Damaging Effects of Fragrances on Carpet

“Damaging effects? No way, now you guys are telling me that fragrances on carpet are bad too?!”

We’re so sorry friends, but… the hard truth is that these delicious fruity smelling fragrances that traditional carpet cleaners use on your floors can actually be bad for your carpet fibers.

It may not even be a carpet cleaner who has applied these fragrances to your carpet, but perhaps it might even have been you!

Maybe you didn’t even realize you were doing it? This can be done in the form of auto-spraying air fresheners, cans of air fresheners, or even powdered carpet deodorizer… sound familiar?

Did you know that most of the powdered carpet deodorizer is made from harsh chemical substances like baking soda?

Now we are pretty big baking soda fans when it comes to baking or for certain household cleaning projects. But baking soda and fragrances simply do not belong in your carpet fibers. Here’s why…

The Effects of Carpet Powder Deodorizers on Your Carpets

Carpet powders just deposit fragrance but don’t actually lend a helping hand in getting your carpets any cleaner.

Now if you’re familiar with any of our emails, posts, or previous articles, you know that dirt and soil can have lasting effects on your carpet.

Well, these powdered deodorizer and baking soda mixtures are pretty similar textures to dirt and sand- gritty, right?

Think of it this way- dirt is typically a mixture of different dirt particles, including tiny little pebbles and rocks. Every time you walk on your carpet, these little gritty rocks repeatedly get ground into your carpetting, which causes can rip and tear at the carpet fibers over time. Much like the gritty particles of baking soda and powdered deodorizers.

See what we mean?!

Not to mention, for members of your household whose skin might be sensitive to these chemicals and fragrances, these powder deodorizers can also cause irritation and rashes.

These fragranced powders can also cause asthmatic attacks in family members or pets who struggle with asthma or breathing problems. Some studies even say that carpet deodorizers contain many unsafe ingredients that have been linked to lung damage, kidney damage, nervous system damage, hormone disruption, and blood disorders.

But this nightmare isn’t over- guess what else these powders can negatively impact?!

Effects on Your Vacuum Cleaner

…Your expensive vacuum cleaners, argh!

Because these powder particles are similar to sand and dirt particles, they can clog your vacuum’s filters and bags. When the bags and filters are clogged with powder, it means you’re changing them much more often (that alone can get a wee bit expensive).

Vacuum bags and filters are relatively easy to replace. But other important pieces of the vacuum- the belt and motor for example - are not so easy or cheap to replace. According to Aerus Home:

Damaging Effects of Air Fresheners or Sprays

Now that we’ve covered the carpet powder deodorizers and baking soda portion of the day, let’s talk about the air fresheners and sprays.

These cause a bit of a different issue for your carpets, but still just as damaging to your carpets.

Because air fresheners and sprays often use some sort of chemical compound, that means that they leave some sort of residue in their wake, wouldn’t you say?

Well, we would!

Again, if you are familiar with some of our other articles, then perhaps you already know why these fragrances are no friends to your carpets. Using air fresheners and sprays have much the same result as cleaning with soaps.

Just like soaps, the. harsh chemicals in air fresheners and sprays also leave behind a sticky residue that becomes a magnet for dirt and grime. This means the carpet simply won’t stay clean for long, because the residue immediately begins collecting dirt again.

As well, when the harsh chemical residue is left behind in your carpets, it also leaves behind the potential issue of causing skin irritation.

These chemicals are left in the same carpets that your dogs and cats roll around on, walk on, eat off of. Surfaces that your kids sit on, walk on, and play on!

Not to mention the damaging effects on your body when you breathe these chemicals in. According to Made Safe:

What Can You Do For Smelly Carpets?

Well, the most obvious answer would be to have your carpets professionally cleaned of course.

The Zerorez® cleaning process does not use soaps, detergents, shampoos, or harsh chemicals to clean (and eliminate those carpet odors)!

Instead, we use a revolutionary, non-toxic water-based cleaning agent as its carpet cleaner, called Powered Water®. Powered Water® cleans better than soap without leaving a sticky residue behind.

But if you feel the need to use something to freshen up the smell of your carpets in between cleanings, perhaps you could consider essential oils? Now before you get ahead of yourself, let us just say- do NOT apply these directly to your carpets. They will leave behind an oily dirt-attracting residue.

As experts in the Residue Free® carpet cleaning industry, we can attest to what causes residue in carpets!

Therefore, the best way to go about this is to add a few drops of your desired essential oil- may we suggest something fresh smelling like basil or lemon - to the vacuum air filter or bag.

This way the residue clings to an area of the vacuum that is replaced or cleaned regularly, but that air continually passes through while vacuuming. You’ll have your home smelling lemony-fresh in no time!