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Cat safe carpet cleaner solutions?

post #1 of 16
11/20/09 at 11:44pm
Thread Starter 
I'm looking for cat safe carpet cleaning solutions to be used with a Bissell Proheat 2X carpet cleaner. Any good products? What about a solution that I mix myself? Keep in mind the water/cleaner is heated way up. Would just plain water do a decent job of cleaning, do you think? Thanks!
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post #2 of 16
11/21/09 at 4:40am
Just about anything should be fine, as long as you are rinsing it out - which you should anyways, soap residue could attract dirt. Read ingredients and look them up - compare to laundry detergent (should be very very similar). These type of detergents are made for breaking down greases/oils and substances that just plain water can't always get.

For spot cleaning, by hand, plain dawn dish soap is fine but I wouldn't want to see what it would do in your bissell. Any homemade type solutions you may need to look up and make sure using them wouldn't somehow void your warranty if something went wrong.
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post #3 of 16
11/21/09 at 7:26am
Thread Starter 
I guess I'm just a little leery of products that say "Avoid contact with skin" and tell you to rinse for x minutes should any get on your skin. I mean, if it's toxic to the touch, even a trace amount can't be good for cats...

Zep is the one we were going to use. If we still use it, I'll probably add some Simple Solution to help get rid of odors, etc.

Thanks for the reply, Strange_wings!
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post #4 of 16
11/21/09 at 9:49am
I'd be concerned about those too! Probably just how concentrated the cleaner in it is that makes it more irritating. Take sodium lauryl sulfate for example. It's in almost all detergents, even tooth paste, but at stronger concentrations it's used as an industrial grade cleaner and isn't something you'd want on your skin. (some people are allergic/sensitive to it even at low "soap" concentrations)

I know they do make cleaners for people with pets. These cleaners have enzymes added to help oders - but for the life of me I can't recall any names.

...have fun cleaning?
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post #5 of 16
11/21/09 at 9:51am
natures miracle is one of the enzyme based ones
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post #6 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:00am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
natures miracle is one of the enzyme based ones
And I could just put that in the carpet cleaner instead of the Zep solution?
I would feel much better about that. Is that the regular Nature's Miracle or is there one specially for carpet cleaning?

Probably my imagination, but the wet carpet in the rooms that have already been done makes my feet tingle/burn a little. The places the cats spend most time in have not been done yet.
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post #7 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:04am
That's not your imagination - but I don't think it's the cleaner, if you rinsed well. I think it's just from walking on wet carpet. It doesn't feel right and we all know what happens if you have your feet wet too long (pruney feet). Mine will burn/tingle just from walking on a wet floor (no detergent) too much.

To answer the question - look on the back of the jug the next time you're in a store? Surely there's directions.
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post #8 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:10am
Thread Starter 
Found out he's not rinsing afterwards...supposedly you don't have to...so the chemical is all over the floor. Lovely. Might just barricade my cat in my bedroom for the next week so she doesn't lay all over it, assuming I don't use the Zep solution in my room.
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post #9 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:11am
EWW! Make him rinse it! You don't need that on you anymore than your cats do.

Even if something says "no rinse" I rinse in this house. I'm sensitive to chemicals and don't take chances with the kitties.
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post #10 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissKalamata View Post
And I could just put that in the carpet cleaner instead of the Zep solution?
I would feel much better about that. Is that the regular Nature's Miracle or is there one specially for carpet cleaning?

Probably my imagination, but the wet carpet in the rooms that have already been done makes my feet tingle/burn a little. The places the cats spend most time in have not been done yet.
I will go look up ZEP cause I am not familiar with it ... Regular natures miracle can be put in a carpet cleaner , thou I think they have a heavy duty version just for that . I second reading the bottle and possibly calling the company as burning sound s really harsh
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post #11 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:16am
Thread Starter 
Yeah, we'll see if I can convince him. Nobody ever rinses the kitchen after mopping, either. Everyone else uses Pinesol; for the sake of the cats and my nose, I use white vinegar when I get the chance, although I learned the hard way that vinegar and Pinesol don't mix (icky fumes!).
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post #12 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:22am
wow here is the zep website ... used for stripping , cleaning and finishing floors

http://www.zep.com/
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post #13 of 16
11/21/09 at 11:38am
Sounds like Zep make some strong stuff!


I can't remember, does pinsol make the mop water cloudy? Any cleaner that does that must be rinsed off because it leaves a residue - pets and children aside, that residue will make things look dull.
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post #14 of 16
11/22/09 at 4:16am
FWIW, my shelter said to use just plain water in a carpet shampooer. I've rented the Rug Doctor from Ace, just using water, and I was amazed/appalled at the color the water became during cleaning.


I didn't know that about Nature' Miracle and using it in a cleaner. May try that next time.
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post #15 of 16
11/22/09 at 4:56am
Pine oil is toxic to cats
Please read about Toxic Household Items, including Pine Oils that are toxic to cats.
http://www.cathealth.com/Tox.htm
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post #16 of 16
11/23/09 at 9:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by darlili View Post
FWIW, my shelter said to use just plain water in a carpet shampooer. I've rented the Rug Doctor from Ace, just using water, and I was amazed/appalled at the color the water became during cleaning.
i once asked a carpet boss if his guy could just use plain white vinegar and hot water and he said yes because i was not the first customer to request this. the result was great. i was shown the dirty water color as it was emptied out and the company saved money by not using their stock chemicals
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