Is Carpet Cleaning Safe for My Kids?
Staying safe underfoot during a carpet cleaning service
Modern carpet cleaning is generally safe for kids and pets, especially steam cleaning and other methods that avoid harsh chemicals.
In some cases, carpet cleaners may use powerful solvents or chemicals that can create fumes that children shouldn’t inhale.
Leftover residue from poor or outdated methods of carpet cleaning can also be an irritant.
A thorough, skilled carpet cleaning that dries with good ventilation removes any danger to kids, but you can remove them from the home during service for additional precaution.
A carpet cleaning is a breath of fresh air for many homes, removing ancient stains or helping carpets recover from toddler accidents. But is carpet cleaning safe for my kids?
Modern carpet cleaning poses relatively few dangers for children, especially if the pros use non-toxic cleaners. Although a thorough cleaning with dedicated equipment is safe for children, if they’re exposed to harsh carpet-cleaning chemicals, kids could be at risk of rashes, irritated lungs and similar problems. Let’s review how to keep kids safe during and after a carpet cleaning service.
Common Risks of Carpet Cleaning For Kids
It’s important to know what specific questions to ask carpet cleaning services if you’re hiring a pro. Here are the situations when carpet cleaners could be dangerous for babies, small children, and pets.
Breathing in Fumes
Certain types of carpet cleaning, especially heavy-duty cleaning to remove deep stains, can use solvents and similar powerful chemicals. These aren’t healthy for anyone to breathe in, especially over an extended period of time or if they’re young. That can cause lung irritation, trigger asthma, and may increase the risks of long-term problems.
The good news is that those types of powerful chemicals are rarely used in carpet cleaning services anymore. Most modern carpet cleaning uses non-toxic approaches and clean up chemical remains carefully to avoid irritant problems.
Ingesting Leftover Residue
In many cases, carpet cleaning can leave a light residue of cleaner behind after it dries, especially with older methods and less-experienced cleaners (including DIY cleaning). That’s not usually a problem, but in the case of toddlers and pets, they often spend a lot of time rolling around on the floor. That leftover residue isn’t healthy for their skin or eyes, and it will irritate their lungs when they breathe it in. It’s important to remove kids and pets from the area until the residue is gone.
Wet and Irritated Skin
Little ones often have trouble waiting until a carpet is fully dry, especially if it takes several hours or more. But if they start playing on carpet that’s still damp, that’s a one-way trip to scratched, rashy skin and wet clothes that need to be replaced. That’s why it’s best to keep your kids away from the carpet until it’s fully dry.
Mold and Mildew Growth
It’s rare, but if carpet stays damp for too long, it could grow mold or mildew spores. When those spores multiply, they can cause health issues, which is harmful for all household members.
This issue is most common in homes that already have growing mold issues and carpets that weren’t properly cleaned and remain wet far too long. A professional carpet cleaning should avoid this issue.
Getting Underfoot
Finally, remember that large carpet cleaners can pose dangers to small pets and toddlers who may not realize how close they are. They can crush paws or feet, and the hot water many use can burn little ones who aren’t careful. These risks are more likely if you are renting a carpet cleaner and don’t have experience using one. We recommend hiring a local carpet cleaner for this task to ensure the highest quality service and safety precautions.
How to Protect Your Kids During a Carpet Cleaning
Don’t forget these important steps to protect young kids and pets during carpet cleaning:
Arrange for child and pet care during the carpet cleaning
Move kids to a vacant area of the house until the carpet completely dries
Use steam cleaning and cleaners without harsh chemicals
Ventilate the house well after cleaning
Vacuum once the carpet is dry to remove residue
Frequently Asked Questions
There aren’t health dangers to sleeping in a room where the carpet was just cleaned. In some cases, strong-scented detergents may trigger allergies in sensitive people, but otherwise there’s not much to worry about.
A greater concern is walking across damp carpet, which is undesirable. To air out the room and help the carpet dry, it’s a good idea to stay off the floors for about 24 hours if possible. If you’re cleaning carpets in the bedroom, you may want to make alternative sleeping plans.
You should wait at least one hour before walking on the carpet to avoid damage. After 6 to 12 hours, it’s fine to walk on the carpet with light traffic, especially if you used a cleaning method that removes most of the water, like steam cleaning. If the carpet pile is longer and very wet without much ventilation, it can take more than 24 hours for the carpet to dry enough to properly use it again.
Most carpet cleaning solutions are safe to use in the home. However, to avoid irritation and health issues you can look for a neutral, mild detergent, especially one that’s marked as nontoxic or eco friendly. When in doubt, always check out the ingredient list. Some cleaning options only use steam heat to clean with little or no detergent, which could be an option if you’re worried.
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