerful extraction equipment and proprietary cleaning solution, The Natural®, to offer the best clean available. Carpets and upholstery cleaned the Chem-Dry way are left sparkling clean and dry in 1 to 2 hours, not the 1-2 days you may have experienced with other cleaning methods. We don’t use soaps, detergents, or any harsh chemicals to accomplish our great cleaning results because we use the power of crystal clear carbonating bubbles! Have you ever used club soda to remove a stain from a shirt? If so, you already know how our carbonating principle works. Chem-Dry merely perfected the principle for carpet and upholstery cleaning. The powerful carbonating bubbles deep clean in a safe and gentle way. No soapy cleaning chemicals or do-it-yourself machines can possibly out clean the Chem-Dry way. Guaranteed. Most people still believe the only way to clean their carpets and upholstery is to “soak” them with water and detergents and "suck" it all back up. This method can actually dump gallons of water on your carpet and padding. When left behind, this water becomes a breeding ground for mold and bacteria in just hours! That is why Chem-Dry’s low moisture process is healthier."  (courtesy of chemdry.com)

  This kind of hyperbole alone would not be enough to convince me, however a quick search for  Chem Dry carpet cleaners reviews provided me with enough positive feedback to have me consider using them the next time my home carpeting needs to be cleaned.  It is also worthwhile to consider taking advantage of any Chem Dry carpet cleaners coupons from online advertisers if you should come across them to save you afew bucks ion the process; offers such as one free room cleaned with your order should be easy enough to find if you do a little searching.