Carpets are everywhere, yet most of us take them for granted. Something that gets walked on by so many feet, has food dropped on it and ground in, and collects all the dust, dandruff, and dead skin that comes from our daily activities. All this dirt and dust provides an amazing buffet for a menagerie of microscopic critters, as well as mildew and mold. All these things add up to a dirty, smelly, allergen-containing carpet that may contain more bacteria per square inch than a toilet seat and four times its own weight in dirt.
Dirt
Particularly in office environments, people walk inside wearing shoes that have been bathed in the mud, pollution, plant matter, and bacteria of outdoors. Carpets collect bits of all of these, to the point that dirt can make up more of your floor surface than the original carpet fibers. This dirt can contain food debris, pollen, hair from people and pets, skin cells, and even traces of feces.
Molds
Even it isn’t visible or obvious, carpets can contain mold. Carpets are a particularly favourable environment for mold, which requires moisture, oxygen, food, and a surface, to grow. Mold spores fall from the air onto carpeting, where it grows, particularly on wall-to-wall carpeting and in moist areas. Since mold can cause or exacerbate allergies and asthma, it is important to clean carpets regularly to prevent illness.
Critters
Dust mites are the most common inhabitants of carpets, tiny creatures which feed off of the droppings of our lives. Although harmless to most, they can be allergens. Dust mites are joined by their friends, bacteria and viruses. These can include norovirus, salmonella, and listeria. These bacteria can be stirred up by people walking, breathed in by inhabitants in the room, or picked up by hands reaching down to tie shoes.
Prevention
If you’re grossed out enough now, you’ll want to know how to prevent all this dirt, mold, and bacteria building up in your carpet. The first method of prevention is to provide an entrance carpet on which to wipe feet, reducing the amount of dirt tracked onto the carpet. Immediately tackling any spills can ensure that the carpet doesn’t stay moist and encourage mold growth. Finally, and most importantly, regular cleaning and maintenance will reduce the food that dust mites and bacteria like; keep the carpet dry and mold-free; clean out dirt; and reduce odour build up. Professional cleaners will make sure that even the tricky corners, which collect the most dirt and are hardest to clean, stay as fresh as possible. Regency Cleaners can help you with solutions for your commercial space; contact us for a quote today!
