Green or Clean?

How good do "green" products work? The sellers of "green" as well as "nearly green" products (my term for products that are more human safe than most cleaners, but may not be as environmentally safe as a "green product") assure us that their products are as good as the more conventional products we currently use.

In my experience, most green/nearly green products do work well on lightly or moderately soiled carpet. Our concerns begin when we are called upon to clean a heavily soiled carpet that is likely close to being permanently damaged and perhaps needs to be replaced instead of cleaned.

Will the green/nearly green products work? Perhaps not, but unless a side by side comparison is made, we can't be sure our "heavy duty/nuclear bomb" type products would restore the carpet either.

What choices do we have when faced with the dilemma?

1. Attempt to use our green/nearly green products. If we have hot cleaning solution and soft water, the carpet just might clean up surprisingly well!
2. Boost our green/nearly green products. Non chlorine bleaches, also known as oxidizing agents (Bridgepoint Boost All, Prochem Oxy Plus, Masterblend Accelerator), can greatly enhance cleaning by breaking down protein, tannin, and even oily soils. Such products are not always considered "green", but do boost cleaning without the need for solvents.
3. Resort to using "the good old stuff" that has worked for years, then advising our customer that if the carpet is maintained on a regular basis, we can keep it clean with products that are far more human and environmentally friendly.

You need to make your choices based on your own standard of cleaning and safety, your customers needs and expectations, and, of course, each individual situation.