7 Nastiest Things Hidden in Your Carpet

How Clean Is Your Carpet – An infographic by the team at TrustedCleaner

Are you using these products to clean your carpets?

When you think of your home, you usually visualize a calm and clean retreat from the noisy, chaotic and dirty world outside. Little do you know that if you have carpets and rugs in your house, you may actually be harboring a lot of the dirt, grime and germs that can be found outside.

Yes, yes, I know! You clean your carpet regularly by using the vacuum and even air out area rugs occasionally by hanging these out and giving them a good whacking every now and then to release the trapped dust and dirt.

Some people even encourage their visitors and other house occupants to remove their shoes and change into indoor slippers or shoes. The fact of the matter is that while dust and visible debris may be easy to get rid of, there are some things that you would never expect to be in your carpet which may compromise your family’s health.

Let’s start with the most common things that you might encounter in your carpet.

1. Dust, Dirt and Grime

Sweep away the dirt fur ball!

Rooms that are frequently used with carpeted floors are a magnet for dust and dirt from the foot traffic of the people who go in and out. A lot of people believe that using your vacuum will suffice to remove the dust and dirt from carpets and area rugs.

The truth of the matter is that a standard vacuum can remove most of the dust, dirt and grime from carpeting but professional cleaners have the best equipment in terms of cleaning carpets and rugs. Standard vacuums suck out the dust and dirt on the surface of the carpet but may have some difficulty removing the dirt trapped underneath the rug. One problem that standard vacuums also bring is the dust that they suck up from the carpet. The dust often escapes the dust carrier or bag and is released back into the atmosphere, specifically in your face.

2. Allergens

Allergens are found on the fur and skin and in saliva

If you have pets, chances of their fur and the dirt that they track into your house from outside may be left in the carpet or rug. Hair and other debris from plants and soil can trigger allergic reactions in the occupants of the house as well as in visitors. I don’t even have to describe how annoying an allergic reaction can be and how expensive antihistamines are! You can solve part of the problem by having a professional carpet extractor clean up your carpet and rugs regularly.

As I mentioned above, most vacuum cleaners can only suck up surface dirt and may have inadequate power for sucking up dirt on the underside of the carpeting. Some pet fur might also get entangled in the fibers of the carpet, and these will not come out easily with just the use of an ordinary vacuum cleaner.

3. Animal Waste

Be considerate to others and pick up your pet’s waste immediately

I think most homeowners apparently do not expect animal urine and feces in their carpets and rugs, especially if they do not have pets. What they do not know is that animals urinate and defecate almost anywhere that people go. There are rules and regulations regarding cleaning up after your pet urinates, but many pet owners cannot clean up properly if the pets are active and running around.

When the feces and urine dry up, people cannot avoid them anymore because these do not look dirty when dry. When we bring in our shoes from outside, we pick up the germs and bacteria in the dried-up animal waste and eventually leave them on the carpet or the rug.

This is probably a gross topic for many, but this is a reality that happens in our everyday’s life. Carpet extractors or cleaners should be used to remove the pet stain and odor from carpet or rug.

4. Bacteria

Bacteria can live for a long time if you left your dirt carpet untreated

You might think that these kinds of health hazards will have a difficult time staying alive in a carpet or a rug, but they can survive there for a few hours; long enough to transfer to a crawling baby or a child sitting on the floor playing. The best way to reduce the risk of these bacteria attaching themselves to a human being is to leave the shoes outside, encourage your child to play on a clean mat specifically for his use and to have your carpet and rugs sanitize with high heat (steam cleaning) or hot water spray from carpet cleaners.

5. Viruses and Other Germs

Frightening looking viruses

Although quite similar to bacteria, viruses can be more virulent and bring more danger to children, pets and other occupants of the house. Just like bacteria, extremely high heat is the safest way to get rid of them. This requires a visit from your friendly carpet extractor or cleaner. Regular use is necessary to lower the risk of any viruses spreading to the occupants of the house.

6. Parasites and Insects

Parasites are annoying

I have cleaned carpets in houses without any pets and still encountered a flea, tick, bed bug or some other kind of insect in them. This is because these parasites often latch on to the legs of humans or leg hairs looking for a suitable host. It can happen when you are walking through a forested area, stopped by a house where there are infected dogs or cats, talked to someone who has a pet with ticks or fleas or sat on a bed bug infested chair or bed. The insects try to suck blood when they can, and they also look for suitable places to live since humans might be better than pets in ridding themselves of these parasites.

Fleas and tick find carpets, rugs and furniture great places to hang out in because every once in a while a human host will sit and they can try to suck blood from him or her. The danger with ticks is if they are infected with Lyme disease. As for fleas or bed bugs, their bites can be very itchy and takes some time to heal.

Your budget vacuum cleaner can help to remove these insects from the carpets to a certain extent, but when you store your vacuum, they can easily escape out of the dust bag spread around the room. Professional carpet extractors have the ways and means of getting rid of these pests in such a way that they will not bother anybody ever again.

7. Mold

Mold spots are difficult to deal with

Molds are dangerous organisms that live in damp and humid places. If you have ever spilled a substantial amount of water or soup on your carpet and forgone cleaning the spot because you could not see any stains, there is a very big possibility that mold may have grown on the said spot already. I really hate it when I see a moldy spot on a carpet or rug because if left unattended, the carpet will eventually have holes.

Aside from your carpet getting ruined, some molds are toxic enough that they cause severe allergic reactions in a lot of people. The problem with moldy carpets is that they are not as easy to notice as dirty ones, but they are even more dangerous. You will have to remove the carpet and check the lining underneath it for any mold growth. You can try to shampoo your carpet and treat it with cleansers to get rid of the black, moldy spot. However, without the proper equipment, the risk of the mold growing back is very high.

To kill them completely, you will need to expose your carpet lining or mold spot to extremely high heat. It is recommended to hire a professional cleaning service company when dealing with very stubborn moldy areas because there is a high risk of ruining and tearing your expensive carpet if you do not have the experience or right tools.

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