We all have challenges to keep our interiors as pristine and PURE / Clean as the day it was installed.
Every client asks me how to maintain textiles, area rugs, carpeting, and soft finishes so that their investment is protected. The universal easy answer has always been to order carpeting with protective finishes like Stainmaster, or Scotchguard.
I have helped clients apply Scotchguard in the liquid state with a brush to so many textiles that I cannot count. I have ventilated and sprayed Scotchguard aerosal bombs so many times that I have lost count. Now comes the bad news.
These products have an active ingredient that is much worse than the dirt they are protecting us from. I mean, dirt is dirt, right? PFCs on the other hand never tell us what they are doing as we breath them in.
First appeared in Teflon as an anti stick material for pans. It was a miracle and everyone wanted their pans to be coated with this amazing stuff that made our cooking look so cool!!
Then Scotchguard appeared and sofas stayed cleaner. The same process of anti stick, but this time it was soil and mainly grease. That troublemaker in an interior that is the hardest to deal with.
It just worked.
When the carpeting industry got on board and offered Stainmaster that was part of the carpeting and started offering warranties, we all applauded. Until we started hearing the rest of the story.
These products all contain the active ingredient PFCs. They are a family of fluorine - containing chemicals with unique properties to make materials stain - and stick - reisistant. Some of the PFCs are resistent to breaking down and are appearing everywhere in our environment. They appear in contamination of our food sources, and our water supplies. PFSs and PFOA are breakdown products of PFCs. They are also in household dust, consumer products and food packaging.
They are in personal care products like shampoo, dental floss and denture cleaners. (think anti stick and you are pretty much there)
The PFC and is dirivitives are likely human carcinogens. They cause liver, pancreatic, testicular and mammary gland tumors in the laboratory. They produce liver and kidney damage, and reproductive problems. They are also persistent and have a very long life in our bodies and our environment.
Exposure before birth has been linked to low birth weight. Nasty chemicals that are being phased out, but since they are effective there is a huge push back in our industry to do it.
Avoid stain resistant products that are part of the furniture industry. Do not apply stain protectors and do not buy products where it comes applied already. Never insure the cleanliness of a product by applying unsafe chemicals. Do your research and maybe accept cleaning textiles and carpeting more with clean processes rather than applying chemicals that do not let dirt or grime stick to them. Think washing with clear water or mild soap as opposed to dry cleaning with chemicals that are more caustic for people.
Become a steward of reading labels and checking to see what effect these chemicals actually have on people. They are always labeled. Be the radical that you get tired of hearing from. Be the watchdog for your family and your home. You will breath easily because of it.
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