Carpet Cleaning to Remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

The carpet manufacturing process undergoes constant changes and enhancements just as all industries do. In today’s market, homeowners can purchase new carpet that features stain-resistant coating, colorful patterns and dyes and even antimicrobial components that didn’t exist just a few years ago.

Each of these advancements in carpet manufacturing are widely considered as benefits to anyone interested in purchasing or installing new carpet for their flooring.

But, the truth is that these advancements are all the result of manmade and synthetic materials as well as chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals have the potential for negative health effects in a house or in a business.

VOCs specifically are the chemicals manufacturers use to preserve the quality of carpet throughout its original storage time or during transportation from factories and warehouses to a home. The most common type of VOC is formaldehyde and its primary purpose is to help the quality of carpet last longer.

The manufacturer’s guards against water and staining are coatings of VOCs and other chemicals that might help preserve carpet but don’t help preserve a healthy home.

There are health effects associated with continuous exposure to concentrated amounts of VOCs. These are the symptoms often associated with VOCs and similar chemicals: 

HEALTH EFFECTS OF VOCS IN NEW CARPET:

– Irritation of the eyes

– Dizzy

– Trouble breathing

– Blurry vision

– Headaches

– Loss of memory

– Damage to the liver

These potential health issues would be somewhat mitigated if VOCs were only found in brand new carpet. However, VOCs remain in new carpet for months and sometimes years after purchasing and installing new carpet unless the VOCs are removed.

The VOCs are strongest immediately after a carpet is installed. During the initial 48-72 hours you will even be able to smell the VOCs in the carpet. The VOCs will then start to dissipate after the first three days but are never gone entirely without professional carpet cleaning.

The initial potency of VOCs following the installation of new carpet can be somewhat reduced with a HEPA air filter, open windows and running ceiling and floor fans. This is similar to running fans and opening windows immediately after painting a room.

CARPET CLEANING REMOVES VOCs

To completely eliminate VOCs in your carpet you first need to vacuum on a routine basis. The vacuum should extract a portion of the VOCs but it will not remove them 100%.

The only way VOCs can be removed permanently is to call on the services of a carpet cleaning company near Beaverton that utilizes powerful extraction and certified techniques.

Hello Carpets & Floors is proud to provide carpet cleaning powerful enough to remove VOCs from brand new carpet and older carpet. Our equipment and technicians effectively remove all traces of VOCs as well as dirt, bacteria and other allergens such as dust mites from carpet.