Carpeting can be a fabulous and practical design element, creating both elegance and coziness at once. However, having carpets cleaned seems to land low on the list of a homeowner’s or building manager’s to-do list. The reality is, carpets are the largest filters in your home or business, collecting dust, dirt, dander, bacteria and allergens.
Indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health, according to the EPA, and there has been an increase in the number of children with severe allergies and asthma. An EPA study found that the average American spends about 90 percent of their time inside, and dirty carpets could spell trouble.
The Dirty Truths
1. An average of 40 pounds of dust accumulates in a six-room home each year—and a lot of that can end up in carpeting.
2. A known allergen, an estimated 100,000 dust mites can be found in just one square yard of carpet.
3. Cooking grease is easily and invisibly tracked through the home from the kitchen and onto carpets by people and pets—and cannot be vacuumed away.
4. The highly contagious Norovirus has been known to survive on surfaces, such as carpeting, for weeks. Plus, it can become airborne as people walk or play on the carpeting.
5. Vacuuming dirty, neglected carpets can do more harm than good by recirculating nasty germs. A University of Arizona study discovered half of the vacuum cleaner brushes they examined tested positive for fecal bacteria, including 13 percent with E. coli.
The Clean Solutions
1. If you have an old vacuum cleaner (you know if you do), replace it. Your new vacuum should have a HEPA filter to stop the spread of allergens. Some vacuums are now being designed to kill dust mites.
2. Vacuum regularly; daily if you have a pet, otherwise twice a week.
3. Have your carpets cleaned by a professional, reputable carpet and floor cleaning company.
4. Create a schedule with your professional carpet cleaning company to keep you on track. Life is busy—they can send you reminders when it’s time.
5. Place rugs and mats at all entryways to trap some of the grit and dirt before it ends up on your carpeting. (And while it may be uncomfortable to ask visitors to remove their shoes when they enter your home, you could convince your family to do so.)
Let’s face it, carpeting is continuously traipsed on by people and pets with dirty shoes and paws. Carpets that are not regularly cleaned will end up looking the part, and even worse, could make people sick.
If you have questions about the carpeting in your home or business, contact us today.
Contact us online 24/7 or call (914) 423-4600 to learn more about our carpet & textiles care, specialty cleaning, stone and tile restoration, and our emergency damage removal services in Westchester County, Yonkers and the NYC Area.
This is one of a series of articles written and published on behalf of Stone and Tile PRO Partners.
