Unfortunately, no. There are three important factors that make a system environmentally friendly: one, the equipment must be powered by clean energy; two, the cleaning solution must be certified as non-toxic and safe for the environment; and three, a carpet cleaner must dispose of the waste water correctly.
(1) Many Seattle carpet cleaners use machines that are petroleum powered, using diesel fuel or unleaded gasoline to run their equipment. That means that not only is your neighborhood being polluted by the exhaust from their van and equipment, which runs for the duration of the cleaning whether it’s 1 hour or all day long, but this also adds unnecessary greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, increasing the effects of global warming.
Other Seattle carpet cleaners use equipment that is just as powerful, but is powered by electricity, which is a cleaner and more efficient form of energy. So make sure that the company you hire uses clean energy—electricity—to power their equipment.
(2) Many carpet cleaners use chemicals that non-biodegradable, and are harmful to people as well as the local watershed. A cleaning solution that is Green Seal Certified is a good standard to use when making sure a chemical is environmentally friendly.
(3) It’s unfortunate, but some companies do not dispose of their wastewater correctly. I have seen carpet cleaners on several occasions pump their wastewater right out into the street, which locally runs through the storm drains and right into the river, with no treatment. This can cause big problems for our local rivers, and there have been many occasions were Seattle carpet cleaning companies have been sued for improper wastewater disposal, resulting in fish kills and damage to the local environment. An ethical carpet cleaner will dispose of wastewater properly.
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