EPA Warns of the Dangers of Dirty Carpets

Pet owners know that getting muddy paw stains out of carpets and rugs is a tough task at the best of times. However, when our four-legged friends traipse grime through our pristine hallways, it’s not just soil residue they’re carrying with them. Germs, bugs, mites and bacteria can get carried through as well, bringing hidden nasties from the outside into places we can’t even see. What’s worse, conventional cleaning methods – a good scrubbing with a damp cloth and elbow grease – won’t necessarily purify the surfaces beyond removing the visible mess. To cleanse the carpet of dangerous microbes, a deeper clean is necessary.

When it comes to rinsing carpets, professional cleaning companies are the most sanitary solution out there. With industrial equipment and the right know-how, specialist scrubbers can blitz away both visible dirt and invisible bugs through processes like steam cleaning, grooming and deep vacuum cleaning. Once they’re done, they can also apply protective sprays to the carpet, making it much harder for future grubs to sink deep into the fibres. In terms of protecting the inhabitants of a home from potential ailments, it’s always more effective to call in the pros.

The risk of developing illnesses from contact with dirty carpets is real. In 2016, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced that ‘80 percent of most people's exposure to pesticides occurs indoors.’ A major reason for such an alarming statistic, they say, is the tracking of contaminated soil and dust from outside through our homes via shoes, feet and animal paws. Such pollutants are then absorbed into carpets and rugs, which gradually release them over time. Indeed, elsewhere in 2016, Marnie Riches, a mother-of-two from Manchester, was deafened after her ear canals collapsed due to an allergic reaction to dust mite faeces in her carpet.

It’s understandable, therefore, that many are concerned about the dangers carpets pose to friends and loved ones. Young children playing at floor level, touching carpets with their hands and inhaling whatever toxins lie within, are put at greater risk by dirty fabrics than anyone else. In recent years, the growth in the cleaning industry as a whole has accompanied an upswing in public awareness about such dangers.

Still, a lot more can be done to counteract the risk. The thicker and older the carpet, the more likely it is to contain hidden dangers. However, illness prevention doesn’t necessarily mean you have to replace carpets like these altogether. Rather, it’s much cheaper to simply have them cleaned – ideally by trusted professionals. Just make sure this is done more regularly than it would be for thinner, newer mats. That way, you can be sure that people encountering your plush, cosy carpets and rugs are also kept safe, happy and well.