Nothing warms up a room quite like a carpeted floor! Whether it is a fully carpeted bedroom, a fun accent rug in a living room, or a durable carpet in a child’s playroom, it’s easy to see how carpet is a great and stylish addition to most homes.
But while carpet can add design elements and function to multiple rooms, it also offers a great spot to collect allergens, germs, and bacteria.
If not cared for properly, dirty carpets can quickly become a stinky or unsightly feature in your home or office, and can even lead to health risks.
Do you know what is living in your dirty carpet? Read below to find out!
1. Dirt, Dust, and Soil
Every day as your family or clients make their way around your home or business, there are countless pounds of dirt and dust being tracked onto your carpets.
While vacuuming can remove a good amount of this dirt, vacuuming alone won’t pull it all from your carpet.
Eventually, a greasy buildup can form on the fibers of your carpet which attracts and locks in even more dirt, and can even form stains. One carpet can hold as much as four times its weight in the dirt!
Besides the unsightly stains, dirt and soil buildup can actually wear your carpet down faster.
The small piles of dust and sand that sit in the base of your carpet are ground into the fabric every time you walk or sit on the carpet, which can quickly wear down the fibers and reduce the lifespan of your carpet.
2. Bugs
Carpeting can be home to a whole host of bugs such as fleas, bedbugs, and most commonly, dust mites. Not only can this make your skin crawl, but dust mites are also the cause of many allergic reactions.
The molted skin and waste of dust mites have been known to trigger asthmatic reactions and environmental allergies which can cause serious health concerns in otherwise healthy people.
If you are looking for the cause of a recent allergy flare-up, the answer may be right under your feet!
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3. Pet Dander, Hair, and Skin Flakes
Even if it looks like you have vacuumed the pet hair from your carpet, there are plenty of small particles left behind in the fibers. You and your pet are constantly shedding millions of tiny skin cells every day which can build up in your carpet and attract bugs who are looking for a meal.
4. Mold, Mildew, and Bacteria
When it comes to bacteria in your carpet, you don’t want to mess around. Throughout its lifetime, your carpet can pick up pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, pollen, fungi, cigarette smoke, and a variety of chemicals.
Any number of these harmful elements can wreak havoc on your family’s health, so it is important to have your carpet properly sanitized. Some bacteria can even live in your carpet for up to four weeks!
It is also important to keep the carpet dry, as mold and mildew will thrive in a warm and damp environment.
5. Food and Drink
Who doesn’t enjoy a meal or snack in their living room once in a while? Food and drink spills are not only big attractions for bacteria and bugs, but they can also permanently stain your carpet too.
Be sure to blot away spilled food and drink as quickly as possible, followed by a spot treatment to clean away any remaining residue.
While we are mentioning food – remember all of the bacteria and dirt that builds up in your carpet? If you drop food on the carpet, forget the 5-second rule unless you want to put that dirt and bacteria in your mouth!
6. Odors
Another thing that carpets are great at holding in is odors. Cigarette smoke, pet urine, spilled food or drink, and mud can all cause odors to form if not cleaned properly as soon as possible.
If anything in the above list gave you shivers, it might be time to have your carpet professionally cleaned. In the meantime, here are some ways to reduce the buildup of harmful contaminants in your carpets:
Take off Your Shoes
When you remove your shoes before walking on carpet, you reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria that will be ground into the fibers.
If you have carpet in a particularly busy or high traffic area where people often wear their shoes, be sure to give it extra attention to keep it clean and fresh.
Clean Carpets Regularly
If you’d like to reduce the number of contaminants in your carpet, aim to vacuum at least 1-2 times a week.
If your carpet looks visibly dirty, it has already been way too long since it was last cleaned. As we already mentioned, vacuuming alone will not fully clean your carpet, but it can definitely help reduce buildup in between deep cleans.
Make Use of Runners and Area Rugs
Area rugs and runners are a great way to protect flooring and carpeting in busy areas of your home or business. As an added bonus, many area rugs are washable and can be easily replaced when they wear out.
Schedule Regular Deep Cleaning
Scheduling a professional carpet cleaning service at least every 6 months to 1 year is a great way to extend the life of your carpets and help keep your family safe and healthy.
Professional deep cleaning can reach up to 98% of the contaminants in your carpet!
Life gets busy, and there isn’t always time to clean your carpets – especially when it comes to deep cleaning.
If you can’t stand the thought of what is living in your home or business’ carpets, let our team help. Contact us today to learn more about our professional carpet cleaning services.
