‘You’re going to ruin your vacuum and ruin your carpet’: Expert says you’re probably using Arm & Hammer carpet odor eliminator wrong

Former housekeeper turned "Queen of Cleaning" and social media influencer, Vanesa Amaro (@vanesaamaro91) said that there's one cleaning product people are overusing that is ruining their vacuums, destroying their carpets, and potentially making them sick.

She posted about it in a viral PSA and judging from the comments left by several folks who saw her clip that accrued over 840,000 views, it seems like a lot of folks had no idea they were using the popular item incorrectly.

"As a former housekeeper this is one of the products that I see people often use the most," the TikToker says as she approaches a box of Arm & Hammer Extra Strength Carpet Odor Eliminator. Amaro grabs the box and continues to speak: "Like you guys know you're only supposed to be using this once every three months or so, like stop using it every day you're going to ruin your vacuum and ruin your carpet and your lungs at that," she warns before walking away from the cleaning product.

She then flips the camera orientation to her face as she walks around the store. "Trust me I was a housekeeper for about nine years, so, do not ever use it. You're overusing it!" Amaro exclaims as the video closes out.

One person who replied to the video attested to one of the claims Amaro made: "it's true it ruins your vacuum, it ruined one of mine."

Which was a sentiment someone else echoed who penned: "Bye that’s my favorite but it makes sense cause or vacuums die quick"

"WOW no wonder. i went through three vacuums wondering what happened," someone else said.

Someone else said that they, too, saw evidence of why using it so frequently is a bad idea: "I used to use it every day and when I replaced my carpet the amount of it that was under the carpet AND pad was crazy. Piles of it. I use it very rarely now."

How often should you use Arm & Hammer carpet odor eliminator?

It's unclear, but another well-established product review site corroborates the notion of only using carper cleaning powder every three months. However, no specific guidelines are on the product's website and on-site testimonials from satisfied customers vary.

Arm & Hammer now recommends changing out the box of powder in the refrigerator every 30 days now, however, down from 3 months, because: "After 30 days, Baking Soda has adsorbed many of the odors in the fridge. By replacing the box of Baking Soda every month you get improved odor elimination, ensuring your food tastes fresher longer."

And for folks who want to know if there's a good substitute the "Queen of Cleaning" recommends, she did provide one in the comments section of her video, stating: "Nature’s miracle stain and odor remover."

There were folks who mentioned that this product does indeed have its uses that extend beyond putting it on carpets: "Life hack: sprinkle this at the bottom of a fresh trash bag in the bathroom to keep your bathroom smelling fresh"

And as it turns out, some people said that their issues with Arm & Hammer Extra Strength Carpet Odor Eliminator extended to their personal health: "I used a whole box one day and was sick for a week my nose was running for days on end"

They weren't the only person on social media who complained about feeling ill after using the product, either. One redditor wrote that they became "very sick" after using it to clean "a smelly area rug [they] had gotten from a friend."

After just a few days, their asthma began acting up and they lost their voice but as their condition worsened, they decided to just roll the carpet up and put it inside of the garage and mop the floor it rested on. They said that while the smell still lingered, it was getting better, even if they still felt "horrible" following the experience.

Another person on the r/cleaningtips sub wrote about the same product destroying one of two identical vacuums that they purchased: "I bought two identical Shark vacuum cleaners a couple years ago. One of the vacuums was used on carpets that I would use the Arm and Hammer powder, the other was never used on carpets with the powder. The Shark that would vacuum up the powder has really begun to struggle the past year; it takes a really long time for the roller to kick on and suction to be optimal."

They went on to write that the vacuum cleaner that never touched the powder "is still going strong" and they wanted to know if the issue could be the powder. Numerous folks who responded to the video discussed how fine dust particles basically ruin everything that they touch.

@vanesamaro91

I hope this helps many of you ❤️

♬ original sound - Vanesa Amaro ♥️

In the comments section of their post, someone else also gave their recommendation for a replacement to the Arm & Hammer brand and it happened to be the same one that Amaro referred to in comments section of her own TikTok: "Nature's miracle has a carpet foam that's almost as easy to use if you want to switch away from the powder. Conversely, you can buy a carpet shampooer and enzyme cleaners. It's an extra cleaning step, but it will clean the dog smell without damaging your vacuums."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Amaro and Arm & Hammer via email for further comment.

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