Carpet and Snow Melters: A match not made in heaven…

16. December 2009 by Dean of Clean.

Well, the snow is here again and that means there’ll be salt and calcium chloride ice melt being spread on sidewalks and entries again. These products work great at keeping concrete ice-free, but they can present a big problem in keeping your carpet clean!

Salt or Calcium Chloride can be tracked into your home or business from outside on shoes and boots, and then create a resoiling issue.

Calcium Chloride is used in place of Sodium Chloride (salt) when the temperatures drop very low and salt no longer melts ice well. Calcium Chloride is hygroscopic (meaning that it attracts moisture) and if an inexperienced cleaner tries to clean it with an alkaline detergent, they’ll turn it to Calcium Hydroxide (lime). The white powder from calcium chloride ice melters will quickly be tracked through a building, and since it attracts moisture, it will cause severe soil patterns in a short time. Quick removal is key!

An ounce of prevention is the best policy: make sure that you have walk-off mats at every entry and that people wipe their feet well to remove moisture and residue before walking around the home or office.

If, however, you notice this issue in your home or building, call a professional carpet cleaner to get the carpets cleaned. Mention that your issue is ice melter, and an experienced IICRC Certified cleaner like ourselves will know exactly what to do to remove it. (We usually will clean areas affected by this condition twice.)

Click the link for more information about Professional Carpet Cleaning in Durango, or call us at 385-8444 for “Green” Cleaning for your home or office!

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