Thread Number: 45147
/ Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
Yahoo Article on Support of Indoor Shoes Removal & Hard Floor Cleaning Procedure. Dry Foam Shampoo?
If you're like me, you use a canister or tank vacuum to clean hard floors prior to wet mopping, but this online article includes research-backed advice for minimizing the spread of toxins that are contrary to that method.
The dirty truth about taking your shoes off at the door
Sandee LaMotte
Updated Fri, December 8, 2023 at 8:49 AM CST
Here's an excerpt on the cleaning recommendation:
"'Before you ask folks to take off their shoes, be sure the home is as dust-free as possible, experts say. Never vacuum or sweep with a broom first, as that will only stir up all the toxins, sending them airborne. Instead, reach for the wet or spray mop. As counterintuitive as it may be to add water to dirt, it’s actually the best way to remove toxins, Litt said.
"'The same goes for any horizontal surface, Filippelli said, but stay away from feather dusters. “Do more regular cleaning of horizontal surfaces with a damp cloth — that’s windowsills, tables, coffee tables, chair bottoms, chair seats and other furniture in addition to the floor.
"'Use the “three-bucket” method if you live in an older home with lead paint or an area with high levels of lead outside. Have one bucket ready with an all-purpose cleaning solution, another to rinse and an empty bucket.
“'Some folks also use a very weak vinegar solution in their wash water, which works really well,” Filippelli said. “There are some super sterilizers on the market, but when cleaners are really good at killing bacteria, they’re usually not very good for us as human beings. Whenever you can smell a superstrong smell from something, you got to at least think twice about it.'”
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Regarding rugs and carpets, the studies would seem to suggest the advantage of regularly using a dry-foam shampooer in minimizing airborne toxins from them between thorough extractions.
What say you?
Post# 467993 , Reply# 1   12/10/2023 at 07:38 (298 days old) by Centralvacs1928(Chicagoland)  
I can't imagine wet cleaning floors without vacuuming first.
The author is painting with a broad brush (or broom) when she states that sweeping and vacuuming will "stir up toxins". Sweeping, certainly. Save that for the patio.
The best vacuum for not "stirring up toxins" would be one whose exhaust discharges outside the living space, but I wonder how many toxins are really being stirred up by even a good portable vacuum with a HEPA bag.
You could also avoid the whole issue by simply being a recluse and never having anybody over, with or without their shoes on...
Right? It would be revealing to read the actual studies' details.
What I was most wanting reactions to was my theory of the merit of regular dry-foam shampooing to help minimize carpet dust much like frequent wet mopping of a hard surface floor in between extractions (and polishing/scrubbing).