Safe machine to rent and cleaning solution for a carpet cleaner

[Birbberry]

Anyone one know anything safe I can full clean my carpet with? My birds going to move in to my house in about 3 days and I wanna make sure the carpet is clean

 

[ravvlet]

I wouldn’t use a rental machine as it’s likely they were used with cleaning chemicals in the past, so you can’t guarantee that it’s safe or that trace amounts of the detergent won’t remain in the machine, even if you use something more eco-friendly. I will also add that I’ve never steam-cleaned a carpet before moving in with pets (including birds), but if it would aid in your peace of mind I don’t think it will hurt anything.

Your best bet would be to purchase a consumer-level machine (Hoover makes one that’s under $100) and then you can put 1c vinegar to 2c water for synthetic carpets. It will help remove odors, and the vinegar is pet safe and non-toxic. The nice thing about buying the machine is that if your birds poop on the carpet and stain it later, you’ll already have a steam vacc on hand to take care of the mess.

These machines do have a heating element for drying the carpet, but I don’t think they get hot enough to pose a hazard (many heating elements are coated in toxic substances that offgas at high temperatures). I would definitely research that though or reach out to the manufacturer to be sure the heating element does not include harmful chemicals/does not get hot enough to offgas.