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This month we are focused on tile and grout. I thought this would be a good time to talk about cleaning with water, because tile & grout may be the ONE thing that I would answer yes to cleaning with water in our industry.
We get this question a lot! Can you clean my rug or carpet with just water?
Customers who are sensitive to fragrance or abrasive chemicals ask us if we can do their and only use water. Our professional answer is no because we know that we will not get the best result and because the cleansers that we use are very mild, completely free of toxins like fragrance and synthetic chemicals, so are safe for the person who is asking.
Why we don’t clean with water only
A more in-depth answer would be that whether or not you can clean with water depends on what you are cleaning - the truth of the matter is that simple H2O is a pretty good cleanser by itself. Will it get out stains and body oil or pet oil? No. Will it tackle surface grime on non-porous materials? Yes. Water is a good cleaner because it is an effective solvent, a fine abrasive, and is able to wet surfaces.
As a polar molecule, water can dissolve many polar substances, breaking them down and washing them away. Its ability to wet surfaces ensures it can spread across and penetrate dirt, while the force of the water itself can act as a physical means of removing debris. Water is a good cleaner because it is an effective solvent, a fine abrasive, and is able to wet surfaces. Water is a polar molecule, and can dissolve many polar substances (many types of dirt and grim are polar substances,) breaking them down and washing them away. Water’s ability to wet surfaces ensures it can spread across and penetrate dirt, while the force of the water itself can act as a physical means of removing debris. Think of how effective power washing is on concrete… however, power washing with a specialized detergent is visibly more effective.
A good balance between water and harsh household cleansers (which most people over-use) is to use all natural nontoxic, fragrance free cleansers that give the water just enough boost to handle every day stains and oils, but don’t leave behind residue and fragrances that will make you sick. I’ve watched SO many friends and family members overload their homes and their loved ones with detergents and cleansers because they want to smell fresh and clean. The fragrances emanating from them can be overpowering (and they can’t even smell it anymore.)
Case study: paint on a rug
Below is an example that I just completed in my house after a bunch of young cheerleaders were painting signs and left tempera paint all over my new dining room rug. (Don’t judge the quality of the rug please, I have a dog two cats and two small children so the good rugs are in storage.)
The first picture is before treatment.
The second picture is with a home extractor filled with a diluted vinegar solution. This was done twice.
The third picture is after spraying our (magical) citrus cleaner - heavily diluted - lightly agitating and leaving to dwell for five minutes before gently scrubbing off. (No more machine.)
I took pictures because I knew before I did the process what the results would be, but I wanted to put them in this blog post!
So in summary, yes, there are certain surfaces that you can clean effectively with just water depending on the grime - countertops, your kitchen table, dining room table, desk area - any area that does not have an abundance of grease, oil, or other viscous spills can be effectively cleaned without detergent.
For areas that have an abundance of grease, oil or other viscous spills, a light boost is generally all you need. These detergents are designed to lift the soil up off of the surface and suspend it in a solution so that you can rinse it away, and they are remarkably effective.
For areas that are heavily soiled, we do recommend bringing in the big guns and often times this means a small amount of a non-green cleanser to get the job done.
Just a side note - carpet and rug cleaning equipment is designed to work with specialized detergents for the most effective outcome, so while we can get things cleaner with water, we can’t determine exactly how clean and often times when someone is calling us, it is because we need a bit more power to get it done right.
Happy Cleaning!
